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Question 74 of 94 · Early Medieval India & South Indian Kingdoms
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In the popular traditions of the Vijayanagara empire, the Deccan Sultans were termed:

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Answer: Option C — Ashvapati (lords of horses)

Detailed Solution

In the popular traditions of the Vijayanagara empire, the Deccan Sultans were termed "ashvapati" (lords of horses).

The three "lords":

  • NCERT explains that in the popular traditions of Vijayanagara, the Deccan Sultans are termed as ashvapati or lords of horses.
  • The rayas (kings of Vijayanagara) are called narapati or lords of men.
  • The Gajapati rulers of Odisha were called the lords of elephants (gajapati).

Why these titles:

  • They reflected the military strengths of the three powers.
  • The Deccan Sultans had strong cavalry forces, with horses imported from Arabia and Central Asia.
  • The Gajapatis of Odisha were famous for their large number of war elephants, as Odisha had many forests with elephants.
  • The Vijayanagara rulers had large armies of foot soldiers (men).
  • Of course, all three powers used horses, elephants and infantry, but these titles reflected popular ideas.

About the Gajapatis:

  • The Gajapatis of Odisha fought against both Vijayanagara and the Bahmani Sultanate.
  • Krishnadeva Raya defeated the Gajapati ruler Prataparudra.

The Deccan Sultanates:

  • They emerged after the break-up of the Bahmani kingdom: Bijapur, Ahmadnagar, Golconda, Bidar and Berar.
  • They fought Vijayanagara for control of the Raichur doab.

NCERT on rivalries:

NCERT notes that the rulers of Vijayanagara competed with contemporary rulers, including the Sultans of the Deccan and the Gajapati rulers of Odisha, for control of the fertile river valleys and the resources generated by lucrative overseas trade.

At the same time, interaction between these states led to sharing of ideas, especially in architecture.

The rulers of Vijayanagara borrowed concepts and building techniques which they then developed further.

Related idea:

Some Vijayanagara rulers took the title "Hindu Suratrana" (Hindu Sultan), showing the influence of Sultanate court culture.

Why not the other options?

  • ✗Gajapati referred to the rulers of Odisha.
  • ✗Narapati referred to the Vijayanagara kings.
  • ✗Bhupati is a general word for a king.

Quick tip

Remember: Vijayanagara tradition (NCERT) = Sultans = ashvapati (horses); rayas = narapati (men); Odisha rulers = gajapati (elephants).

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Early Medieval India & South Indian Kingdoms — Preparation

This question tests your understanding of Early Medieval India & South Indian Kingdoms, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.

This topic covers India from about the 7th to the 12th century: the Rajput dynasties, the tripartite struggle between the Palas, Pratiharas and Rashtrakutas, and the South Indian kingdoms of the Chalukyas, Pallavas, Cholas and Pandyas, along with the Sangam age and the temple architecture of the period. Questions often ask which dynasty built a temple (the Pallavas built the Shore Temple at Mahabalipuram, and Rajaraja Chola I built the Brihadeeswara Temple at Thanjavur), the capitals of dynasties, and the local self-government of the Cholas. Learning each dynasty with its capital, greatest ruler and one monument is the quickest way to answer these questions. Practise the early medieval India questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.

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