Question map
Who among the following rulers of Vijayanagara Empire constructed a large dam across Tungabhadra River and a canal-cum-aqueduct several kilometres long from the river to the capital city?
Explanation
The correct answer is Option 1: Devaraya I. Devaraya I (reigned 1406–1422 CE), of the Sangama dynasty, was instrumental in transforming the agrarian economy of the Vijayanagara Empire through advanced hydraulic engineering.
According to historical records, including accounts by the Italian traveler Nicolo Conti, Devaraya I faced an acute water shortage in the capital. To resolve this, he commissioned the construction of a massive dam across the Tungabhadra River. He further developed a sophisticated canal-cum-aqueduct system, approximately 15 miles long, to channel water into the city for both irrigation and consumption. This project significantly increased the city's revenue and agricultural productivity.
- Mallikarjuna and Virupaksha were later rulers whose reigns were marked by internal decline and did not involve such massive infrastructural projects.
- Vira Vijaya had a very brief reign with no significant architectural or engineering contributions recorded.
Thus, Devaraya I is specifically credited with this pioneering engineering feat.
PROVENANCE & STUDY PATTERN
Guest previewThis is a classic 'NCERT Depth' question. While the specific name 'Devaraya I' isn't explicitly bolded in every basic summary, NCERT Themes Part II (p. 177) explicitly mentions the 'Hiriya canal' drawing water from a dam built by the 'Sangama dynasty'. The jump from 'Sangama dynasty' to 'Devaraya I' requires either a standard reference (Satish Chandra) or a logical deduction of the most prominent Sangama builder.
This question can be broken into the following sub-statements. Tap a statement sentence to jump into its detailed analysis.
- Statement 1: Did Devaraya I, a ruler of the Vijayanagara Empire, construct a large dam across the Tungabhadra River and a several-kilometre canal-cum-aqueduct from the river to the capital city Vijayanagara (Hampi)?
- Statement 2: Did Mallikarjuna, a ruler of the Vijayanagara Empire, construct a large dam across the Tungabhadra River and a several-kilometre canal-cum-aqueduct from the river to the capital city Vijayanagara (Hampi)?
- Statement 3: Did Vira Vijaya, a ruler of the Vijayanagara Empire, construct a large dam across the Tungabhadra River and a several-kilometre canal-cum-aqueduct from the river to the capital city Vijayanagara (Hampi)?
- Statement 4: Did Virupaksha, a ruler of the Vijayanagara Empire, construct a large dam across the Tungabhadra River and a several-kilometre canal-cum-aqueduct from the river to the capital city Vijayanagara (Hampi)?
- Explicitly attributes construction to Deva Raya I (Devaraya I).
- States a barrage/dam was built across the Tungabhadra and a 24 km aqueduct commissioned to the capital.
- Describes construction of a barrage across the Tungabhadra using huge boulders.
- Specifies he 'built a huge aqueduct cum... from the Tungabhadra to the capital which was 24 km away.'
- States he constructed a 'huge dam in the Tungabhadra river'.
- Gives the aqueduct length as 'fifteen miles' (approx. 24 km) from the river into the city.
States that the Hiriya canal drew water from a dam across the Tungabhadra and irrigated the valley, identifying a major dam+canal system serving Vijayanagara.
A student could note that such a dam+canal existed and then check which rulers of the Sangama period (or later) are credited with building Hiriya to see if Devaraya I fits chronologically.
Describes an elaborate canal system drawing water from the Tungabhadra that conducted water to the 'royal centre', corroborating the existence of engineered waterworks linking river to capital.
Use this pattern (canals supplying the royal centre) plus historical lists of major Vijayanagara rulers to test claims about which king commissioned such works.
Notes that the capital city Vijayanagar stood on the south bank of the Tungabhadra and highlights royal building activity (Krishnadeva Raya building tanks), showing kings did undertake major hydraulic projects near the river.
Combine the geographic fact (capital on Tungabhadra bank) with the known practice of rulers building tanks/canals to evaluate the plausibility that an earlier ruler like Devaraya I could have commissioned a dam/canal.
Identifies the Sangama dynasty as the founding dynasty (Harihara and Bukka) and notes rulers borrowed and developed building techniques, implying large public works were part of dynastic activity.
If Hiriya/dam is attributed to the Sangama dynasty (snippet 2), a student could check whether Devaraya I belonged to that dynasty or a later one to assess likelihood he was the builder.
