write a short note on Hampi
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Hampi, also referred to as the Group of Monuments at Hampi, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site located in east-central Karnataka, India.[1] It became the centre of the Hindu Vijayanagara Empire capital in the 14th century.[2] Chronicles left by Persian and European travellers, particularly the Portuguese, state Hampi was a prosperous, wealthy and grand city near the Tungabhadra River, with numerous temples, farms and trading markets. By 1500 CE, Hampi-Vijayanagara was the world's second-largest medieval-era city after Beijing, and probably India's richest at that time, attracting traders from Persia and Portugal.[3][4] The Vijayanagara Empire was defeated by a coalition of Muslim sultanates; its capital was conquered, pillaged and destroyed by sultanate armies in 1565, after which Hampi remained in ruins
Hampi is situated on the bank of River Tungabhadra, in Karnataka. It was the capital of the mighty Vijayanagar Empire. It was chosen as the capital because of its strategic location. Hampi had the Tungabhadra river on one side and was surrounded by cliffs on the other three sides. A Persian traveller, Abdur Razzaq, has described it in detail.
Hampi was an important centre of the cotton and spice trade. In the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, European merchants used to buy these goods from the rich markets of Hampi. Hampi also traded with Persia, Arabia, Burma (now Myanmar), China and the numerous islands in the Indian Ocean. Traders from faraway lands visited Hampi from time to time to buy and sell goods.
Hampi was a well-fortified city. It also had many beautiful temples. The rulers used the money from trade to build temples. Archaeologists have found a platform (popularly called the Mahanavami 'dibba') perhaps from where king and his family watched dance and musical performances during the Mahanavami festival. After the battle of Talikota, Hampi fell into decline. Trade continued but the town lost its importance.