Kautilya's Arthashastra 2.3: Chapter 3 (Section 21): Construction of Forts

2.3.1

caturdiśaṃ janapadānte sāmparāyikaṃ daivakṛtaṃ durgaṃ kārayet, antardvīpaṃ sthalaṃ vā nimnāvaruddham audakam, prāstaraṃ guhāṃ vā pārvatam, nirudakastambam iriṇaṃ vā dhānvanam, khañjanodakaṃ stambagahanaṃ vā vanadurgam //

ON all the four quarters of the boundaries of the kingdom, defensive fortifications against an enemy in war shall be constructed on grounds best fitted for the purpose: a water-fortification (audaka) such as an island in the midst of a river, or a plain surrounded by low ground; a mountainous fortification (párvata) such as a rocky tract or a cave; a desert (dhánvana) such as a wild tract devoid of water and overgrown with thicket growing in barren soil; or a forest fortification (vanadurga) full of wagtail (khajana), water and thickets.

2.3.2

teṣāṃ nadīparvatadurgaṃ janapadārakṣasthānam, dhānvanavanadurgam aṭavīsthānam āpady apasāro vā //

Of these, water and mountain fortifications are best suited to defend populous centres; and desert and forest fortifications are habitations in wilderness (atavísthánam).

Or with ready preparations for flight the king may have his fortified capital (stháníya) as the seat of his sovereignty (samudayásthánam) in the centre of his kingdom: in a locality naturally best fitted for the purpose, such as the bank of the confluence of rivers, a deep pool of perennial water, or of a lake or tank, a fort, circular, rectangular, or square in form, surrounded with an artificial canal of water, and connected with both land and water paths (may be constructed).

2.3.3

janapadamadhye samudayasthānaṃ sthānīyaṃ niveśayet, vāstukapraśaste deśe nadīsaṅgame hradasyāviśoṣasyāṅke sarasas taṭākasya vā, vṛttaṃ dīrghaṃ caturaśraṃ vā vāstuvaśena vā pradakṣiṇodakaṃ paṇyapuṭabhedanam aṃsapathavāripathābhyām upetam //

2.3.4

tasya parikhās tisro daṇḍāntarāḥ kārayet caturdaśa dvādaśa daśeti daṇḍān vistīrṇāḥ, vistārād avagāḍhāḥ pādonam ardhaṃ vā, tribhāgamūlāḥ, mūlacaturaśrā vā, pāṣāṇopahitāḥ pāṣāṇeṣṭakābaddhapārśvā vā, toyāntikīr āgantutoyapūrṇā vā saparivāhāḥ padmagrāhavatīś ca //

Round this fort, three ditches with an intermediate space of one danda (6 ft.) from each other, fourteen, twelve and ten dandas respectively in width, with depth less by one quarter or by one-half of their width, square at their bottom and one-third as wide as at their top, with sides built of stones or bricks, filled with perennial flowing water or with water drawn from some other source, and possessing crocodiles and lotus plants shall be constructed.

2.3.5

caturdaṇḍāpakṛṣṭaṃ parikhāyāḥ ṣaḍdaṇḍocchritam avaruddhaṃ taddviguṇaviṣkambhaṃ khātād vapraṃ kārayed ūrdhvacayaṃ mañcapṛṣṭhaṃ kumbhakukṣikaṃ vā hastibhir gobhiś ca kṣuṇṇaṃ kaṇṭakigulmaviṣavallīpratānavantam //

At a distance of four dandas (24 ft.) from the (innermost) ditch, a rampart six dandas high and twice as much broad shall be erected by heaping mud upwards and by making it square at the bottom, oval at the centre pressed by the trampling of elephants and bulls, and planted with thorny and poisonous plants in bushes. Gaps in the rampart shall be filled up with fresh earth.