Explains that archaeological finds, monuments and inscriptions helped rediscover Vijayanagara, indicating that attribution of major works often relies on inscriptions/archaeology rather than later tradition.
A student could seek inscriptions/archaeological attributions for the dam/canal to determine whether they name Devaraya I or some other ruler.
- Describes the construction of a barrage/dam across the Tungabhadra and a long aqueduct to the capital.
- Attributes these works to a Vijayanagara ruler (context in the passage indicates the ruler responsible).
- Explicitly states a barrage was built across the Tungabhadra and a 24 km aqueduct commissioned to the capital.
- Identifies the responsible ruler in the article (Deva Raya I), not Mallikarjuna, thereby contradicting the statement's attribution to Mallikarjuna.
- States that the Vijayanagara Empire constructed a large dam across the Tungabhadra and a canal-cum-aqueduct several kilometres long to the capital.
- Supports that such works existed under the Vijayanagara polity, though it does not name Mallikarjuna specifically.
Explicitly states an elaborate canal system drew water from the Tungabhadra to service agricultural tracts within Vijayanagara.
A student could use this pattern (canal from Tungabhadra to city/agriculture) plus maps to judge plausibility of a long canal/aqueduct reaching the capital and then seek specific attributions to Mallikarjuna.
Describes embankments, reservoirs and major tanks (e.g., Kamalapuram tank) built to store and conduct water to the city in an arid zone.
Combine this rule (rulers built substantial water-storage and conveyance works) with geographic facts about Tungabhadra flow to assess whether a dam/canal project fits known water-management practices.
Notes Krishnadeva Raya and other Vijayanagara rulers engaged in building tanks and water-related constructions across the empire.
Use the general pattern that rulers undertook hydraulic projects to consider whether Mallikarjuna, as a ruler, might plausibly have commissioned a major dam/canal, then check for specific attribution in inscriptional or archaeological records.
Locates the capital on the south bank of the Tungabhadra and emphasizes the importance of the river to the empire's territory.
A student can combine the capital's riverside position with maps to evaluate the engineering feasibility and likely route/length of any canal from Tungabhadra to Vijayanagara.
Records that prominent rulers like Krishnadevaraya were active patrons and builders, indicating a tradition of large state-sponsored construction.
Treat this as contextual support for large-scale projects being within the realm of Vijayanagara rulers' activities; then search for Mallikarjuna-specific evidence (inscriptions, traveler accounts) to confirm the claim.
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- Explicitly attributes the construction of a barrage across the Tungabhadra and a 24 km aqueduct to Deva Raya I (not Vira Vijaya).
- Gives a date (c. 1410) linking the works to Deva Raya I, directly addressing who commissioned the works mentioned in the statement.
- Describes the construction of a dam/barrage across the Tungabhadra and a 24 km aqueduct to the capital, and attributes these works to Deva Raya I.
- Provides construction details (use of elephants, huge boulders) supporting the scale of the works referenced in the statement.
States that the Hiriya canal drew water from a dam across the Tungabhadra and irrigated the valley separating the sacred centre from the urban core.
A student could use this rule/example to check maps/archaeological reports for the Hiriya canal and locate any dam remains upstream of Hampi to assess whether such major works existed.
Describes an elaborate canal system drawing water from the Tungabhadra to service agricultural tracts and the royal centre within the fortified area.
Combine this pattern with distance measurements on a map to judge if a several-kilometre canal-aqueduct from the river to the capital was plausible.
Notes the capital stood on the south bank of the Tungabhadra and that Krishnadeva Raya built tanks and other waterworks in the empire.
Use the known proximity of the city to the river and Krishnadeva Raya’s record as a builder to investigate if major hydraulic works near Hampi could be attributed to rulers of that era.
Records that Krishnadevaraya patronised construction and provided grants to temples and that the capital displayed many grand buildings.
A student could infer that large-scale civic projects (like dams/canals) were within the capacity and patronage patterns of Vijayanagara rulers and then seek archaeological or inscriptional corroboration.
Places Vijayanagara (Hampi) in the Krishna–Tungabhadra doab and ties the city’s memory to people of that river valley.
Use geographic context (doab location) and basic maps to estimate river-to-capital distances and evaluate whether an extended canal-aqueduct would be geographically reasonable.
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- Explicitly attributes the barrage and a 24 km aqueduct to Deva Raya I (Devaraya I), identifying who built the works rather than Virupaksha.
