The correct option is Domingo Paes.
Explanation
The history of the Vijayanagara Empire is significantly reconstructed through the accounts of foreign travellers who visited the capital at Hampi. These chronicles provide detailed descriptions of the city's architecture, fortifications, markets, and court life.Detailed Analysis:
- Domingo Paes (Correct): A Portuguese horse trader and traveller who visited the Vijayanagara Empire around 1520-1522 CE during the reign of Krishna Devaraya. In his detailed chronicle, he compared the city of Vijayanagara to Rome, stating it was "as large as Rome and very beautiful to the sight." He further described it as the "best-provided city in the world," noting its abundance of vegetation, aqueducts, and bustling markets.
- Abdur Razzaq: A Persian ambassador who visited during the reign of Devaraya II (c. 1443 CE). He famously described the city by saying, "The city is such that eye has not seen nor ear heard of any place resembling it upon the whole earth," and described its seven concentric fortifications.
- Nicolo de Conti: An Italian merchant who visited around 1420 CE (reign of Devaraya I). He gave a comprehensive account of the city's circumference and the great festivals (like Mahanavami) but did not make the specific comparison to Rome.
- Duarte Barbosa: A Portuguese official (c. 1516-1518 CE) who wrote about the empire's trade and social customs, particularly the housing and urban layout, but the specific analogy to Rome is attributed to Paes.
Key Takeaway:
Domingo Paes, a Portuguese traveller during the reign of Krishna Devaraya, is the specific chronicler who compared the grandeur and size of Vijayanagara to the city of Rome.