Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)
- Hampi, the capital of the Vijayanagara Empire, is located in which modern Indian state?
a) Tamil Nadu
b) Odisha
c) Karnataka
d) Kerala
Answer: c) Karnataka - Which of the following was NOT a cause for the decline of the Tughlaq Dynasty, as mentioned in the text?
a) Weak successors of Firoz Shah Tughlaq
b) Invasion by Timur
c) Rise of the Vijayanagara Empire
d) Failed experiments of Muhammad bin Tughlaq
Answer: c) Rise of the Vijayanagara Empire - Who founded the Vijayanagara Empire in 1336 CE?
a) Krishnadev Raya
b) Hakka and Bukka
c) Harihara I
d) Achyuta Deva Raya
Answer: b) Hakka and Bukka - The Vijayanagara Empire reached its zenith under which ruler?
a) Harihara I
b) Deva Raya II
c) Krishnadev Raya
d) Virupaksha Raya II
Answer: c) Krishnadev Raya - Which of the following was a significant measure taken by Krishnadev Raya for administrative reform?
a) Introducing the ‘Diwan-i-Arz’
b) Abolishing obnoxious taxes like the marriage fee
c) Shifting the capital to a new city
d) Making Persian the sole court language
Answer: b) Abolishing obnoxious taxes like the marriage fee - What was the most important import for the Vijayanagara Empire due to its military needs?
a) Silk from China
b) Horses from Arabia
c) Ivory from Africa
d) Spices from Southeast Asia
Answer: b) Horses from Arabia - Who founded the Bahamani Kingdom in 1347 CE?
a) Firuz Shah Bahamani
b) Muhammad Adil Shah
c) Hasan Gangu (Alauddin Bahman Shah)
d) Mahmud Gawan
Answer: c) Hasan Gangu (Alauddin Bahman Shah) - Which able Prime Minister (Wazir) of the Bahamani Kingdom built a famous madrasa in Bidar and introduced many reforms?
a) Malik Kafur
b) Asaf Jah
c) Mahmud Gawan
d) Mir Jumla
Answer: c) Mahmud Gawan - The famous Gol Gumbaz, known for its massive dome and acoustic system, is located in:
a) Gulbarga
b) Bidar
c) Bijapur
d) Golconda
Answer: c) Bijapur - What major event in 1565 CE led to the downfall of the Vijayanagara Empire?
a) Invasion by Timur
b) The Battle of Talikota (Rakshasa-Tangadi)
c) The First Battle of Panipat
d) The revolt of Bahamani Governors
Answer: b) The Battle of Talikota (Rakshasa-Tangadi)
Short Answer Questions & Answers
- List two causes for the decline of the Tughlaq Empire as mentioned in the text.
Answer: Two causes were: (i) The weak successors of Firoz Shah Tughlaq who could not govern efficiently, and (ii) The devastating invasion by Timur in 1398 CE, which plundered Delhi and exposed the empire’s weakness. - Who were the founders of the Vijayanagara Empire? Who was their teacher and guide?
Answer: The Vijayanagara Empire was founded by two brothers, Hakka and Bukka. Their teacher and guide was the sage and scholar Vidyaranya. - Name two famous temples built by Krishnadev Raya at Hampi.
Answer: Krishnadev Raya built the Vithala Temple and the Hazara Rama Temple at Hampi.
- What was the ‘Raichur Doab’ and why was it significant?
Answer: The Raichur Doab was the fertile region lying between the Krishna and Tungabhadra rivers. It was significant because it was constantly contested and changed hands between the Vijayanagara and Bahamani kingdoms, being a major source of conflict. - State one economic and one social feature of the Vijayanagara Empire.
Answer:
- Economic: The kingdom had brisk overseas trade, importing horses from Arabia and exporting textiles.
- Social: The society was conservative, governed by religious laws, and practices like polygamy and child marriage were prevalent.
- Who was Firuz Shah Bahamani? Mention one of his achievements.
Answer: Firuz Shah Bahamani was a powerful ruler of the Bahamani Kingdom (1397-1422). One of his achievements was conquering the Raichur Doab from the Vijayanagara Empire.
- Into how many independent kingdoms did the Bahamani Kingdom disintegrate? Name any two.
Answer: The Bahamani Kingdom disintegrated into five independent kingdoms. Two of these were: Bijapur (Adil Shahi) and Golconda (Qutub Shahi).