- Specifically mentions construction across the Tungabhadra and commissioning a 24 km aqueduct to the capital, which addresses the same works named in the statement.
- Describes a dam/barrage across the Tungabhadra built with huge boulders and use of elephants to transport them.
- States he 'built a huge aqueduct cum from the Tungabhadra to the capital which was 24 km away', directly matching the described canal/aqueduct.
- Describes 'the construction of a huge dam in the Tungabhadra river' and 'the formation of an aqueduct fifteen miles long from the river into the city.'
- Provides an independent source describing essentially the same large-scale dam and long aqueduct feeding the city.
States there was a prominent Hiriya canal that 'drew water from a dam across the Tungabhadra' and irrigated the valley between sacred centre and urban core.
A student could use this pattern to infer that major dam-and-canal works existed at Vijayanagara and then check if Virupaksha (as a named ruler) is connected to Sangama-period building programmes.
Mentions an elaborate canal system drawing water from the Tungabhadra to service agricultural tracts within the fortified city.
Combine this with maps of Hampi/Vijayanagara to assess the likely route/length of canals and whether they could be described as 'several kilometres' and tied to particular rulers.
Confirms the capital stood on the south bank of the Tungabhadra and that Vijayanagara rulers like Krishnadeva Raya built tanks and waterworks.
Use geographic fact (city on river bank) plus known royal patronage of waterworks to evaluate plausibility that a ruler commissioned large river works; then seek attribution to a specific name.
Explains the centrality of the god Virupaksha to the state — rulers signed as 'Shri Virupaksha' — linking the temple/god to royal identity.
A student might use this to distinguish between the deity Virupaksha (sacred patron) and an individual ruler named Virupaksha, reducing the chance of conflating temple-name with a ruler who commissioned works.
Notes the city and empire's geography (Krishna to south) and that local memory and inscriptions help rediscover Vijayanagara, implying attributions of large works rely on inscriptions and traditions.
Suggests a student should look for epigraphic or traveler accounts that attribute the dam/canal to a specific ruler named Virupaksha rather than to the god or to Sangama kings.
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- [THE VERDICT]: Moderate/Standard. Source: NCERT Themes in Indian History Part II, Chapter 7 (p. 177) mentions the 'Hiriya canal' and 'Sangama dynasty'. Specific attribution is in Satish Chandra (Medieval India).
- [THE CONCEPTUAL TRIGGER]: Vijayanagara Urban Infrastructure & Hydraulic Engineering. The specific theme is 'Water Resources' in the arid Deccan context.
- [THE HORIZONTAL EXPANSION]: 1. **Devaraya I**: Built Tungabhadra Dam, Hiriya Canal, inducted Turkish archers. 2. **Krishnadevaraya**: Built Nagalapura township and a massive tank (described by Paes). 3. **Kamalapuram Tank**: Irrigated fields and supplied the 'Royal Centre'. 4. **Fernão Nunes (Nuniz)**: The Portuguese traveler who explicitly described the labor and difficulty in building Devaraya's dam.
- [THE STRATEGIC METACOGNITION]: When NCERT names a specific structure (e.g., 'Hiriya Canal'), do not stop there. Immediately find out *who* built it. UPSC consistently converts NCERT's passive voice ('was built by Sangama kings') into active voice questions ('Who built it?').
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The Hiriya canal drew water from a dam across the Tungabhadra to irrigate cultivated tracts and supply the royal centre at Vijayanagara.
This is high-yield for questions on Vijayanagara urban infrastructure and agrarian support systems; it connects irrigation engineering to urban planning and state provisioning and enables answers about how capitals sustained large populations and ceremonial centres.
- THEMES IN INDIAN HISTORY PART II, History CLASS XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 7: An Imperial Capital: Vijayanagara > 3.1 Water resources > p. 177
- THEMES IN INDIAN HISTORY PART II, History CLASS XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 7: An Imperial Capital: Vijayanagara > About a tank constructed by Krishnadeva Raya, Paes wrote: > p. 178
Vijayanagara incorporated an agricultural tract between the sacred centre and the urban core that was serviced by an elaborate canal system drawing water from the Tungabhadra.
Mastering this explains the economic and defensive logic behind city design, linking geography, agriculture and urban fortification; useful for questions on premodern urbanism and state resource management.
