Q150. Why did the rulers of Vijayanagara incorporate agricultural tracts within the fortified area of the capital?
[UPSC CDS-II – 2026]
A. To separate cultivators from merchants
B. To protect food-producing areas during prolonged sieges
C. To prevent cultivation outside the city
D. To establish royal hunting grounds
Answer: B. To protect food-producing areas during prolonged sieges
Explanation: Vijayanagara’s fortifications enclosed fields and agricultural land so that food production could continue during enemy sieges, reducing dependence on supplies from vulnerable territories outside the defensive walls.
Q149. Which of the following travellers did NOT leave an account of the Vijayanagara Empire?
[UPSC CDS-II – 2026]
A. Niccolò de’ Conti
B. Marco Polo
C. Domingo Paes
D. Fernao Nuniz
Answer: B. Marco Polo
Explanation: Marco Polo visited India before Vijayanagara was founded in 1336. Conti, Paes and Nuniz visited or described Vijayanagara during the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries.
Q148. Hampi, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, was the capital of which empire?
[RRB NTPC UG CBT-I – 2026]
A. Vijayanagara Empire
B. Gupta Empire
C. Mughal Empire
D. Maurya Empire
Answer: A. Vijayanagara Empire
Explanation: Hampi on the Tungabhadra River served as the magnificent imperial capital of Vijayanagara. Its temples, bazaars, palaces and waterworks preserve evidence of the empire’s prosperity.
Q147. Hampi was historically the capital of which major South Indian empire?
[RRB NTPC Graduate CBT-II – 2026]
A. Chola Empire
B. Vijayanagara Empire
C. Satavahana Empire
D. Pallava Empire
Answer: B. Vijayanagara Empire
Explanation: Vijayanagara developed Hampi into one of medieval India’s greatest urban centres. The capital contained sacred, royal and commercial zones surrounded by an extensive network of fortifications.
Q146. What was a major economic role of temple-centred institutions under the Vijayanagara Empire?
[UP PGT History – 2026]
A. They functioned only as religious centres
B. They managed land, labour and redistribution of resources
C. They prohibited commercial activity
D. They replaced agriculture with maritime trade
Answer: B. They managed land, labour and redistribution of resources
Explanation: Vijayanagara temples controlled landed resources, employed numerous occupational groups and participated in redistribution. Their economic influence reinforced royal authority while linking local production with religious institutions.
Q145. Which combination best explains the structural decline of Vijayanagara after the Battle of Talikota?
[UP PGT History – 2026]
A. Foreign invasion alone
B. Military defeat, factional conflict and growing Nayaka autonomy
C. Complete disappearance of agriculture
D. Portuguese annexation of Hampi
Answer: B. Military defeat, factional conflict and growing Nayaka autonomy
Explanation: Talikota weakened central authority, while succession disputes and increasingly autonomous Nayaka chiefs accelerated fragmentation. Vijayanagara survived politically afterward, but never recovered its earlier imperial dominance.
Q144. Hampi Utsava primarily commemorates the cultural legacy of which empire?
[DSSSB MTS – 2026]
A. Maurya
B. Vijayanagara
C. Kushana
D. Pala
Answer: B. Vijayanagara
Explanation: Hampi Utsava celebrates Karnataka’s Vijayanagara heritage through music, dance and cultural performances, recalling the artistic splendour of the former imperial capital at Hampi.
Q143. Arrange the following in chronological order: foundation of Vijayanagara, foundation of Bahmani Sultanate, later Vijayanagara-Bahmani conflicts, Battle of Talikota.
[UPHESC Assistant Professor History – 2026]
A. Vijayanagara → Bahmani → conflicts → Talikota
B. Bahmani → Vijayanagara → Talikota → conflicts
C. Vijayanagara → Talikota → Bahmani → conflicts
D. Bahmani → conflicts → Vijayanagara → Talikota
Answer: A. Vijayanagara → Bahmani → conflicts → Talikota
Explanation: Vijayanagara arose in 1336, the Bahmani Sultanate in 1347, recurring struggles followed over strategic regions, and the decisive Battle of Talikota occurred in 1565.
Q142. Which administrative institution is correctly associated with the Vijayanagara Empire?
[UPHESC Assistant Professor History – 2026]
A. Mansabdari
B. Nayankara
C. Ashta Pradhan
D. Tarafdari
Answer: B. Nayankara
Explanation: Nayankara was characteristic of Vijayanagara administration. Military chiefs received territorial revenue assignments and maintained troops, whereas Mansabdari belonged to the Mughals and Ashta Pradhan to the Marathas.
Q141. Which of the following correctly matches a Vijayanagara structure with its function or feature?
[CUET UG History – 2026]
A. Mahanavami Dibba — massive ceremonial platform
B. Kamalapuram Tank — royal mint
C. Vitthala Temple — military barracks
D. Hazara Rama Temple — public marketplace
Answer: A. Mahanavami Dibba — massive ceremonial platform
Explanation: The Mahanavami Dibba was an imposing ceremonial platform associated with royal festivities. Kamalapuram was a reservoir, Vitthala a major temple complex, and Hazara Rama a royal temple.
Q140. Who composed the work Amuktamalyada?
[CUET UG History – 2026]
A. Deva Raya II
B. Krishnadevaraya
C. Harihara I
D. Saluva Narasimha
Answer: B. Krishnadevaraya
Explanation: Tuluva emperor Krishnadevaraya authored Amuktamalyada in Telugu. The celebrated work combines devotional narrative with important observations concerning kingship, administration and statecraft.
Q139. What is the name of the Telugu work on statecraft composed by Krishnadevaraya?
[CUET UG History – 2026]
A. Amuktamalyada
B. Rajatarangini
C. Manasollasa
D. Prithviraj Raso
Answer: A. Amuktamalyada
Explanation: Amuktamalyada is Krishnadevaraya’s celebrated Telugu composition. Its literary and political observations illustrate the extraordinary growth of Telugu culture under Vijayanagara patronage.
Q138. Who wrote Amuktamalyada, an important literary work of the Vijayanagara period?
[CUET PG – 2026]
A. Allasani Peddana
B. Krishnadevaraya
C. Tenali Ramakrishna
D. Nandi Timmana
Answer: B. Krishnadevaraya
Explanation: Krishnadevaraya was both an accomplished ruler and author. His Telugu Amuktamalyada contributed to the remarkable literary flowering associated with his sixteenth-century court.
Q137. Consider the following statements about Hampi: temples served as cultural centres; Mahanavami was an important celebration. Which are correct?
[CTET Social Studies Paper-II – 2026]
A. First only
B. Second only
C. Both
D. Neither
Answer: C. Both
Explanation: Temples at Vijayanagara functioned as important social-cultural institutions, while Mahanavami or Navaratri was celebrated with elaborate royal ceremonies symbolising imperial authority and prosperity.
Q136. In the early phase of Krishnadevaraya’s military career, the forces of which neighbouring power were decisively challenged?
[DSSSB PRT – 2026]
A. Bijapur
B. Bengal
C. Kashmir
D. Mewar
Answer: A. Bijapur
Explanation: Krishnadevaraya repeatedly confronted the Adil Shahi rulers of Bijapur over the strategically valuable Raichur Doab, eventually winning a celebrated victory at Raichur in 1520.
Q135. The Battle of Bannihatti, another name associated with the Battle of Talikota, was fought in which year?
[Bihar Police SI – 2026]
A. 1556
B. 1565
C. 1576
D. 1585
Answer: B. 1565
Explanation: The 1565 battle is variously called Talikota, Rakshasi-Tangadi or Bannihatti. The allied Deccan Sultanates defeated Rama Raya’s Vijayanagara army, seriously weakening imperial power.
Q134. In which year did Harihara and Bukka establish the Vijayanagara Empire?
[Bihar Police SI – 2026]
A. 1320
B. 1336
C. 1347
D. 1351
Answer: B. 1336
Explanation: Harihara I and Bukka Raya I founded Vijayanagara in 1336. Their Sangama dynasty established a powerful state centred on the Tungabhadra region of present-day Karnataka.
