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Eternal India
encyclopedia
ARCHITECTURE
FORTS
Fortification was considered necessary initially during the early
times for defence against wild animals. Subsequently, as habita-
tions developed, because of the possibility of enemy attacks, it was
necessary to provide fortifications to cities and towns and also
raise armies to defend them.
The geographical location of several forts in India clearly in-
dicate that these forts were not intended to be boundaries of any
principality or kingdom. More often than not the forts were situated
in the centre of various kingdoms, as is clearly seen from the
distribution of forts in Rajasthan, Maharashtra and in the south.
The forts were meant to protect the local treasury and provide a
refuge to the people in the region during the political upheavals.
In ancient and medieval Indian literature the term 'durg' is
generally applied to all kinds of fortifications such as a city on a
plain terrain (
Bhu-durga
or
Naena-durga).
The word
'durg'
seems
to have been derived from the Sanskrit word
'durgam'
meaning
difficult. Thus a mountain fort is called
'Giridurga'
or
'Parvatadurga',
a water fort (
Jaladurga, Saliladurga and Abdurga)
and a desert fort
(Dhanvandurga, Dhandurga, Marudurga etc)
The earliest mention of fort and fortified cities is in the
Vedas.
'Pur' is a word of frequent occurrence in the
Rig Veda
and later,
meaning 'rampart', 'fort' or 'stronghold'. The art of warfare also
gained importance, which is evident from the fact the Dhanurveda is
known to be a branch
(Upaveda)
of
Yajurveda. Anshanasa Dha-
nurveda
is one of the seven known branches of
Dhanurveda.
This
Dhanurveda describes the classification of various forts. These
forts are
Dhanvadurga
(desert fort),
Mahidurga
(mud fort),
Jal-
adurga
(water fort),
Vanadurga
(forest fort),
Baladurga
(fort pro-
tected by able warriors) and finally
Giridurga
(mountain fort). The
basic classification of forts given in
Anshanasa Dhanurveda
was
universally accepted in India. While commenting on the utility of the
fort, Manu, the Hindu law giver, aptly comments: "A warrior pro-
tected by the fort can fight with a hundred enemy soldiers and a
force of one hundred fighting from the fort can encounter ten thou-
sand enemy soldiers." He further says, "Just as animals like deer
need not fear the hunter if they take shelter in a fort similarly a king
m a fort too can remain safe from an 'invader'". Yagnavalkya states
that treasure should be stored in a fort protected by an able officer.
Manu gives 6 types of forts —
Dhanvadurga
(desert fort),
Mahidurga
(earth fort),
Abdurga
(water fort),
Varkshydurga
(for-
est fort),
Nrudurga
(fort protected by able warriors) and
Giridurga
(mountain fort). Manu states that of all forts the
Giridurga
may be
regarded as the best for security.
The Brihaspatismriti states that the king should take his resi-
dence in a fort. It also states that the fort should be protected with
the help of
Yantras
and brave soldiers. Manu also states that the
fort should be provided with all necessary stores and provisions in-
cluding an arsenal and other secret establishments and adds that
the king should build his palace in the centre of the fort.
In the epic
Ramayana,
the fortified Lanka is described by Ha-
numan as follows: The gates were huge and massive, studded with
iron bolts. Above them were stationed several kinds of arms and
machines to guard them from invaders. Hundreds of
sataghnis
were arranged at the entrance. The walls were lofty and unscalable
and gleamed with precious stones of high value. Surrounding the
wall was a deep and wide moat filled with pure water and containing
several kinds of aquatic animals. There were four bridges spanning
the moat, protected on both sides with huge destructive engines.
The citadel was further defended by water, hill and other artificial
barriers. It was fully garrisoned with horses, elephants and hun-
dreds of brave
Rakshasa
warriors.
In the epic
Mahabharata,
Bhishma lists six kinds of forts to
King Yudhistira, namely :
Dhanvavdurga, Mahidurga, Giridurga,
Manusyadurga, Abdurga
and
Vanadurga.
He adds, "Naradurga, a
fort protected by such men is the strongest among all six forts
exposed in the
shastras".
The forts assumed significant importance during this period
since the wealth of the kingdom was stored in them and also
because they were the centres of administration of the kingdom.
The superintendent of the fort was an important official in the
imperial administrative machinery and was asked to discharge
important duties by the king.
Kautilya in his
Arthashastra
speaks of protective fortifications
along the boundary of the kingdom and of the proper distribution of
defence structures throughout its length and breadth. He mentions
four types of forts —
Nagaradurga, Dronamukha, Kharvatika,
and
Sangahana
in the midst of eight hundred villages, four hundred
villages, two hundred villages and ten villages, respectively. Out of
the four main divisions water and mountain fortifications are the
best, according to Kautilya. He further adds, "It is in the fort that
the treasury and the army are safely kept. The upkeep of the army,
the reception of allies and the driving out of the enemies and of the
wild tribes are successfully practised. In the absence of forts, the
treasury is exposed to the enemy, for it seems that for those who
own forts there is no destruction."
Pataliputra, Giriviraja, Takshashila, Kashi and Pushkalavati
were some of the famous fortified cities of this time. Pataliputra
was one of the most prosperous cities of that period in the world.
About the fortification of Pataliputra the Greek traveller Megas-
thenes wrote, "The city was situated on the confluence of the
Ganges and the Sone and was more than 9 miles in length and 1 V
2
miles in breadth. It was shaped like a parallelogram and was
protected by a wooden wall. In front of the wall there was a moat
600 feet wide and 45 feet deep for defence and for receiving the
sewage of the city. The city wall was crowned with 570 towers and
had 64 gates."