- THEMES IN INDIAN HISTORY PART II, History CLASS XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 7: An Imperial Capital: Vijayanagara > About a tank constructed by Krishnadeva Raya, Paes wrote: > p. 178
- THEMES IN INDIAN HISTORY PART II, History CLASS XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 7: An Imperial Capital: Vijayanagara > 3.1 Water resources > p. 177
The Hiriya canal and related prominent waterworks were apparently built by kings of the Sangama dynasty.
Attributing major public-works to a ruling dynasty helps in dynastic assessment and chronology questions, and aids source-based answers about which regimes invested in infrastructure and why.
- THEMES IN INDIAN HISTORY PART II, History CLASS XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 7: An Imperial Capital: Vijayanagara > 3.1 Water resources > p. 177
- THEMES IN INDIAN HISTORY PART II, History CLASS XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 7: An Imperial Capital: Vijayanagara > 2. Rayas, Nayakas and Sultans > p. 171
Vijayanagara developed engineered water-storage and distribution including tanks, embankments and an elaborate canal system drawing water from the Tungabhadra.
High-yield for UPSC: explains urban planning, agrarian support and state capacity in a pre-modern South Indian capital; links history, geography and economy. Mastering this helps answer questions on settlement choice, hydraulic infrastructure and state-sponsored public works.
- THEMES IN INDIAN HISTORY PART II, History CLASS XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 7: An Imperial Capital: Vijayanagara > 3.1 Water resources > p. 177
- THEMES IN INDIAN HISTORY PART II, History CLASS XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 7: An Imperial Capital: Vijayanagara > About a tank constructed by Krishnadeva Raya, Paes wrote: > p. 178
The Tungabhadra river formed a natural basin around Vijayanagara and enabled irrigated agricultural tracts within and near the city through waterworks.
Important for questions on physical geography influencing historical capitals, riverine economies and defence; connects to topics on resource-driven urban location and landscape archaeology.
- THEMES IN INDIAN HISTORY PART II, History CLASS XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 7: An Imperial Capital: Vijayanagara > 3.1 Water resources > p. 177
- THEMES IN INDIAN HISTORY PART II, History CLASS XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 7: An Imperial Capital: Vijayanagara > An Imperial Capital Vijayanagara (c. fourteenth to sixteenth century) > p. 170
Rulers of Vijayanagara undertook construction of tanks and other waterworks as part of statecraft and urban provisioning.
Helps answer source-based and essay questions on monarchic governance, public works and cultural patronage; links political history with material remains and travel-account corroboration.
- History , class XI (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 12: Bahmani and Vijayanagar Kingdoms > 12.6 Art and Architecture > p. 186
- THEMES IN INDIAN HISTORY PART II, History CLASS XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 7: An Imperial Capital: Vijayanagara > About a tank constructed by Krishnadeva Raya, Paes wrote: > p. 178
The Hiriya canal drew water from a dam across the Tungabhadra and supplied irrigation and the royal centre, directly relating to claims about large dams and long canal-aqueducts to Vijayanagara.
High-yield for UPSC because questions often probe pre-modern hydraulic infrastructure, urban provisioning and agricultural support systems. Understanding this concept links physical geography, urban history and state capacity questions and helps answer source-based and analytical questions about how capitals sustained large populations.
- THEMES IN INDIAN HISTORY PART II, History CLASS XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 7: An Imperial Capital: Vijayanagara > 3.1 Water resources > p. 177
- THEMES IN INDIAN HISTORY PART II, History CLASS XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 7: An Imperial Capital: Vijayanagara > About a tank constructed by Krishnadeva Raya, Paes wrote: > p. 178
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The Portuguese traveler Fernão Nunes (Nuniz) gives a graphic account of this specific dam's construction, mentioning that the river tore it down initially and the King had to offer sacrifices. Future Question: 'Which foreign traveler gave a detailed account of the construction of a dam on the Tungabhadra?'
Use the 'Strong Ruler' Heuristic. Massive hydraulic projects require immense capital, stability, and labor. Mallikarjuna and Virupaksha (Options B & D) were weak rulers presiding over the decline of the Sangama dynasty. Vira Vijaya (Option C) was a short-reigning minor ruler. Devaraya I was the consolidator and zenith of the Sangama line. Always bet on the 'Builder King' of the dynasty.
Mains GS-1 (Geography/History): Contrast the 'Riverine Canal Systems' (like Hiriya from Tungabhadra) vs. 'Rain-fed Tank Systems' (like Kamalapuram) in the Deccan. This illustrates adaptation to the semi-arid Rayalaseema geography.
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