Q133. Which statements about Vijayanagara are correct:
Harihara and Bukka founded it;
Krishnadevaraya wrote Amuktamalyada;
Hampi was devastated after Talikota?
[Bihar Police SI – 2026]
A. 1 only
B. 1 and 2 only
C. 2 and 3 only
D. 1, 2 and 3
Answer: D. 1, 2 and 3
Explanation: All three statements represent established milestones: the Sangama foundation, Krishnadevaraya’s literary achievement, and the extensive plundering of the imperial capital following the 1565 defeat.
Q132. The Battle of Kovilakonda is associated with the reign of which Vijayanagara ruler?
[Bihar Police SI – 2026]
A. Harihara II
B. Krishnadevaraya
C. Deva Raya I
D. Sadasiva Raya
Answer: B. Krishnadevaraya
Explanation: Krishnadevaraya conducted extensive campaigns against neighbouring Deccan powers during his reign. These victories were part of the military expansion that brought Vijayanagara to its political zenith.
Q131. Which temple complex at Hampi is especially famous for its stone chariot?
[MP Police SI – 2026]
A. Virupaksha Temple
B. Vitthala Temple
C. Hazara Rama Temple
D. Krishna Temple
Answer: B. Vitthala Temple
Explanation: The Vitthala Temple complex contains Hampi’s iconic stone chariot and celebrated musical-pillared hall, making it one of the finest surviving examples of Vijayanagara architecture.
Q130. The kingdom of Vijayanagara was founded by whom?
[MP Police SI – 2026]
A. Harihara II and Deva Raya
B. Harihara and Bukka
C. Krishnadevaraya and Rama Raya
D. Saluva Narasimha and Narasa Nayaka
Answer: B. Harihara and Bukka
Explanation: Brothers Harihara I and Bukka Raya I established Vijayanagara in 1336 and founded the Sangama dynasty, the first of four ruling houses of the empire.
Q129. Which Vijayanagara building prominently reflects Indo-Islamic architectural influence?
[SSC CGL Tier-II – 2026, 2025 cycle]
A. Lotus Mahal
B. Brihadisvara Temple
C. Shore Temple
D. Sanchi Stupa
Answer: A. Lotus Mahal
Explanation: Lotus Mahal combines features of indigenous and Indo-Islamic architectural traditions, including elegant arches and domed forms, illustrating Vijayanagara’s absorption of styles from neighbouring Sultanates.
Q128. Arrange these Vijayanagara rulers chronologically:
Harihara I,
Deva Raya II and
Krishnadevaraya.
[SSC CGL Tier-II – 2026, 2025 cycle]
A. Krishnadevaraya → Harihara I → Deva Raya II
B. Harihara I → Deva Raya II → Krishnadevaraya
C. Deva Raya II → Harihara I → Krishnadevaraya
D. Harihara I → Krishnadevaraya → Deva Raya II
Answer: B. Harihara I → Deva Raya II → Krishnadevaraya
Explanation: Harihara I founded the empire in the fourteenth century; Deva Raya II was a major fifteenth-century Sangama ruler; Krishnadevaraya ruled during the early sixteenth century.
Q127. In Vijayanagara political traditions, who were described as “Narapati” or “lords of men”?
[SSC CGL Tier-II – 2026, 2025 cycle]
A. Deccan Sultans
B. Vijayanagara Rayas
C. Gajapati rulers
D. Portuguese governors
Answer: B. Vijayanagara Rayas
Explanation: Vijayanagara traditions contrasted the Rayas as narapati, lords of men, with Deccan Sultans described as ashvapati, or lords of horses, reflecting political symbolism.
Q126. What was an important responsibility of Nayaka chiefs under Vijayanagara rule?
[Delhi Police Head Constable Ministerial – 2026]
A. Managing assigned territories under royal authority
B. Conducting only religious ceremonies
C. Controlling Portuguese settlements
D. Appointing the emperor
Answer: A. Managing assigned territories under royal authority
Explanation: Nayakas administered assigned territories, collected revenue and maintained military contingents. Their forces strengthened the empire, although later Nayaka autonomy contributed to political decentralisation.
Q125. Which statement about Krishnadevaraya is correct?
[Delhi Police Head Constable Ministerial – 2026]
A. He discouraged literature
B. He was a celebrated patron of art and literature
C. He founded the Bahmani Sultanate
D. He ruled after 1700
Answer: B. He was a celebrated patron of art and literature
Explanation: Krishnadevaraya’s court became a major centre of Telugu, Sanskrit and other literary traditions. The celebrated Ashtadiggajas flourished under his patronage.
Q124. Which empire suffered a decisive military setback at the Battle of Talikota in 1565?
[Delhi Police Constable Executive – 2026]
A. Vijayanagara
B. Maurya
C. Kushana
D. Satavahana
Answer: A. Vijayanagara
Explanation: Rama Raya’s army was defeated by an alliance of Deccan Sultanates at Talikota. The imperial capital was subsequently plundered and Vijayanagara’s political dominance declined sharply.
Q123. Who founded the Vijayanagara Empire on the banks of the Tungabhadra?
[Delhi Police Constable Executive – 2026]
A. Krishnadevaraya and Achyuta Raya
B. Harihara and Bukka
C. Rama Raya and Tirumala
D. Deva Raya I and Deva Raya II
Answer: B. Harihara and Bukka
Explanation: Harihara and Bukka of the Sangama family established Vijayanagara in 1336. The strategically located Tungabhadra region became the nucleus of their expanding South Indian empire.
Q122. Who prepared the first important survey of the ruins of Vijayanagara around 1800?
[UGC NET History – 2026]
A. John Marshall
B. Colin Mackenzie
C. Alexander Cunningham
D. James Prinsep
Answer: B. Colin Mackenzie
Explanation: Engineer and antiquarian Colin Mackenzie surveyed Hampi around 1800, collecting traditions, inscriptions and drawings that provided an important foundation for modern archaeological study of Vijayanagara.
Q121. At the Battle of Talikota, Rama Raya faced the combined forces principally of which group?
[CBSE Class 12 History – 2026]
A. Rajput kingdoms
B. Bijapur, Ahmadnagar and Golconda-led Deccan Sultanates
C. Portuguese and Dutch
D. Mughals and Marathas
Answer: B. Bijapur, Ahmadnagar and Golconda-led Deccan Sultanates
Explanation: Rival Deccan Sultanates temporarily united against Vijayanagara in 1565. Their victory at Talikota ended Rama Raya’s dominance and led to the sack of the capital.
Q120. Which temple in the Vijayanagara royal centre was probably meant principally for the king and his family?
[CBSE Class 12 History – 2026]
A. Hazara Rama Temple
B. Jagannatha Temple
C. Kailasanatha Temple
D. Shore Temple
Answer: A. Hazara Rama Temple
Explanation: Hazara Rama Temple lay within the royal centre and is generally understood as a royal-family shrine. Its elaborate reliefs contain extensive narrative scenes from the Ramayana.
Q119. What is the correct chronological order of the four major Vijayanagara dynasties?
[CBSE Class 12 History – 2026]
A. Tuluva → Sangama → Saluva → Aravidu
B. Sangama → Saluva → Tuluva → Aravidu
C. Saluva → Sangama → Aravidu → Tuluva
D. Sangama → Tuluva → Saluva → Aravidu
Answer: B. Sangama → Saluva → Tuluva → Aravidu
Explanation: Vijayanagara was successively ruled by the Sangama, Saluva, Tuluva and Aravidu houses. Krishnadevaraya belonged to the Tuluva dynasty, while Aravidu was the final ruling line.
Q118. Which sequence correctly describes Vijayanagara’s historical development?
[UPSC NDA-II – 2025]
A. Foundation → expansion → sack in 1565 → later memory as Hampi
B. Sack → foundation → expansion → Hampi
C. Expansion → sack → foundation → Hampi
D. Hampi → sack → foundation → expansion
Answer: A. Foundation → expansion → sack in 1565 → later memory as Hampi
Explanation: Vijayanagara was founded in the fourteenth century, expanded across southern India, suffered the devastating 1565 sack and survived in local memory through the name Hampi.
