Hampi

Deserted city in central Karnataka,
about 170 miles northwest of the state’s
capital, Bangalore. Hampi was the capital of the Vijayanagar empire (1336–1565
C.E.), which at its peak in the early sixteenth century controlled most of the
Indian peninsula south of the Narmada
River. The empire’s wealth primarily
stemmed from its control of the spice
and cotton trade—both highly valuable
commodities at the time—and the
city of Hampi was built on a scale to
reflect its importance. The empire came
to an abrupt end after the battle of
Talikota in 1565, when the last
Vijayanagar king, Rama Raja, was
defeated by a coalition of Muslim sultans from further north in the Deccan.
The city was sacked by the invading
sultans, and has been deserted ever
since. See also Vijayanagar dynasty.