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?
[UPSC Civil Services Exam – 2015 Prelims]
(a) Amoghavarsha I
(b) Ballala II
(c) Harihara I
(d) Prataparudra II
Answer: (c)
Explanation:
- Harihara I founded the Vijayanagara Empire and gradually expanded his control over the Tungabhadra River valley and certain regions of Konkan and Malabar Coast through military conquests.
- The death of Madurai’s last ruler Veera Ballala III created a power vacuum, which helped Harihara I emerge as a sovereign power.
- He also directly ruled over the entire Hoysala territories.
Therefore, option (c) is the correct answer.