Q117. Krishnadevaraya composed Amuktamalyada in which language?
[UPSC CAPF AC – 2025]
A. Telugu
B. Kannada
C. Tamil
D. Sanskrit
Answer: A. Telugu
Explanation: Although Krishnadevaraya patronised several languages, Amuktamalyada was composed in Telugu. It remains a celebrated masterpiece of Vijayanagara-era Telugu literature.
Q116. Which statement about the Amara-Nayakas is NOT correct?
[UPSC CDS-II – 2025]
A. They were military commanders
B. They collected revenue from assigned territories
C. They maintained military contingents
D. They were forbidden to spend revenue on temples
Answer: D. They were forbidden to spend revenue on temples
Explanation: Amara-Nayakas could use portions of collected revenue for troops, personal needs, irrigation and temples. They owed tribute and military service to the Vijayanagara Rayas.
Q115. Which Persian visitor famously described the extraordinary size and prosperity of Vijayanagara during Deva Raya II’s reign?
[UGC NET History – 2025]
A. Al-Biruni
B. Abdur Razzaq
C. Ibn Battuta
D. Minhaj-us-Siraj
Answer: B. Abdur Razzaq
Explanation: Persian diplomat Abdur Razzaq visited Vijayanagara in the 1440s under Deva Raya II and left an enthusiastic description of its enormous size, markets and wealth.
Q114. Which Persian ambassador visited the court of Vijayanagara ruler Deva Raya II?
[Chhattisgarh PSC Prelims – 2025]
A. Duarte Barbosa
B. Niccolò de’ Conti
C. Afanasy Nikitin
D. Abdur Razzaq
Answer: D. Abdur Razzaq
Explanation: Abdur Razzaq, representing Timurid ruler Shah Rukh, travelled to Vijayanagara in the fifteenth century and recorded valuable observations about the capital and Deva Raya II’s kingdom.
Q113. The Hazara Rama Temple at Hampi belongs broadly to which historical period?
[RRB NTPC – 2025]
A. Early fifteenth-century Vijayanagara period
B. Mauryan period
C. Kushana period
D. Gupta period
Answer: A. Early fifteenth-century Vijayanagara period
Explanation: Hazara Rama Temple was developed within Vijayanagara’s royal enclosure during the early fifteenth century and became famous for extensive sculptural representations of the Ramayana.
Q112. Harihara and Bukka were captured during Delhi Sultanate expansion under which Sultan?
[RRB NTPC – 2025]
A. Iltutmish
B. Balban
C. Muhammad bin Tughlaq
D. Sikandar Lodi
Answer: C. Muhammad bin Tughlaq
Explanation: Traditional accounts connect Harihara and Bukka with the turbulent southern campaigns of Muhammad bin Tughlaq before they emerged as founders of the Vijayanagara state.
Q111. In Vijayanagara traditions, Deccan Sultans were called Ashvapati, while Vijayanagara rulers were called what?
[SSC CGL – 2025]
A. Gajapati
B. Narapati
C. Dhanapati
D. Jalapati
Answer: B. Narapati
Explanation: The symbolic classification described Deccan Sultans as ashvapati, masters of horses; Odisha rulers as gajapati, masters of elephants; and Vijayanagara Rayas as narapati, masters of men.
Q110. The Battle of Talikota of 1565 contributed to the downfall of which empire?
[SSC JE – 2025]
A. Bahmani
B. Vijayanagara
C. Chalukya
D. Maratha
Answer: B. Vijayanagara
Explanation: Vijayanagara’s defeat at Talikota destroyed its supremacy in the Deccan. Though successor rulers continued elsewhere, Hampi was devastated and the empire fragmented increasingly.
Q109. Neither Alauddin Khalji nor Malik Kafur conducted a campaign against which of the following?
[SSC CPO – 2025]
A. Devagiri
B. Warangal
C. Vijayanagara
D. Madurai
Answer: C. Vijayanagara
Explanation: Khalji expeditions reached Devagiri, Warangal and Madurai before Vijayanagara was founded in 1336. Therefore Vijayanagara could not have been among their campaign targets.
Q108. In which year was the Vijayanagara Kingdom founded?
[UP Police Computer Operator – 2025]
A. 1346
B. 1356
C. 1366
D. 1336
Answer: D. 1336
Explanation: Vijayanagara was founded in 1336 by Harihara I and Bukka Raya I of the Sangama dynasty and developed into the dominant power of southern India.
Q107. Who led Vijayanagara at the Battle of Talikota?
[OPSC OAS Prelims – 2025]
A. Harihara I
B. Deva Raya II
C. Krishnadevaraya
D. Rama Raya
Answer: D. Rama Raya
Explanation: Aliya Rama Raya exercised effective authority during Sadasiva Raya’s reign and commanded Vijayanagara at Talikota, where he was captured and killed in 1565.
Q106. Who brought the ruins of Hampi prominently to scholarly attention through his survey around 1800?
[DSSSB TGT – 2025]
A. Colin Mackenzie
B. Henry Hardinge
C. Francis Grant
D. John Shore
Answer: A. Colin Mackenzie
Explanation: Mackenzie, an engineer and later India’s first Surveyor General, documented Hampi using maps, drawings, inscriptions and local traditions, pioneering systematic study of Vijayanagara.
Q105. The Battle of Talikota led to the decline of which South Indian empire?
[SSC Selection Post – 2025]
A. Mughal
B. Vijayanagara
C. Chola
D. Maratha
Answer: B. Vijayanagara
Explanation: The combined Deccan Sultanates defeated Vijayanagara in 1565. The ensuing destruction of Hampi deprived the empire of its great capital and weakened central political authority.
Q104. Rama Raya led the Vijayanagara army at Rakshasi-Tangadi in which year?
[DSSSB TGT – 2025]
A. 1559
B. 1565
C. 1569
D. 1570
Answer: B. 1565
Explanation: Rakshasi-Tangadi is another name for the Battle of Talikota, fought in 1565 between Vijayanagara and a coalition of major Deccan Sultanates.
Q103. Which dynasty initially established the Vijayanagara Empire?
[DSSSB ASO – 2025]
A. Sangama
B. Aravidu
C. Tuluva
D. Saluva
Answer: A. Sangama
Explanation: Harihara and Bukka belonged to the Sangama family. Their dynasty founded Vijayanagara and ruled until the rise of Saluva Narasimha in the late fifteenth century.
Q102. Which was the last dynasty to rule the Vijayanagara Empire?
[DSSSB ASO – 2025]
A. Saluva
B. Tuluva
C. Aravidu
D. Sangama
Answer: C. Aravidu
Explanation: Tirumala established the Aravidu dynasty after the post-Talikota crisis. Its rulers governed from centres including Penukonda, Chandragiri and Vellore after Hampi’s decline.
Q101. Which confederation defeated Vijayanagara at the Battle of Talikota?
[SSC Stenographer – 2025]
A. Rajput Confederacy
B. Mughal forces
C. Maratha Confederacy
D. Deccan Sultanates
Answer: D. Deccan Sultanates
Explanation: Bijapur, Ahmadnagar, Golconda and Bidar formed the principal anti-Vijayanagara coalition. Their victory in 1565 fundamentally changed the political balance of the Deccan.
Q100. Which Vijayanagara ruler permitted the Portuguese to build a fort at Bhatkal?
[UPSC CSE Prelims – 2024]
A. Krishnadevaraya
B. Deva Raya I
C. Harihara II
D. Sadasiva Raya
Answer: A. Krishnadevaraya
Explanation: Krishnadevaraya maintained pragmatic relations with the Portuguese, partly because overseas commerce provided valuable warhorses and strengthened Vijayanagara’s military position against Deccan rivals.
Q99. Consider statements about the Mahanavami Dibba: it stood prominently in the royal centre; Virupaksha Temple was built on top of it. Which is correct?
