Who of the following founded a new city on the south bank of a tributary to river Krishna and undertook to rule his new kingdom as the agent of a deity to whom all the land south of the river Krishna was supposed to belong?
Answer & explanation
Answer: (c) Harihara I
The city is Vijayanagara, on the south bank of the Tungabhadra, a tributary of the Krishna. Harihara I founded it with his brother Bukka in 1336. Its kings claimed to rule on behalf of the god Virupaksha. The other three rulers belonged to different, earlier dynasties.
- ✓ (c) Harihara and Bukka founded the Vijayanagara Empire in 1336. Its capital lies in the Tungabhadra basin, on the river's south bank. The Vijayanagara kings claimed to rule on behalf of the god Virupaksha, and all royal orders were signed "Shri Virupaksha".
- ✗ (a) Amoghavarsha I was a 9th-century Rashtrakuta king. He has nothing to do with founding Vijayanagara or ruling as Virupaksha's agent.
- ✗ (b) Ballala II was a Hoysala king of Karnataka. Vijayanagara was founded later, by Harihara and Bukka.
- ✗ (d) Prataparudra II was a Kakatiya ruler of Warangal. He did not found a city on the Tungabhadra or rule as Virupaksha's agent.
Remember · Harihara I and Bukka founded Vijayanagara (1336) on the Tungabhadra, a Krishna tributary. Its kings ruled on behalf of god Virupaksha and signed orders "Shri Virupaksha".
📘 Read it in NCERT: Class 12 Themes in Indian History, Part II, Ch 3 (practise this chapter) · Class 12 Themes in Indian History, Part II, Ch 3 (practise this chapter)
Sources
- NCERT Class 12 · Themes in Indian History, Part II, Chapter 3 “In fact the Vijayanagara kings claimed to rule on behalf of the god Virupaksha. All royal orders were signed "Shri Virupaksha", usually in the Kannada script.”
- NCERT Class 12 · Themes in Indian History, Part II, Chapter 3 “According to tradition and epigraphic evidence two brothers, Harihara and Bukka, founded the Vijayanagara Empire in 1336.”
- UNESCO World Heritage Centre: Group of Monuments at Hampi ↗ “The property encompasses an area of 4187, 24 hectares, located in the Tungabhadra basin in Central Karnataka, Bellary District.”
Question: UPSC Civil Services (Preliminary) 2015, General Studies Paper I. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 25 Oct 2026 (how we verify). ·
