The Vijayanagara
and
Bahmani Kingdom
Exercise
A. Fill in the blanks.
1. The jizya tax was levied by the Delhi sultans on Hindus.
2. The name of the Vijayanagara Kingdom was derived from the capital city name Vijayanagara.
3. Mahamud Gawan served as the Prime Minister of three Bahmani kings.
4. The Bahmani kingdom was founded by Alauddin Bahman Shah.
5. Krishnadeva Raya's court had eight scholars, collectively known as Ashtadiggajas.
B. Match the following.
=
|
1. Vijayanagara Kingdom |
a. Bidar. [2] |
|
2. Bahmani Kingdom |
b. Hampi. [1] |
|
3. Krishnadeva Raya |
c. Battle of Talikota. [4] |
|
4. End of the Vijayanagara Kingdom |
d. Prime Minister of Bahmani kings. [5] |
|
5. Mahamud Gawan |
e. Amuktamalyada. [3] |
C. Choose the correct answer.
1. The Vijayanagara Kingdom was divided into provinces known as ________ .
a. mandalams. [✓]
b. tarafs. [ ]
c. kshetra. [ ]
d. gramas. [ ]
2. Krishnadeva Raya belonged to the ________ Dynasty.
a. Sangama. [ ]
b. Aravidu. [ ]
c. Suluva. [ ]
d. Tuluva. [✓]
3. ________ is a beautiful specimen of the Bahmani architecture.
a. Alai Darwaza. [ ]
b. Vittala Temple. [ ]
c. Hampi. [ ]
d. Gol Gumbaz. [✓]
4. The _______ formed the southern frontier of the Bahmani Kingdom.
a. River Krishna. [✓]
b. River Tungabhadra. [ ]
c. Arabian Sea. [ ]
d. Bay of Bengal. [ ]
5. The Bahmani Kingdom was established by ______ .
a. Mahamud Gawan. [ ]
b. Alauddin Bahman Shah. [✓]
c. Muhammad Shah. [ ]
d. Adil Shah. [ ]
D. Answer the following questions in brief.
1. Describe the city of Hampi.
= Hampi, the capital city of Vijayanagara Kingdom, was a sprawling urban centre and regarded as a holy place. Initially, it was a tiny hamlet, which late developed into the extensive medieval metropolis. The city was protected naturally by hills and fed by water canals from the Tungabhadra. It benefitted immensely from the irrigation plans. The different parts of the city were connected through a network of well-laid roads.
The Hampi Bazaar, was known to be a 'very beautiful street with very beautiful houses'. In this bazaar, jewellery and precious stones like emeralds, diamonds, and rubies were traded.
2. Name the four provinces of the Bahmani Kingdom.
= The four provinces of the Bahmani Kingdom are - Gulbarg, Daulatabad, Berar, and Bidar.
3. Who was Mahamud Gawan?
= Mahamud Gawan served as prime minister to three Bahmani kings - Humayun Shah, Nizam Shah and Muhammad Shah III - for about twenty-three years, from 1458 to 1481 CE. The political and administrative rise of the Bahmani kingdom can be credited to him. He was a capable administrator who looked after the kingdom when the kings fought wars to expand their territories.
4. Why was the Raichur Doab important to both Vijayanagara and Bahmani kingdoms?
= The Raichur Doab was extremely fertile. As a result of it, it was a major bone of contention between the Bahmani and the Vijayanagara kingdoms. Many battles ensued between both the Deccan kingdoms to conquer this region. Finally, in the Battle of Talikota (1565 CE), the Vijayanagara kingdom lost control over the region.
5. What are the distinctive features of the Gol Gumbaz?
= The Gol Gumbaz in Bijapur is a beautiful specimen of Bahmani architecture. It is the mausoleum or tomb of Muhammad Adil Shah II who ruled the Sultanate of Bijapur. The dome of Gol Gumbaz is circular in shape and is supported by the eight intersecting arcs. The acoustic here are so good that even a whisper echoes.
E. Answer the following questions in detail.
1. Describe the achievements of Krishnadeva Raya in Vijayanagar Kingdom.
= Krishnadeva Raya ruled for twenty-one years, from 1509 CE to 1529 CE. His rule was characterised by expansion and consolidation.
He conquered Deccan Sultans and the Gajapatis of Odisha. He also occupied the prized Raichur Doab, the fertile region between the rivers Krishna and Tungabhadra, in the Battle of Raichur in 1520 CE by defeating the Bijapur Sultanate.
Krishnadeva Raya established friendly relations with the Portuguese who were involved in maritime trade along the Malabar coast. This led to the improved foreign trade, which was a source of income for the kingdom. The Portuguese imported was materials such as guns and horses to the Vijayanagara Kingdom. The king levied various trade taxes, such as custom duties.
Krishnadeva Raya stressed on the importance of agriculture and improved the techniques to increase agricultural production. He built big reservoirs, dams and canals for the irrigation facilities.