[UPSC CAPF – 2024]
A. 1 only
B. 2 only
C. Both
D. Neither
Answer: A. 1 only
Explanation: Mahanavami Dibba was a prominent ceremonial platform in the royal centre used for courtly displays. Virupaksha Temple was a separate sacred complex, not constructed upon it.
Q98. Vijayanagara rulers claimed they ruled on behalf of which deity?
[UPSC NDA-II – 2024]
A. Lord Murugan
B. Lord Venkateshwara
C. Shri Virupaksha
D. Shri Vallabha
Answer: C. Shri Virupaksha
Explanation: Vijayanagara rulers presented themselves as governing under the divine authority of Virupaksha, a form of Shiva whose ancient temple remained central to Hampi’s sacred landscape.
Q97. Which statements regarding Krishnadevaraya’s campaigns are correct: he fought Odisha; captured Raichur in 1520; intervened in Deccan Sultanate politics?
[UPSC NDA – 2024]
A. 1 and 3 only
B. 2 and 3 only
C. 1, 2 and 3
D. 1 and 2 only
Answer: C. 1, 2 and 3
Explanation: Krishnadevaraya campaigned successfully against Odisha and Bijapur, captured Raichur and intervened in Deccan affairs, earning great military prestige during Vijayanagara’s high point.
Q96. Sangama, Saluva and Tuluva were ruling dynasties associated with which empire?
[Chhattisgarh PSC Prelims – 2024]
A. Warangal
B. Kashmir
C. Vijayanagara
D. Bengal
Answer: C. Vijayanagara
Explanation: Sangama, Saluva and Tuluva were the first three ruling houses of Vijayanagara. They were followed by the Aravidu dynasty after the sixteenth-century political crisis.
Q95. Which traveller stated that Vijayanagara society included women wrestlers, astrologers and fortune-tellers?
[RPSC Assistant Professor History – 2024]
A. Niccolò de’ Conti
B. Abdur Razzaq
C. Nuniz
D. Barbosa
Answer: C. Nuniz
Explanation: Portuguese chronicler Fernao Nuniz recorded striking information about social life, including women’s involvement in wrestling, astrology, accounting and divination in Vijayanagara.
Q94. The Kamalapuram Tank was constructed under which South Indian empire?
[SSC MTS – 2024]
A. Vijayanagara
B. Bijapur
C. Bidar
D. Chola
Answer: A. Vijayanagara
Explanation: Kamalapuram Tank formed part of Vijayanagara’s sophisticated hydraulic system, supplying water for cultivation and urban needs in the dry landscape surrounding the imperial capital.
Q93. Which Portuguese traveller visited Vijayanagara during Krishnadevaraya’s reign?
[SSC MTS – 2024]
A. Domingo Paes
B. Niccolò de’ Conti
C. Marco Polo
D. Afanasy Nikitin
Answer: A. Domingo Paes
Explanation: Domingo Paes visited around 1520 and described Krishnadevaraya’s court, markets, military power, festivals and irrigation works, providing an invaluable contemporary account.
Q92. Hampi Utsava recreates the grandeur of which empire?
[SSC MTS – 2024]
A. Chalukya
B. Vijayanagara
C. Kadamba
D. Satavahana
Answer: B. Vijayanagara
Explanation: Hampi Utsava celebrates the heritage of the former Vijayanagara capital through cultural programmes reflecting the empire’s distinguished traditions of music, dance, architecture and royal festivities.
Q91. Before founding Vijayanagara, Harihara and Bukka are traditionally associated as ministers with which kingdom?
[SSC MTS – 2024]
A. Kampili
B. Kadamba
C. Western Chalukya
D. Eastern Ganga
Answer: A. Kampili
Explanation: Historical traditions associate the brothers with both Kakatiya service and the small kingdom of Kampili before the political upheavals that preceded Vijayanagara’s establishment.
Q90. Which dynasty established Vijayanagara in the fourteenth century?
[SSC MTS – 2024]
A. Aravidu
B. Saluva
C. Tuluva
D. Sangama
Answer: D. Sangama
Explanation: Harihara I and Bukka Raya I founded the empire as members of the Sangama family. This dynasty dominated Vijayanagara politics for roughly a century and a half.
Q89. What was the primary role of Nayakas under the Amara-Nayaka system?
[RPF SI – 2024]
A. Army commanders
B. Royal astrologers
C. Temple priests
D. Village scribes
Answer: A. Army commanders
Explanation: Nayakas were military chiefs granted revenue rights over territories called amaram. They maintained troops and supplied military contingents whenever required by the Raya.
Q88. Which Vijayanagara ruler is famous for the title “Yavanarajya Sthapanacharya”?
[RPF SI – 2024]
A. Rama Raya
B. Achyuta Raya
C. Krishnadevaraya
D. Sadasiva Raya
Answer: C. Krishnadevaraya
Explanation: Krishnadevaraya gained the title after intervening in Bahmani succession politics and restoring a Sultan, demonstrating Vijayanagara’s powerful position in early sixteenth-century Deccan affairs.
Q87. Which was NOT one of the independent southern kingdoms that emerged during fourteenth-century Delhi Sultanate decline?
[RPF SI – 2024]
A. Ma’bar
B. Vijayanagara
C. Daulatabad
D. Bahmani
Answer: C. Daulatabad
Explanation: Vijayanagara, Bahmani and Ma’bar emerged as independent powers amid weakening Delhi control. Daulatabad was an important city and former Yadava capital rather than a comparable independent kingdom.
Q86. Which cultural region was NOT a principal component of the Vijayanagara Empire?
[SSC Selection Post – 2024]
A. Tamil
B. Kannada
C. Telugu
D. Maratha
Answer: D. Maratha
Explanation: Vijayanagara encompassed large Kannada, Telugu and Tamil-speaking territories of southern India. The core Maratha-speaking region lay farther northwest and was not a principal cultural component.
Q85. The Vijayanagara Empire was founded in 1336 by whom?
[UP Police Constable – 2024]
A. Narasimha Saluva
B. Krishnadevaraya
C. Deva Raya I
D. Harihara and Bukka
Answer: D. Harihara and Bukka
Explanation: Harihara I and Bukka Raya I established the Sangama dynasty in 1336, laying the foundation for one of medieval South India’s strongest imperial states.
Q84. Hampi ruins and the Virupaksha Temple are architectural landmarks of which South Indian empire?
[DSSSB Jail Warder – 2024]
A. Vijayanagara
B. Hoysala
C. Chola
D. Pallava
Answer: A. Vijayanagara
Explanation: Hampi preserves the monumental core of Vijayanagara, including temples, bazaars, palatial remains and waterworks. Virupaksha remained one of the city’s most important sacred institutions.
Q83. The first dynasty of Vijayanagara, which ruled until the late fifteenth century, was the:
[DSSSB Jail Warder – 2024]
A. Tuluva
B. Sangama
C. Saluva
D. Aravidu
Answer: B. Sangama
Explanation: The Sangama dynasty began with Harihara and Bukka in 1336 and remained the dominant Vijayanagara ruling family until Saluva Narasimha seized power in 1485.
2023
Q82. Which Vijayanagara ruler constructed a large dam across the Tungabhadra and a long canal-aqueduct to the capital?
[UPSC CSE Prelims – 2023]
A. Deva Raya I
B. Krishnadevaraya
C. Harihara I
D. Vira Narasimha
Answer: A. Deva Raya I
Explanation: Deva Raya I undertook major irrigation works on the Tungabhadra. Such hydraulic projects supplied the capital and expanded irrigated agriculture in the surrounding region.
Q81. Who wrote Amuktamalyada?
[WBCS Prelims – 2023]
A. Rajaraja Chola
B. Harsha
C. Deva Raya
D. Krishnadevaraya
Answer: D. Krishnadevaraya
Explanation: Krishnadevaraya’s Amuktamalyada is one of the most renowned Telugu literary works produced under Vijayanagara and demonstrates the emperor’s personal scholarly accomplishments.