2.3.6

pāṃsuśeṣeṇa vāstucchidraṃ rājabhavanaṃ vā pūrayet //

2.3.7

vaprasyopari prākāraṃ viṣkambhadviguṇotsedham aiṣṭakaṃ dvādaśahastād ūrdhvam ojaṃ yugmaṃ vā ā caturviṃśatihastād iti kārayet -
rathacaryāsaṃcāraṃ tālamūlaṃ murajakaiḥ kapiśīrṣakaiś cācitāgram //

Above the rampart, parapets in odd or even numbers and with an intermediate, space of from 12 to 24 hastas from each other shall be built of bricks and raised to a height of twice their breadth.

The passage for chariots shall be made of trunks of palm trees or of broad and thick slabs of stones with spheres like the head of a monkey carved on their surface; but never of wood as fire finds a happy abode in it.

2.3.8

pṛthuśilāsaṃhataṃ vā śailaṃ kārayet, na tv eva kāṣṭamayam //

2.3.9

agnir avahito hi tasmin vasati //

2.3.10

viṣkambhacaturaśram aṭṭālakam utsedhasamāvakṣepasopānaṃ kārayet triṃśaddaṇḍāntaraṃ ca //

Towers, square throughout and with moveable staircase or ladder equal to its height, shall also be constructed.

In the intermediate space measuring thirty dandas between two towers, there shall be formed a broad street in two compartments covered over with a roof and two-and- half times as long as it is broad.

2.3.11

dvayor aṭṭālakayor madhye saharmyadvitalām adhyardhāyāyāmāṃ pratolīṃ kārayet //

2.3.12

aṭṭālakapratolīmadhye tridhānuṣkādhiṣṭhānaṃ sa-apidhānacchidraphalakasaṃhatam indrakośaṃ kārayet //

Between the tower and the broad street there shall be constructed an Indrakósa which is made up of covering pieces of wooden planks affording seats for three archers.

2.3.13

antareṣu dvihastaviṣkambhaṃ pārśve caturguṇāyāmaṃ devapathaṃ kārayet //

There shall also be made a road for Gods which shall measure two hastas inside (the towers?), four times as much by the sides, and eight hastas along the parapet.

2.3.14

daṇḍāntarā dvidaṇḍāntarā vā caryāḥ kārayet, agrāhye deśe pradhāvanikāṃ niṣkiradvāraṃ ca //

Paths (chárya, to ascend the parapet?) as broad as a danda (6 ft.) or two shall also be made.

In an unassailable part (of the rampart), a passage for flight (pradhávitikám), and a door for exit (nishkuradwáram) shall be made.

2.3.15

bahirjānubhañjanīśūlaprakarakūpakūṭāvapāta.kaṇṭakapratisarāhipṛṣṭhatālapattraśṛṅgāṭaka.śvadaṃṣṭrārgalopaskandanapādukāmbarīṣodapānakaiḥ praticchannaṃ channapathaṃ kārayet //

Outside the rampart, passages for movements shall be closed by forming obstructions such as a knee-breaker (jánubhanjaní), a trident, mounds of earth, pits, wreaths of thorns, instruments made like the tail of a snake, palm leaf, triangle, and of dog's teeth, rods, ditches filled with thorns and covered with sand, frying pans and water-pools.

2.3.16

prākāram ubhayato meṇḍhakam adhyardhadaṇḍaṃ kṛtvā pratolīṣaṭtulāntaraṃ dvāraṃ niveśayet pañcadaṇḍād ekottaram āṣṭadaṇḍād iti caturaśraṃ ṣaḍbhāgam āyāmādadhikam aṣṭabhāgaṃ vā //

Having made on both sides of the rampart a circular hole of a danda-and-a-half in diametre, an entrance gate (to the fort) one-sixth as broad as the width of the street shall be fixed.

A square (chaturásra) is formed by successive addition of one danda up to eight dandas commencing from five, or in the proportion, one-sixth of the length up to one-eighth.

2.3.17

pañcadaśahastād ekottaram āṣṭādaśahastād iti talotsedhaḥ //

The rise in level (talotsedhah) shall be made by successive addition of one hasta up to 18 hastas commencing from 15 hastas.

