Hampi: last capital of the Vijayanagar kingdom, a UNESCO World Heritage Site
Background
The Group of Monuments at Hampi in Karnataka was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1986. It lies in the Tungabhadra basin and represents the last capital of the last great Hindu Kingdom of Vijayanagar. The site has over 1,600 surviving architectural remains from the 14th to 16th centuries, including Dravidian temples and palaces. The city was conquered by the Deccan Muslim confederacy in 1565 and abandoned after six months of destruction.
Inscribed:
1986
River basin:
Tungabhadra
Surviving remains:
over 1,600
Conquered:
1565
Why it matters for exams: Vijayanagar history and World Heritage sites are standard topics in medieval history and culture papers.
Kerala PSCUPSC