Medieval India Test - 1

Kanchi, also known as Kanchipuram, was the capital of Pallava Dynasty. It is an ancient city of Tamil Nadu. It was a popular centre for Sanskrit and Tamil. In the 8^th century, it was known as the religious capital of south.

The Chola dynasty was one of the longest-ruling dynasties in history. The earliest datable references to this Tamil dynasty are in inscriptions from the 3rd century BCE left by Ashoka, of the Maurya Empire. The Chola Empire left a rich legacy in the Tamil country. The Cholas built a strong naval fleet to expand their empire and establish trade relations with other neighbouring countries. Under Rajaraja Chola I and his son Rajendra Chola I, the dynasty became a military, economic and cultural power in Asia. During the period 1010–1200, the Chola territories stretched from the islands of the Maldives in the south to as far north as the banks of the Godavari River in Andhra Pradesh.

The Chola Empire was divided into three major administrative units called central government, provincial government and local government. The administration was headed by the king. The Chola kingship was hereditary in nature.

Various temples were built under the Chola dynasty. Thanjavur Temple, the Temple of Gangaikondacholisvaram, the Airavatesvara temple at Darasuram, etc. are some magnificent architectural examples of this dynasty. The above mentioned temples were built during the reign of the Chola emperor Rajaraja and designed by the famous architect Sama Varma between 1003 and 1010 AD. These temples belonged to Hinduism. So, it is clear that the Chola dynasty was the follower of Hinduism rather than Buddhism.

Shunga Dynasty, established by Pushyamitra, was an ancient Indian dynasty of Magadha, that emerged after the fall of Maurya Empire. Pushyamitra ruled from 185-151 BCE. He was succeeded by his son Agnimitra, who ruled from 151-141 BCE. Its last ruler, Devabhuti, was assassinated by his minister Vasudeva Kanava and was replaced by Kanava Dynasty in 73 BCE.

Krishnadevaraya was an emperor of the Vijayanagara Empire who reigned from 1509 to 1529. The Battle of Talikota (January 23, 1565) was a watershed battle fought between the Vijayanagara Empire and the Deccan sultanates. Sadasiva Raya of Tuluva dynasty was the emperor of Vijayanagara at the time of the Battle of Talikota.
Hence, we find that Krishnadevaraya did not fight the Battle of Talikota.

Bahmanid sultanate was the first independent Muslim kingdom in South India. The Kingdom later split into five offshoots that were collectively known as the Deccan sultanates. The last remnant of the Bahmani sultanate was defeated and destroyed in 1509 by Vijayanagar Empire.

The Bahmani capital was Hasanabad (Gulbarga) in 1347, and in 1425 it was moved to Muhammadabad (Bidar). The Bahmani contested the control of the Deccan with the Vijayanagara Empire to the south.