Q80. Vijayanagara Empire was established in which year?
[MPPSC State Services – 2023]
A. 1336 CE
B. 1236 CE
C. 1436 CE
D. 1316 CE
Answer: A. 1336 CE
Explanation: The conventional foundation date is 1336, when Harihara and Bukka established an independent kingdom that subsequently expanded across a substantial portion of peninsular India.
Q79. Which statements about Vijayanagara’s royal centre are correct:
it lay southwest;
had over sixty temples;
around thirty complexes are identified as palaces
[UPSC NDA-II – 2023]
A. 1 only
B. 2 only
C. 1, 2 and 3
D. 1 and 2 only
Answer: C. 1, 2 and 3
Explanation: Archaeological study identifies a large royal zone containing numerous temples and secular complexes. Its spatial organization provides valuable evidence about Vijayanagara kingship and ceremonial life.
Q78. Which kingdom was founded by the brothers Harihara and Bukka?
[UPSC NDA – 2023]
A. Bahmani
B. Vijayanagara
C. Malwa
D. Maratha
Answer: B. Vijayanagara
Explanation: Harihara and Bukka founded Vijayanagara in 1336. Their descendants and successors developed it into the major southern counterpart of the contemporary Deccan Sultanates.
Q77. Contemporaries referred to the Vijayanagara Empire as the ______ Samrajyamu.
[SSC CGL – 2023]
A. Gajapati
B. Karnataka
C. Andhra
D. Kerala
Answer: B. Karnataka
Explanation: Contemporary inscriptions and literary traditions used terms such as Karnataka Samrajyamu for the empire, while “Vijayanagara Empire” became the conventional modern historical designation.
Q76. Abdur Razzaq visited Vijayanagara during whose reign?
[SSC CGL – 2023]
A. Bukka I
B. Harihara II
C. Deva Raya I
D. Deva Raya II
Answer: D. Deva Raya II
Explanation: The Persian envoy visited in the 1440s during Deva Raya II’s reign and described Vijayanagara as an exceptionally large and prosperous capital.
Q75. Krishnadevaraya founded Nagalapuram in honour of his:
[SSC CGL – 2023]
A. Father
B. Teacher
C. Sister
D. Mother
Answer: D. Mother
Explanation: Krishnadevaraya established the suburban settlement Nagalapuram, named after his mother Nagala Devi, as part of extensive urban and architectural activity around Vijayanagara.
Q74. The Amara-Nayakas of Vijayanagara were primarily:
[SSC CGL – 2023]
A. Forced labourers
B. Finance officers
C. Peasants
D. Military commanders
Answer: D. Military commanders
Explanation: Amara-Nayakas received territorial assignments, collected revenue and maintained military contingents for the Raya, making them central to Vijayanagara’s provincial and military structure.
Q73. The founders of Vijayanagara had earlier served as feudatories/officers of which dynasty?
[SSC CHSL – 2023]
A. Hoysala
B. Pandya
C. Kakatiya
D. Chola
Answer: C. Kakatiya
Explanation: Traditions associate Harihara and Bukka with Kakatiya ruler Prataparudra of Warangal before political upheavals brought them into Kampili and ultimately the foundation of Vijayanagara.
Q72. Who founded the Tuluva line of Vijayanagara?
[SSC CHSL – 2023]
A. Krishnadevaraya
B. Narasa Nayaka
C. Deva Raya I
D. Achyuta Raya
Answer: B. Narasa Nayaka
Explanation: Tuluva Narasa Nayaka became the dominant military and political figure after the Saluvas and laid the foundation for the Tuluva dynasty, later glorified by Krishnadevaraya.
Q71. Which Vijayanagara ruler gave his daughter in marriage to Firuz Shah Bahmani after conflict?
[SSC CHSL – 2023]
A. Deva Raya II
B. Deva Raya I
C. Krishnadevaraya
D. Bukka I
Answer: B. Deva Raya I
Explanation: Following warfare between Vijayanagara and the Bahmani Sultanate, a marriage alliance involving Deva Raya I’s daughter formed part of the resulting political settlement.
Q70. The Vijayanagara kingdom was established in 1336 by:
[SSC CPO – 2023]
A. Venkata II
B. Deva Raya II
C. Krishnadevaraya
D. Harihara and Bukka
Answer: D. Harihara and Bukka
Explanation: The brothers founded the Sangama dynasty and established their capital in the Tungabhadra region, from which Vijayanagara expanded across southern India.
Q69. Which battle led to the destruction and severe weakening of the Vijayanagara capital?
[SSC MTS – 2023]
A. Raichur
B. Haldighati
C. Talikota
D. Arcot
Answer: C. Talikota
Explanation: The allied Deccan Sultanates defeated Vijayanagara in 1565. Hampi was then systematically plundered, although the dynasty continued from other capitals afterward.
Q68. Which Persian ruler’s ambassador travelled to Vijayanagara and recorded its grandeur?
[SSC MTS – 2023]
A. Niccolò de’ Conti
B. Abdur Razzaq
C. Duarte Barbosa
D. Fernao Nuniz
Answer: B. Abdur Razzaq
Explanation: Abdur Razzaq served as an ambassador of Timurid ruler Shah Rukh. His fifteenth-century narrative is a major foreign source for Deva Raya II’s Vijayanagara.
Q67. In which year was the Battle of Talikota fought?
[SSC MTS – 2023]
A. 1565
B. 1575
C. 1545
D. 1555
Answer: A. 1565
Explanation: Talikota took place in January 1565 and resulted in Rama Raya’s defeat and death. It marked the end of Vijayanagara’s undisputed dominance in southern India.
Q66. ______ was the capital city of the Vijayanagara Empire.
[SSC CHSL – 2023, 2022 cycle]
A. Magadha
B. Kanchi
C. Hampi
D. Kalyani
Answer: C. Hampi
Explanation: Hampi, situated along the Tungabhadra in Karnataka, contains the magnificent ruins of Vijayanagara’s political, religious and commercial capital.
Q65. In which year was the Vijayanagara Empire established?
[CRPF Constable – 2023]
A. 1347
B. 1370
C. 1356
D. 1336
Answer: D. 1336
Explanation: The foundation of Vijayanagara in 1336 preceded the establishment of the Bahmani Sultanate in 1347, creating two powerful rival political formations in the Deccan.
Q64. Which system was a major political innovation of Vijayanagara administration?
[CRPF Constable – 2023]
A. Iqtadari
B. Khas-i-Khel
C. Amara-Nayaka
D. Dahsala
Answer: C. Amara-Nayaka
Explanation: The Amara-Nayaka system assigned revenue-producing territories to military chiefs in return for troops, tribute and service, creating a powerful but potentially decentralising military structure.
Q63. Hampi is situated on the bank of which river?
[Odisha Police SI – 2023]
A. Tungabhadra
B. Godavari
C. Cauvery
D. Krishna
Answer: A. Tungabhadra
Explanation: The Tungabhadra shaped Vijayanagara’s location, defence, agriculture and sacred geography. Extensive canals and tanks channelled its water throughout the metropolitan region.
Q62. The name “Hampi” is derived from which local goddess?
[Delhi Police Constable – 2023]
A. Hampini
B. Hidimba
C. Lakshmi
D. Pampadevi
Answer: D. Pampadevi
Explanation: Hampi derives from Pampa, the local mother goddess associated with the Tungabhadra landscape and later identified with Parvati, consort of Virupaksha-Shiva.
Q61. Domingo Paes, who visited Vijayanagara, was a traveller from:
[SSC JE – 2023]
A. Spain
B. Portugal
C. Italy
D. Russia
Answer: B. Portugal
Explanation: Portuguese visitor Domingo Paes travelled to Vijayanagara during Krishnadevaraya’s reign and described its markets, festivals, irrigation, military power and extraordinary urban prosperity.
Q60. Vijayanagara was described by contemporaries as the _____ Samrajyamu.