Long Answer Questions & Answers
- “Krishnadev Raya was not only a great conqueror but also an able administrator and a patron of arts.” Justify this statement with examples from his reign.
Answer: Krishnadev Raya’s reign (1509-1530) truly justifies this statement, marking the golden age of the Vijayanagara Empire.
- As a Conqueror: He was a brilliant military strategist. He successfully defeated the Bahamani Sultans, recaptured the Raichur Doab, and subdued the Gajapatis of Odisha. His victory over the Sultan of Bijapur earned him the title “establisher of the Yavana kingdom,” extending his empire over most of South India.
- As an Administrator: He was a just and efficient ruler. He reorganized the army, maintained strict control over ministers, and abolished oppressive taxes like the marriage fee. To improve the economy, he brought new land under cultivation and undertook large-scale irrigation projects. He undertook annual tours to redress public grievances personally, earning praise from foreign travelers for his justice.
- As a Patron of Arts: His court was a flourishing centre of culture, known as the ‘Golden Age of Telugu Literature.’ He himself was a scholar and patronised poets in Telugu, Sanskrit, Kannada, and Tamil. Architecturally, he enriched Hampi by building magnificent temples like the Vithala and Hazara Rama temples, and splendid palaces, making Vijayanagara a city of unparalleled beauty.
- Compare and contrast the administrative systems of the Vijayanagara Empire and the Bahamani Kingdom.
Answer: While both empires had centralized monarchies, their administrative systems showed similarities and differences.
- Similarities: Both kingdoms were divided into provinces for effective administration. These provinces were governed by Governors (Nayakas in Vijayanagara, Tarafdars in Bahamani) who collected revenue, maintained law and order, and supplied troops to the king during war.
- Differences:
- Central Authority: The Vijayanagara king was considered a representative of God (like Virupaksha), wielding supreme power. The Bahamani Sultan’s power was also absolute but was advised by Muslim scholars (Ulemas) and a council of nobles.
- Key Officials: The Bahamani administration was significantly shaped by powerful Wazirs (Prime Ministers) like Mahmud Gawan, who headed the revenue and military departments. In Vijayanagara, the king’s council of ministers played a key role, with the king maintaining direct control.
- Language: The administrative languages in Vijayanagara were Kannada and Telugu. In contrast, the Bahamani court used Persian and Arabic.
- Focus: Bahamani administration under reformers like Mahmud Gawan focused on land measurement for fair revenue and patronage of Islamic learning (building madrasas). Vijayanagara administration focused heavily on agricultural expansion through irrigation and temple-centric welfare.
- Differences:
- Analyze the major factors that led to the downfall of both the Vijayanagara and Bahamani kingdoms.
Answer: The downfall of both these powerful Deccan kingdoms resulted from a combination of internal weaknesses and external pressures.
Downfall of the Bahamani Kingdom (by 1527):
- Constant Warfare: Exhausting and financially draining wars, especially with Vijayanagara over the Raichur Doab, weakened the kingdom.
- Weak Successors: After the death of strong rulers like Firuz Shah and the prime minister Mahmud Gawan, the later Sultans were weak and incompetent.
- Internal Rivalries: Intense factional fights and jealousy among the nobles and between Deccani and foreign (Persian, Turkish) nobles plagued the court. Mahmud Gawan himself was executed due to noble intrigues.
- Disintegration: These factors led to the kingdom breaking up into five independent, squabbling sultanates (Bijapur, Golconda, etc.).
Downfall of the Vijayanagara Empire (1565):
- Military Defeat: The immediate cause was the catastrophic defeat at the Battle of Talikota (1565). A combined army of the Deccan Sultanates (successor states of Bahamani) decisively defeated Vijayanagara.
- Succession Disputes: After Krishnadev Raya, weak successors and disputes over the throne created political instability.
- Rebellious Governors: The powerful provincial governors (Nayakas), especially in distant areas, began to assert their independence, weakening central authority.
- Financial Strain: Maintaining a large standing army to fight continuous wars and control a vast empire placed a heavy burden on the treasury and the peasantry.
Thus, while the Bahamani Kingdom collapsed from within due to intrigue and fragmented, the Vijayanagara Empire was finally destroyed by a decisive external military coalition of its old rivals.