MAINS 2016
GS1
12.5 marks
Krishnadeva Raya, the King of Vijayanagar, was not only an accomplished scholar himself but was also a great patron of learning and literature. Discuss.
WRITE IN
9 min
200 words
What the examiner wants
Discuss Krishnadeva Raya's own literary output and his patronage of poets across languages.
DiscussExplain the different sides of the issue, use evidence, and finish with a balanced view.
Demand-wise check
- 1Scholar: wrote Amuktamalyada in Telugu (on Andal and statecraft); Sanskrit works like Jambavati Kalyanam≈35 words
- 2Patron: Ashtadiggajas at court, including Allasani Peddana (Manucharitra) and Tenali Ramakrishna; title 'Andhra Bhoja'≈35 words
- 3Multilingual support: Telugu, Sanskrit, Kannada and Tamil poets; grants to temples and mathas as centres of learning≈35 words
- 4Context: golden age of Telugu literature; foreign accounts (Domingo Paes) praise his court≈35 words
Open in about 30 words and close in about 30.
Answer plan
Reign 1509-29His own worksAshtadiggajas and other patronageWider cultural impactConclusion
Where marks usually go
- Writing mainly on his military campaigns (Raichur 1520) instead of learning
- Not naming any work or poet
Draw this
- Table: language → work/poet patronised
Value addition
- TextAmuktamalyada also contains advice on governance, such as building tanks and treating subjects well.Amuktamalyada, Krishnadeva Raya
- SourcePortuguese traveller Domingo Paes described Krishnadeva Raya as a learned and perfect king.Paes's account, c. 1520
- SourceBabur in his memoirs named the Vijayanagara ruler as the most powerful of the Hindu rulers of India.Baburnama
Mapped topper copies
Reviewed public-source references related to this PYQ. Same-syllabus references are labelled separately.
- Ajay R Raj · AIR 109 · Page 5 ↗Reviewed PYQ reference
- Akansh Dhull · AIR 3 · Page 23 ↗Reviewed PYQ reference
- Monika Srivastava · AIR 16 · Page 3 ↗Same syllabus reference
- Ajay R Raj · AIR 109 · Page 3 ↗Same syllabus reference
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