[SSC Selection Post – 2023]
A. Kerala
B. Tamil
C. Karnataka
D. Andhra
Answer: C. Karnataka
Explanation: “Karnataka Samrajyamu” was a contemporary regional designation for Vijayanagara, reflecting the empire’s political roots and major territorial base in Karnataka.
Q59. Which Portuguese writer is particularly associated with observations on religious and social conditions under Vijayanagara?
[UGC NET History – 2023]
A. Duarte Barbosa
B. Al-Biruni
C. Marco Polo
D. Bernier
Answer: A. Duarte Barbosa
Explanation: Duarte Barbosa described South Indian ports, trade and society in the early sixteenth century, providing important testimony about religious coexistence and Vijayanagara’s commercial environment.
Q58. Which dynasty-ruler pairing is incorrectly matched?
[UPSC EPFO APFC – 2023]
A. Sangama — Harihara I
B. Saluva — Narasimha
C. Tuluva — Gunda
D. Aravidu — Tirumala
Answer: C. Tuluva — Gunda
Explanation: Harihara founded the Sangama line, Saluva Narasimha established the Saluva dynasty and Tirumala founded the Aravidu line. “Gunda” is not the founder of Tuluva rule.
Q57. Which dynasty established the Vijayanagara kingdom?
[SSC CGL – 2022]
A. Sangama
B. Nagama
C. Soma
D. Tuluva
Answer: A. Sangama
Explanation: Harihara and Bukka belonged to the Sangama dynasty, which founded Vijayanagara in 1336 and controlled the empire until the Saluva takeover in 1485.
Q56. Harihara and Bukka established Vijayanagara on the banks of which river?
[SSC CGL – 2022]
A. Betwa
B. Tungabhadra
C. Mahanadi
D. Tapi
Answer: B. Tungabhadra
Explanation: The rocky Tungabhadra valley provided natural defence, fertile agricultural areas, water resources and sacred associations, making it ideal for the Vijayanagara capital.
Q55. Anantraj Sagar Tank was constructed by rulers associated with which empire?
[SSC CGL – 2022]
A. Vijayanagara
B. Maratha
C. Pala
D. Maurya
Answer: A. Vijayanagara
Explanation: Vijayanagara rulers invested heavily in tanks, dams and canals. Water management sustained agriculture and large urban populations in relatively dry parts of southern India.
Q54. Vijayanagara Empire was founded in which year?
[SSC CPO – 2022]
A. 1210
B. 1315
C. 1336
D. 1368
Answer: C. 1336
Explanation: The standard foundation date is 1336, when Harihara I and Bukka Raya established the Sangama kingdom centred on the Tungabhadra valley.
Q53. Vijayanagara was founded on the banks of which river?
[SSC Stenographer – 2022]
A. Narmada
B. Godavari
C. Krishna
D. Tungabhadra
Answer: D. Tungabhadra
Explanation: Hampi-Vijayanagara developed beside the Tungabhadra, whose water was channelled through sophisticated reservoirs and canals serving farms, settlements and royal establishments.
Q52. Who founded the Vijayanagara Empire?
[67th BPSC Prelims – 2022]
A. Deva Raya I
B. Krishnadevaraya
C. Harihara and Bukka
D. Vira Narasimha
Answer: C. Harihara and Bukka
Explanation: Harihara I and Bukka Raya I founded the empire and inaugurated Sangama rule, building a state that became the most powerful political formation of medieval South India.
Q51. Who laid the foundation of the Vijayanagara Empire?
[UPSC NDA-II – 2022]
A. Harihara and Bukka
B. Krishnadevaraya
C. Rama Raya
D. Virupaksha Raya
Answer: A. Harihara and Bukka
Explanation: The Sangama brothers established Vijayanagara in the fourteenth century amid political fragmentation following Delhi Sultanate expansion into the Deccan.
Q50. The Amara-Nayaka system was chiefly associated with which empire?
[JKSSB SI – 2022]
A. Hoysala
B. Kakatiya
C. Vijayanagara
D. Bahmani
Answer: C. Vijayanagara
Explanation: Amara-Nayakas were Vijayanagara military commanders who administered assigned territories, collected taxes and maintained troops in return for their revenue rights.
Q49. Who were called Amara-Nayakas in the Vijayanagara Empire?
[Delhi Police Head Constable – 2022]
A. Peasants
B. Traders
C. Craftspersons
D. Military commanders
Answer: D. Military commanders
Explanation: Amara-Nayakas formed a military landed elite. Their territorial assignments supported cavalry, elephants and soldiers required for Vijayanagara’s expansion across the peninsula.
Q48. Which book was written by Krishnadevaraya?
[OSSC CGL – 2022]
A. Anandamath
B. Ratnavali
C. Amuktamalyada
D. Mudrarakshasa
Answer: C. Amuktamalyada
Explanation: Amuktamalyada, written in Telugu, narrates the devotional story of Andal while also containing observations on governance and the responsibilities of an ideal ruler.
Q47. Which diplomat from Herat provided an important fifteenth-century description of Vijayanagara?
[SSC Selection Post Graduate Level – 2022]
A. Marco Polo
B. Ibn Battuta
C. Shaikh Ali Hazin
D. Abdur Razzaq Samarqandi
Answer: D. Abdur Razzaq Samarqandi
Explanation: Abdur Razzaq visited southern India as a Timurid envoy and described Deva Raya II’s capital as a city of remarkable dimensions, population and commercial prosperity.
Q46. Consider the statements: Harihara established a state called Hastinavati; Deva Raya II planned and founded Vijayanagara city. Which is correct?
[MPPSC Assistant Professor History – 2022]
A. First only
B. Second only
C. Both
D. Neither
Answer: D. Neither
Explanation: Vijayanagara was founded under Harihara and Bukka much earlier than Deva Raya II. The statements misidentify both the state founded and the ruler responsible for the capital.
2021
Q45. According to Nuniz, Vijayanagara women were experts in wrestling, astrology, accounting and soothsaying. Which were mentioned?
[UPSC CSE Prelims – 2021]
A. 1, 2 and 3 only
B. 1, 3 and 4 only
C. 2 and 4 only
D. 1, 2, 3 and 4
Answer: D. 1, 2, 3 and 4
Explanation: Nuniz’s account records women performing diverse professional and cultural roles, including wrestling, astrology, accounting and fortune-telling, offering unusual evidence about Vijayanagara social life.
Q44. Which later South Indian kingdom emerged substantially out of the political world of Vijayanagara?
[UPSC CSE Prelims – 2021]
A. Mysore
B. Rohilkhand
C. Awadh
D. Bengal
Answer: A. Mysore
Explanation: Mysore’s Wodeyar kingdom developed from territories formerly under Vijayanagara influence as imperial control weakened and regional chiefs asserted increasing autonomy.
Q43. The Nayankara system is associated with:
[WBCS Prelims – 2021]
A. Bahmani Kingdom
B. Chola Empire
C. Maratha Kingdom
D. Vijayanagara Empire
Answer: D. Vijayanagara Empire
Explanation: Vijayanagara Nayakas were military chiefs receiving revenue assignments called amaram. Their obligations included maintaining troops, collecting revenue and supporting royal campaigns.
Q42. Who wrote Amuktamalyada?
[WBCS Prelims – 2021]
A. Rajaraja Chola
B. Harsha
C. Deva Raya
D. Krishnadevaraya
Answer: D. Krishnadevaraya
Explanation: Krishnadevaraya combined military ability with literary accomplishment. His Telugu Amuktamalyada remains among the outstanding texts of Vijayanagara’s cultural golden age.
Q41. Consider: Krishnadevaraya wrote Amuktamalyada; he was called Andhra Bhoja. Which statements are true?
[RPSC RAS Prelims – 2021]
A. Statement 1 only
B. Statement 2 only
C. Both 1 and 2
D. Neither
Answer: C. Both 1 and 2
Explanation: Krishnadevaraya authored Amuktamalyada and became celebrated as Andhra Bhoja because of his extraordinary support for Telugu literature and learned poets.
Q40. The Amara-Nayaka system was a major political innovation of which empire?
