[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Studies](https://indike.org/pramana/ins) › [Architecture and art](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.art) › [Town Planning in Ancient India](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.art.dutt-1925) › c11.53 # Town Planning in Ancient India c11.53 Town Planning in Ancient India c11.53 - **Language:** English ### [c11.53](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.art.dutt-1925.c11.53) One other solution was suggessed by the peculiar plan of some of the ancient Indian cities. Every city was a conglomeration of wards or muhallas, each muhalla being self-contained and enclosed by walls. When extension became inevitable, it was easy to add some similar muhallas to the original number. This is suggested by the orthodox method of enlarging the diagram of interlineal chambers. If it is necessary to draw a square figure, say of nine plots deep, then the rule is to add two rows of similar plots, one to the east and another to the north of the figure of eight plots deep.¹ “The capital must have within it space for the laying out of pallīs, grāmas, kumbhas etc., \*i.e.\*, wards.”² “A natural consequence of the consolidation of the Aryan tribal system into these larger states and kingdoms was the gradual development of the village settlements into larger towns and cities planned on the same principles in which wards or village units, were grouped round the royal palace and the citadel.”¹ When a cluster of villages was taken up and turned into a city, the intervening space between any two villages was trimmed with spacious parks (the sacred groves) and stately avenues. Mr. Havell thinks that Pāṭalīputra was nothing but an aggregation of such villages due to the centralisation of the social and economic activities of the self-governing Indo-Aryan village communities.² This was the way whereby the humble town of Karṇāvatī was turned into a gigantic capital of Ahmedabad by Ahmed Shah, the grandson and successor of Muzzafar Shah, the founder of the Guzrati Dynasty. This fine city which was laid out, presumably according to ancient Indo-Aryan traditions was divided into 360 muhallas or wards. - [Previous: c11.52](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.art.dutt-1925.c11.52) - [Next: c11.54](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.art.dutt-1925.c11.54) - [Up: c11](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.art.dutt-1925.c11) ## Linked texts (1) - [Pāṭaliputra](https://indike.org/pramana/inp.site.pataliputra) --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/ins.art.dutt-1925.c11.53](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.art.dutt-1925.c11.53) · Pramāṇa