He was a great scholar of Telugu and Sanskrit literature. He wrote a book, Amuktamalyada, in Telugu and a play, Jambavati Kalyana, in Sanskrit. His court had eight Telugu scholars, collectively known as Ashtadiggajas.
He built many statues and towers in and around the capital city. He founded a suburban township near Vijayanagara called Nagalapuram after his mother.
2. Write a note on the administrative structure of the Vijayanagara Kingdom.
= ❐ Central Administration : The king was the absolute authority. He appointed council of ministers to help in day-to-day administration. The highest ministers in the court included the prime minister (mahapradhana) who headed the council, chief secretary (karyakarta), chief treasurer and police prefect.
❐ Provincial Administration :
The whole empire was divided into six provinces known as mandalams or rajyas. These provinces were further divided into districts or nadus. Districts were divided into smaller villages or gramas.
The provinces were headed by the governors who were related to the nobles' or royal families. The governors took administrative decisions related to public, justice and military for their provinces.
❐ Village Administration :
The villages were the smallest units of the kingdoms. They were at the lower level of the administrative pyramid. The village panchayats governed the villages and took the administrative decisions. The important officers were village accountants and village watchmen.
3. Describe the art and architecture of the Vijayanagara Kingdom.
= The Vijayanagara kings were great patrons of art and culture. The kingdom was adorned by beautiful temples, palaces, forts and gardens. The kings were worshippers of Lord Virupaksha. Thus, temple architecture advanced under the Vijayanagara kings. Temple architecture of this time is characterised by huge gopurams or temple gateways. Gopurams are the towers at the entrance of temples that stand tall over the general architecture of the temple-complex. They could be sighted from a long distance and were symbolically associated with the power asserted by the king. Inside the temple, the central shrine was decorated with raised corridors, which were supported by several pillars. These settings were called mandapas.
The Virupaksha Temple and Vitthala Temple are the most striking temples of the Vijayanagara Kingdom. The ruins of Hampi city exhibit the architectural brilliance of those times.
4. Explain the contribution of Mahamud Gawan.
= Mahamud Gawan served as prime minister to three Bahmani kings - Humayun Shah, Nizam Shah and Muhammad Shah III - for about twenty-three years, from 1458 to 1481 CE. The political and administrative rise of the Bahmani kingdom can be credited to him. He was a capable administrator who looked after the kingdom when the kings fought wars to expand their territories.
He developed a strong army and introduced gun powder in military campaigns. He was also able to maintain peace among the hostile nobles who tried to create political turmoil.
Mahmud Gawan introduced many economic reforms for the welfare of the common people. He promoted agricultural activities by building dams, canals, thus, leading to the flourishing economy.
Gawan was a great supporter of education. He had built a huge madrasa in Bidar, known as Mahamud Gawan Madrasa. This madrasa had lecture halls, labs, and students' cells. He also contributed his private collection of books to the madrasa's library.
5. Describe the art and architecture of the Bahmani Kingdom.
= The Bahmani rulers built beautiful tombs and mosques in Bidar and Gulbarga. They also built many forts at Daulatabad, Golconda and Raichur. The architecture of the Bahmani Kingdom was highly influenced by Persian architecture.
Architects were invited from Persia, Turkey and Arabia. Some of the magnificent structures built by the Bahmanis were Jami Masjid at Gulbarga, Chand Minar and Mahamud Gawan Madrasa at Bidar.
The Gol Gumbaz in Bijapur is a beautiful specimen of Bahmani architecture. It is the mausoleum or tomb of Muhammad Adil Shah II who ruled the Sultanate of Bijapur. The dome of Gol Gumbaz is circular in shape and is supported by the eight intersecting arcs. The acoustic here are so good that even a whisper echoes.
***
❐ Economy of Vijayanagara Kingdom :
The kingdom owed its development and growth to agriculture and industry, trade and commerce, including voluminous maritime trade with foreign countries. It became an important centre of trade as European merchants visited this place.
Land revenue was the chief source of income for the kingdom. The tax rate amounted to one-third or one-sixth of the produce depending on land fertility.
❐ Society and religion of Vijayanagara Kingdom :
Caste system was followed rigidly in Vijayanagara Kingdom. Despite being staunch Hindus themselves, the Vijayanagara kings were tolerant of other religions. People were free to practice their individual faiths. There was no discrimination between people on the basis of religion.
* The Vijayanagara Kingdom was also known as Karnataka Rajya or Karnataka Empire.
* The eight scholars in Krishnadeva Raya's court were - Pingali Surana, Nandi Thimmana, Dhurjati, Ramaraja Bhushanudu, Madayyagari Mallana, Tenali Rama Krishna, Ayyala-raju Rama-Bhadrudu, and Allasani Peddana.
* UNESCO has declared Hampi as a World Heritage Site.