[UPSC CDS – 2021]
A. Chola
B. Chalukya
C. Gupta
D. Vijayanagara
Answer: D. Vijayanagara
Explanation: Vijayanagara’s Amara-Nayaka arrangement linked territorial revenue assignments with military obligations and provided the kings with substantial armed contingents for imperial campaigns.
Q39. Domingo Paes described which medieval Indian city?
[UPSC CDS – 2021]
A. Madurai
B. Vijayanagara
C. Arikamedu
D. Gingee
Answer: B. Vijayanagara
Explanation: Paes visited during Krishnadevaraya’s reign and wrote extensively about Vijayanagara’s enormous markets, festivals, irrigation system, military strength and royal ceremonial life.
Q38. Krishnadevaraya belonged to which Vijayanagara dynasty?
[SSC GD – 2021]
A. Saluva
B. Tuluva
C. Sangama
D. Aravidu
Answer: B. Tuluva
Explanation: Krishnadevaraya was the greatest Tuluva ruler. His reign from 1509 to 1529 represented Vijayanagara’s military, economic, architectural and literary high point.
Q37. The Vijayanagara Empire was founded in which century?
[RRB NTPC – 2021]
A. Fourteenth century
B. Thirteenth century
C. Fifteenth century
D. Sixteenth century
Answer: A. Fourteenth century
Explanation: Vijayanagara was established in 1336, placing its foundation firmly in the fourteenth century amid profound political transformation in peninsular India.
Q36. Which sixteenth-century ruler was emperor of Vijayanagara?
[RRB NTPC – 2021]
A. Krishnadevaraya
B. Pulakeshin II
C. Rajaraja Chola
D. Adi Shankara
Answer: A. Krishnadevaraya
Explanation: Krishnadevaraya ruled from 1509 to 1529. His military victories, effective administration, literary patronage and temple construction made him Vijayanagara’s most celebrated ruler.
Q35. The ancient city of Hampi was capital of which empire?
[RRB NTPC – 2021]
A. Maurya
B. Vijayanagara
C. Mughal
D. Kushana
Answer: B. Vijayanagara
Explanation: Hampi preserves the extensive ruins of the imperial capital, including temples, bazaars, fortifications, reservoirs and royal structures spread across the Tungabhadra landscape.
Q34. When was the Battle of Talikota fought?
[DSSSB AE – 2021]
A. 1558
B. 1535
C. 1565
D. 1532
Answer: C. 1565
Explanation: In 1565, Rama Raya’s forces met the allied armies of the Deccan Sultanates at Talikota, suffering a defeat that profoundly weakened Vijayanagara.
Q33. The Battle of Talikota took place in which year?
[DSSSB PGT – 2021]
A. 1576
B. 1611
C. 1565
D. 1582
Answer: C. 1565
Explanation: Talikota, also known as Rakshasi-Tangadi, was fought in 1565. Rama Raya’s death and Hampi’s destruction transformed the political history of southern India.
Q32. The Kingdom of Vijayanagara was founded by:
[Allahabad High Court RO – 2021]
A. Vijaya Raja
B. Harihara II
C. Harihara and Bukka
D. Bukka II
Answer: C. Harihara and Bukka
Explanation: The two Sangama brothers founded Vijayanagara in 1336 and created a durable political centre capable of resisting and competing with neighbouring Deccan powers.
Q31. Which of the following rulers ruled the Vijayanagara Empire?
[AAI ATC Junior Executive – 2021]
A. Tenali Raman
B. Chandragupta
C. Vikramaditya
D. Krishnadevaraya
Answer: D. Krishnadevaraya
Explanation: Krishnadevaraya was Vijayanagara’s outstanding Tuluva monarch. Tenali Raman, by contrast, is remembered as a celebrated poet and figure associated with his court.
Q30. What was the single most important imported item for Vijayanagara’s military establishment?
[WBCS Prelims – 2020]
A. Silk
B. Horses
C. Spices
D. Rice
Answer: B. Horses
Explanation: Quality warhorses could not be bred easily in much of peninsular India. Vijayanagara therefore imported large numbers through Arabian Sea ports, making horse trade strategically vital.
Q29. Which statement about Vijayanagara is NOT correct?
[Punjab Civil Services – 2020]
A. Kings maintained complete separation between religion and administration
B. Land revenue was an important income source
C. Villages had hereditary administrative officers
D. Local administration was significant
Answer: A. Kings maintained complete separation between religion and administration
Explanation: Vijayanagara kings closely connected political legitimacy with temples and deities. Land revenue remained fundamental, while hereditary village officers played important administrative roles.
Q28. In which year was the Battle of Talikota fought between Vijayanagara and the Deccan Sultanates?
[Delhi Police Constable – 2020]
A. 1561
B. 1556
C. 1565
D. 1575
Answer: C. 1565
Explanation: The January 1565 confrontation ended in Rama Raya’s defeat. The victorious Sultanate armies subsequently entered and plundered Vijayanagara’s magnificent capital.
Q27. When was the Vijayanagara Empire established?
[Karnataka Civil Police Constable – 2020]
A. 1333
B. 1334
C. 1335
D. 1336
Answer: D. 1336
Explanation: Vijayanagara’s conventional foundation date is 1336. Harihara and Bukka established the Sangama polity amid the fragmentation of Delhi Sultanate authority in the south.
Q26. What was the capital of the Vijayanagara Kingdom?
[WBPSC Miscellaneous – 2020, 2019 cycle]
A. Mysore
B. Aihole
C. Hampi
D. Kanchipuram
Answer: C. Hampi
Explanation: Hampi was Vijayanagara’s monumental capital on the Tungabhadra. Its extensive archaeological remains are today among India’s most important medieval historical sites.
Q25. Building Kalyana Mandapas was a notable feature of temple construction in which kingdom?
[UPSC CSE Prelims – 2019]
A. Chalukya
B. Chandela
C. Rashtrakuta
D. Vijayanagara
Answer: D. Vijayanagara
Explanation: Vijayanagara temples commonly featured elaborate ceremonial halls or Kalyana Mandapas associated with divine marriage festivities and increasingly monumental gopurams and temple complexes.
Q24. Krishnadevaraya was ruler of which empire?
[RRB JE – 2019]
A. Chola
B. Pandya
C. Chera
D. Vijayanagara
Answer: D. Vijayanagara
Explanation: Krishnadevaraya ruled Vijayanagara between 1509 and 1529 and presided over its greatest territorial expansion, cultural achievements and military successes.
Q23. Hampi, the ancient capital of Vijayanagara, is located in which state?
[SSC CHSL – 2019]
A. Tamil Nadu
B. Kerala
C. Telangana
D. Karnataka
Answer: D. Karnataka
Explanation: Hampi lies in present-day Karnataka beside the Tungabhadra River. Its monumental ruins were inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1986.
Q22. The Battle of Talikota was fought between which forces?
[APPSC Group-I – 2019]
A. Vijayanagara and Deccan Sultanates
B. Marathas and Mughals
C. Mughals and Malik Ambar
D. Mysore and British
Answer: A. Vijayanagara and Deccan Sultanates
Explanation: Major Deccan Sultanates temporarily overcame their rivalries to confront Rama Raya’s Vijayanagara army, defeating it decisively at Talikota in 1565.
Q21. Which traveller visited the court of Krishnadevaraya?
[RPF SI – 2019]
A. Niccolò de’ Conti
B. William Hawkins
C. Domingo Paes
D. Abdur Razzaq
Answer: C. Domingo Paes
Explanation: Domingo Paes visited during Krishnadevaraya’s reign. Conti and Abdur Razzaq belonged to earlier Vijayanagara periods, while Hawkins came to Mughal India.
Q20. Amuktamalyada was written in which language?
[Karnataka Civil SI – 2019]
A. Telugu
B. Sanskrit
C. Tamil
D. Kannada
Answer: A. Telugu
Explanation: Krishnadevaraya’s Amuktamalyada represents the flourishing of Telugu literature at his court, which was also associated with the famous group of poets called Ashtadiggajas.
