Town Planning in Ancient India c12.12

c12.12

It seems that Indian villages were also sometimes founded for military purposes. In the Ummagga Jātaka, we find that the Rājā, previous to his starting on a military expedition, gave orders to his minister Basat:—“Go and build villages on the line of march.” The minister, after accomplishing his task and completing the arrangements, informed the king: “Great king, wait not a moment on the road, but advance immediately. I have already built villages for you at intervals of seven yojanas, establishing halting places, and filled the hundreds of villages that are on the way with cloths and ornaments, food and drink. I have kept elephants, horses, and vehicles ready for you in those villages. When you go from one village to another, leave behind in each successive village the unserviceable beasts and vehicles and take others in place of them.”² These routes of expedition constituted the great highways of the country and they also served as routes for trade and communication. It is very likely that the above mentioned villages were also utilised, subsequently to expedition, as resting places of caravans.