SSC
After the Battle of Talikota, which place became the last capital of the Vijayanagara kings?
Answer (Detailed Solution Below)View answer ▾Hide ▴
Answer: Option A — Chandragiri
Detailed Solution
After the Vijayanagara Empire was defeated by the combined forces of the Deccan Sultanates at the Battle of Talikota (also called Rakshasa-Tangadi) in January 1565, the capital city of Vijayanagara (Hampi) was plundered and destroyed over several months. The regent, Aliya Rama Raya, was killed in the battle.
His brother Tirumala Deva Raya escaped with the nominal emperor Sadasiva Raya and the royal treasury. Tirumala later founded the Aravidu dynasty, the fourth and last dynasty of Vijayanagara, around 1570. The capital was shifted several times:
Penukonda (in present-day Anantapur district, Andhra Pradesh) became the capital first.
Later, the capital was moved to Chandragiri (near Tirupati, in the Tirupati district of Andhra Pradesh), and for some time to Vellore (Tamil Nadu).
Chandragiri is regarded as the last capital of the Vijayanagara rulers. The Chandragiri Fort, originally built around the 11th century, contains the Raja Mahal (King's Palace), built in the Indo-Saracenic style during the Vijayanagara period, which now houses an archaeological museum.
A historically important event took place at Chandragiri: in 1639, the Vijayanagara ruler Peda Venkata Raya (Venkatapathi Raya), through his local nayaka Damarla Venkatadri, granted a strip of coastal land to Francis Day of the English East India Company. On this land, the English built Fort St George in 1639-40, and the city of Madras (Chennai) grew around it.
The last notable Aravidu ruler was Sriranga Raya III. By the 1640s and 1650s, the kingdom had been reduced by attacks from Bijapur and Golconda, and the nayakas of Madurai, Thanjavur and Mysore had become independent. The Wodeyars of Mysore and the Nayakas of Madurai continued many Vijayanagara traditions.
Why not the other options?
- ✗Hampi was the original capital, destroyed after Talikota in 1565.
- ✗Penukonda was the first capital after Talikota, before Chandragiri.
- ✗Vellore was used as a capital for some time, but Chandragiri is regarded as the last capital.
Quick tip
Remember: After Talikota (1565): capitals Penukonda, then Chandragiri (last), and Vellore; Aravidu dynasty founded by Tirumala; Chandragiri grant led to Fort St George, Madras (1639-40).
💬 Discussions on this question
Ask a doubt ›Still stuck on this question? Ask our faculty and fellow students — answers appear here.
Ask a doubtMore Vijayanagara & Bahmani Kingdoms Questions
View all ›- Q1.The Vijayanagara kingdom was established by Harihara and Bukka in:
- Q2.Which Vijayanagara ruler married his daughter to the Bahmani Sultan Firuz Shah?
- Q3.In 1520, the Vijayanagara ruler Krishnadeva Raya defeated the Sultan of Bijapur in the Battle of:
- Q4.Fernão Nuniz, who wrote about the Vijayanagara Empire and its nayaka system, was a:
- Q5.The Virupaksha Temple at Hampi is dedicated to:
More General Knowledge Questions
- Q1.The techniques of Rasa and Bhava used in Indian classical dance trace their origin to which ancient text?Indian Dance Forms
- Q2.Lavani, Powada, Koli, Waghya Murali and Dhangari Gaja are folk dances of which state?Indian Dance Forms
- Q3.The one-act play associated with the Sattriya tradition of Assam is called:Indian Dance Forms
- Q4.Which dance form of Goa is known as the 'Warrior Dance'?Indian Dance Forms
- Q5.Manipuri dance is based on the Rasleela themes of:Indian Dance Forms
Vijayanagara & Bahmani Kingdoms — Preparation
This question tests your understanding of Vijayanagara & Bahmani 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 the Vijayanagara Empire, founded by Harihara and Bukka in 1336, and the Bahmani Sultanate, founded by Alauddin Hasan Bahman Shah in 1347, along with the Deccan sultanates that followed. It includes their rulers, administration, architecture and the accounts of foreign travellers. The most tested ruler is Krishnadevaraya of the Tuluva dynasty, a patron of Telugu literature and author of Amuktamalyada. Other common questions cover the Battle of Talikota (1565), the Vijayanagara capital Hampi, and the foreign travellers who visited, such as Nicolo Conti, Abdur Razzaq and Domingo Paes. Practise the Vijayanagara and Bahmani kingdoms 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.