Q19. Which Vijayanagara ruler employed skilled Turkish archers to strengthen his army?
[Karnataka Civil SI – 2019]
A. Bukka I
B. Deva Raya I
C. Krishnadevaraya
D. Rama Raya
Answer: B. Deva Raya I
Explanation: Deva Raya I sought to improve Vijayanagara’s military effectiveness by employing skilled Muslim and Turkish archers, reflecting the empire’s readiness to adopt useful military practices.
Q18. ______ Empire was founded by the Sangama princes Harihara and Bukka.
[RRB Group D – 2018]
A. Malwa
B. Bahmani
C. Vijayanagara
D. Bengal
Answer: C. Vijayanagara
Explanation: Harihara and Bukka inaugurated Sangama rule at Vijayanagara in 1336. The empire subsequently emerged as the dominant Hindu imperial power of medieval South India.
Q17. Niccolò de’ Conti visited Vijayanagara around which year?
[RRB Group D – 2018]
A. 1420
B. 1424
C. 1418
D. 1419
Answer: A. 1420
Explanation: Italian merchant Niccolò de’ Conti visited Vijayanagara in the early fifteenth century, providing one of the earliest European descriptions of the emerging imperial capital.
Q16. Vijayanagara reached its political and cultural zenith during whose reign?
[KVS Junior Secretariat Assistant – 2018]
A. Vira Narasimha
B. Krishnadevaraya
C. Harihara I
D. Narasa Nayaka
Answer: B. Krishnadevaraya
Explanation: Krishnadevaraya combined military victories, economic strength, administrative ability, architectural patronage and literary support, making his reign the widely recognised high point of Vijayanagara.
Q15. The golden age of the Vijayanagara Empire is especially associated with:
[DSSSB TGT Social Studies – 2018]
A. Vira Narasimha
B. Krishnadevaraya
C. Sadasiva Raya
D. Achyuta Raya
Answer: B. Krishnadevaraya
Explanation: His reign witnessed imperial expansion, prosperity, vigorous overseas commerce, monumental construction and an exceptional flowering of Telugu and Sanskrit literary culture.
Q14. Which term denoted a district in Vijayanagara administration?
[PSPCL LDC – 2018]
A. Mandalam
B. Nadu
C. Sthala
D. Pargana
Answer: B. Nadu
Explanation: Vijayanagara used several territorial divisions. A Mandalam was a larger provincial unit, while Nadu commonly represented a district-level administrative division containing villages.
Q13. Krishnadevaraya wrote Amuktamalyada in which language?
[MPPSC Assistant Professor History – 2017]
A. Tamil
B. Kannada
C. Telugu
D. Sanskrit
Answer: C. Telugu
Explanation: Amuktamalyada is a classic Telugu composition dealing with the story of Andal and Vishnu while demonstrating Krishnadevaraya’s mastery of Telugu literary expression.
Q12. Krishnadevaraya was ruler of which empire?
[SSC Stenographer – 2017]
A. Chola
B. Bahmani
C. Pallava
D. Vijayanagara
Answer: D. Vijayanagara
Explanation: Krishnadevaraya was the best-known Tuluva emperor of Vijayanagara, ruling during the first three decades of the sixteenth century and greatly enhancing imperial prestige.
Q11. Amuktamalyada of Krishnadevaraya was composed in:
[SSC CPO – 2017]
A. Telugu
B. Persian
C. Pali
D. Marathi
Answer: A. Telugu
Explanation: The emperor’s Telugu composition exemplifies the remarkable literary development of his reign, when writers in Telugu, Kannada, Sanskrit and Tamil received royal encouragement.
Q10. The Group of Monuments at Hampi is principally associated with which medieval empire?
[SSC CGL – 2017]
A. Vijayanagara
B. Mughal
C. Pala
D. Kushana
Answer: A. Vijayanagara
Explanation: Hampi’s monuments include the sacred and royal centres of the Vijayanagara capital, with temples, markets, gateways, palatial structures, water systems and defensive walls.
Q9. Vijayanagara developed principally in the basin of which rivers?
[AP Police Constable – 2017]
A. Ganga–Yamuna
B. Ravi–Beas
C. Krishna–Tungabhadra
D. Krishna–Penna
Answer: C. Krishna–Tungabhadra
Explanation: The fertile and strategic Krishna-Tungabhadra region formed the heartland contested repeatedly by Vijayanagara and the Bahmani and successor Sultanates, particularly over the Raichur Doab.
2016
Q8. Regarding Krishnadevaraya’s taxation system: land-tax rates varied with land quality; private workshop owners paid an industry tax. Which is correct?
[UPSC CSE Prelims – 2016]
A. 1 only
B. 2 only
C. Both 1 and 2
D. Neither
Answer: C. Both 1 and 2
Explanation: Vijayanagara revenue assessment considered agricultural productivity and land quality, while the state also collected occupational and commercial levies, including taxes connected with privately operated workshops.
Q7. The Hazara Rama Temple is associated with which empire?
[UPSC CDS – 2016]
A. Vijayanagara
B. Maurya
C. Gupta
D. Kushana
Answer: A. Vijayanagara
Explanation: Located within Hampi’s royal centre, Hazara Rama Temple is famous for sculpted Ramayana narratives and royal processional scenes and was closely connected with the Vijayanagara court.
Q6. The remains of the Vijayanagara Empire can be found principally at:
[WBCS Prelims – 2016]
A. Bijapur
B. Golconda
C. Hampi
D. Baroda
Answer: C. Hampi
Explanation: Hampi preserves thousands of archaeological features from Vijayanagara, including temples, bazaars, gateways, reservoirs and royal structures across an extensive landscape in Karnataka.
Q5. Which city was founded by Krishnadevaraya near Vijayanagara?
[UPPSC/UPPCS Civil Services – 2016]
A. Warangal
B. Nagalapura
C. Udayagiri
D. Chandragiri
Answer: B. Nagalapura
Explanation: Krishnadevaraya founded Nagalapura near the imperial capital and named it in honour of his mother Nagala Devi, illustrating royal urban development during his reign.
2015 and earlier
Q4. Who founded a new city south of a tributary of the Krishna and ruled as the agent of a deity believed to own the land?
[UPSC CSE Prelims – 2015]
A. Bukka II
B. Deva Raya II
C. Harihara I
D. Krishnadevaraya
Answer: C. Harihara I
Explanation: Harihara I, co-founder of Vijayanagara, linked kingship with divine authority, an idea later expressed strongly through the rulers’ association with Lord Virupaksha.
Q3. Where is the famous Vijaya Vitthala Temple with its celebrated musical pillars located?
[UPSC CSE Prelims – 2007]
A. Belur
B. Srirangam
C. Hampi
D. Madurai
Answer: C. Hampi
Explanation: The Vitthala Temple at Hampi is among the finest Vijayanagara monuments. Its celebrated pillared hall and iconic stone chariot exemplify the empire’s mature architectural achievement.
Q2. When Raja Wodeyar founded the kingdom of Mysore, who was ruling the Vijayanagara Empire?
[UPSC CSE Prelims – 2006]
A. Sadasiva Raya
B. Tirumala
C. Ranga II
D. Venkata II
Answer: D. Venkata II
Explanation: Raja Wodeyar consolidated Mysore in the early seventeenth century while Venkata II was the prominent Aravidu ruler of the weakened but still surviving Vijayanagara imperial tradition.
Q1. Assertion: Saluva Narasimha ended the old ruling dynasty and assumed royal power. Reason: His takeover was intended solely to establish the Tuluva dynasty. Choose the correct answer.
[UPSC CSE Prelims – 2003]
A. Both A and R are true and R explains A
B. Both A and R are true but R does not explain A
C. A is true but R is false
D. A is false but R is true
Answer: C. A is true but R is false
Explanation: Saluva Narasimha displaced the weakened Sangama line and established the Saluva dynasty to stabilise Vijayanagara. The Tuluva dynasty emerged only subsequently under a different political transition.