2.3.18

stambhasya parikṣepaḥ ṣaḍāyāmo, dviguṇo nikhātaḥ, cūlikāyāś caturbhāgaḥ //

In fixing a pillar, six parts are to form its height, on the floor, twice as much (12 parts) to be entered into the ground, and one-fourth for its capital.

2.3.19

āditalasya pañcabhāgāḥ śālā vāpī sīmāgṛhaṃ ca //

Of the first floor, five parts (are to be taken) for the formation of a hall (sálá), a well, and a boundary-house; two-tenths of it for the formation of two platforms opposite to each other (pratimanchau); an upper storey twice as high as its width; carvings of images; an upper-most storey, half or three-fourths as broad as the first floor; side walls built of bricks; on the left side, a staircase circumambulating from left to right; on the right, a secret staircase hidden in the wall; a top-support of ornamental arches (toranasirah) projecting as far as two hastas; two door-panels, (each) occupying three-fourths of the space; two and two cross-bars (parigha, to fasten the door); an iron-bolt (indrakila) as long as an aratni (24 angulas); a boundary gate (ánidváram) five hastas in width; four beams to shut the door against elephants; and turrets (hastinakha) (outside the rampart) raised up to the height of the face of a man, removable or irremovable, or made of earth in places devoid of water.

2.3.20

daśabhāgikau dvau pratimañcau, antaram āṇīharmyaṃ ca //

2.3.21

samucchrayād ardhatale sthūṇābandhaś ca //

2.3.22

ardhavāstukam uttamāgāram, tribhāgāntaraṃ vā, iṣṭakāvabaddhapārśvam, vāmataḥ pradakṣiṇasopānaṃ gūḍhabhittisopānam itarataḥ //

2.3.23

dvihastaṃ toraṇaśiraḥ //

2.3.24

tripañcabhāgikau dvau kapāṭayogau //

2.3.25

dvau parighau //

2.3.26

aratnir indrakīlaḥ //

2.3.27

pañcahastam āṇidvāram //

2.3.28

catvāro hastiparighāḥ //

2.3.29

niveśārdhaṃ hastinakham //

2.3.30

mukhasamaḥ saṃkramaḥ saṃhāryo bhūmimayo vā nirudake //

2.3.31

prākārasamaṃ mukham avasthāpya tribhāgagodhāmukhaṃ gopuraṃ kārayet //

A turret above the gate and starting from the top of the parapet shall be constructed, its front resembling an alligator up to three-fourths of its height.

2.3.32

prākāramadhye vāpīṃ kṛtvā puṣkariṇīdvāram, catuḥśālam adhyardhāntaraṃ sāṇikaṃ kumārīpuram, muṇḍaharmyadvitalaṃ muṇḍakadvāram, bhūmidravyavaśena vā niveśayet //

In the centre of the parapets, there shall be constructed a deep lotus pool; a rectangular building of four compartments, one within the other; an abode of the Goddess Kumiri (Kumárípuram), having its external area one-and-a-half times as broad as that of its innermost room; a circular building with an arch way; and in accordance with available space and materials, there shall also be constructed canals (kulyá) to hold weapons and three times as long as broad.

2.3.33

tribhāgādhikāyāmā bhāṇḍavāhinīḥ kulyāḥ kārayet //

2.3.34

tāsu pāṣāṇakuddālāḥ kuṭhārīkāṇḍakalpanāḥ /[ś]
muṣuṇḍhīmudgarā daṇḍāś cakrayantraśataghnayaḥ //[ś]

In those canals, there shall be collected stones, spades (kuddála), axes (kuthári), varieties of staffs, cudgel (musrinthi), hammers (mudgara), clubs, discus, machines (yantra), and such weapons as can destroy a hundred persons at once (sataghni), together with spears, tridents, bamboo-sticks with pointed edges made of iron, camel-necks, explosives (agnisamyógas), and whatever else can be devised and formed from available materials.

2.3.35

kāryāḥ kārmārikāḥ śūlā vedhanāgrāś ca veṇavaḥ /[ś]
uṣṭragrīvyo 'gnisamyogāḥ kupyakalpe ca yo vidhiḥ //[ś] E