Question

Which of the following states about the Vijayanagara Empire is/are true?
1. The kings claimed to rule on behalf of God Virupaksha.
2. Rulers used the title ‘Hindu Suratrana’ to indicate their close links with God.
3. All royal orders were signed in Kannada, Sanskrit and Tamil.
4. Royal portrait sculpture was now displayed in temples.
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
A) Only 4
B) 1 and 2
C) 1, 2 and 3
D) 1, 2 and 4

Answer 1

Hint: This empire was based in the Deccan Plateau of India and was founded by two brothers ‘Hirahara I’ and ‘Bukka Raya I’ in the 14th century. The Vijayanagara empire was disestablished in the year 1646 and the last ruler of the empire was King Aliya Rama Raya.

Complete answer:
The Vijayanagara kings were open-minded towards all religions and beliefs. The kings used titles such as Gobrahamana Pratipala Acharya which literally meant "protector of cows and Brahmins" and testified their intention to protect the Hindu religion. Yet at the same time, they also adopted Islamic court ceremonies, attire and political language. This tells us that the second statement in the question is correct.

All these facts are also reflected in the title Hindu-rāya-suratrāṇa, which literally means "Sultan among Hindu kings". This title also displayed their closeness with God. The rulers also claimed that they had come to rule this land on behalf of God Virupaksha. They also constructed the Virupaksha temple in the town of Hampi in Karnataka. From here we can make out that the first statement of the question is right.

The temples that they built had simple and serene art. Ornamented pillars, sculptures, paintings and portraits are some of the art that were displayed in temples. These art pieces continued to influence other future rulers long after the end of the Vijayanagara Empire. This information verifies the authenticity of the fourth statement.

The third statement however is incorrect. The royal orders of the Vijayanagara were not signed in Tamil, Kannada and Sanskrit. Sanskrit and Kannada were used and are correct, but Tamil was not used in this empire. Instead they used Telugu language in addition to Sanskrit and Kannada.

Thus, the correct answer is Option (D) 1, 2 and 4.

Note: The ruins belonging to the Vijayanagara empire around the town of Hampi and the Virupaksha temple have presently been declared as World Heritage Sites in Karnataka. Some other famous temples at Hampi are the Vitthala temple and the Hazara Ramaswami temple.