The ruins of Vijayanagara (Hampi) were brought to public light in the year 1800 by the following British surveyor and engineer :
- A.James Prinsep
- B.Colin Mackenzie
- C.James Rennell
- D.Charles Metcalfe
Correct answer
Explanation
The correct answer is B, Colin Mackenzie. Colin Mackenzie, an engineer and surveyor of the East India Company, brought the ruins at Hampi to light in 1800.
Mackenzie surveyed the territories of Mysore after the fall of Tipu Sultan and made the first detailed survey map of the Hampi site, using information from the priests of the Virupaksha temple and the shrine of Pampadevi. He went on to collect a vast store of inscriptions, manuscripts and local histories, now known as the Mackenzie Collection, and in 1815 became the first Surveyor General of India. Hampi, the capital of the Vijayanagara empire founded in 1336 by Harihara and Bukka, was sacked after the Battle of Talikota in 1565 and is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
A is wrong because James Prinsep is known for deciphering the Brahmi and Kharosthi scripts of Ashoka's inscriptions in 1837. C is wrong because James Rennell was the first Surveyor General of Bengal and drew the first map of Hindustan. D is wrong because Charles Metcalfe was an administrator, remembered for freeing the Indian press in 1835.
Exam tip: Hampi ruins 1800 = Colin Mackenzie; Brahmi deciphered 1837 = James Prinsep.
Practice Questions
View allWhich river is praised in the fifth century Tamil epic, Silappadikaram?
- A.Cauvery
- B.Godavari
- C.Saraswati
- D.Ganges
Show answer
The Silappadikaram sings the praise of the Kaveri, the life-giving river of the Chola country, in whose delta its story begins.
Read the full explanation →Which Buddhist text contains an account of the Mauryan Emperor Ashoka?
- A.Vinaya Pitaka
- B.Sutta Pitaka
- C.Abhidhamma Pitaka
- D.Mahavamsa
Show answer
The Mahavamsa, the great Pali chronicle of Sri Lanka, gives a detailed account of Ashoka, his conversion to Buddhism and his missions abroad.
Read the full explanation →The idea of 'Farr-i Izadi', on which the Mughal kingship was based, was first developed by which one of the following Sufi saints?
- A.Shihabuddin Suhrawardi
- B.Nizamuddin Auliya
- C.Ibn al-Arabi
- D.Bayazid Bistami
Show answer
The idea of farr-i izadi, a light emanating from God, was first developed by the twelfth-century Iranian Sufi thinker Shihabuddin Suhrawardi.
Read the full explanation →Which twelfth century Sanskrit scholar was first responsible for the compilation of 'Nibandhas' or digests of epic and Puranic texts?
- A.Harsha
- B.Govindachandra
- C.Lakshmidhara
- D.Kalidasa
Show answer
Lakshmidhara, a minister of the Gahadavala king Govindachandra of Kanauj, compiled the Kritya-kalpataru, the first great nibandha or digest of Dharmashastra, epic and Puranic texts.
Read the full explanation →Name the platform used for ritual purposes by the kings of the Vijayanagara Empire.
- A.Mahanavami Dibba
- B.Lotus Mahal
- C.Hazara Rama
- D.Virupaksha
Show answer
This massive stone platform in the royal enclosure at Hampi was where the Vijayanagara kings performed the rituals of the Mahanavami festival.
Read the full explanation →