Defence Architecture in Early North Karnataka c10.s6.9

c10.s6.9

As suggested by the inscription of Pulakesi I, that speaks of the construction of a strong fort inaccessible, then in Bādāmi, in all the capital cities of these ruling dynasties and of their Mahēmaṇḍalēswaras of later periods, were constructed forts to defend their suzerainty from the attacks of enemies. In the ancient period, it is the conquest of fort walled cities by enemies that decided total success to them and their establishment of power over the kingdom of the defeated. It was therefore absolute necessity to have a very powerful fort round the capitals. We, therefore, even now find the remnants of such forts in the imperial capital cities: Banavāsi, Bādāmi, Maḷkhēd, Kalyāṇa, Hampi, Bijāpur etc., from which the Early and Later Kadambas, the Early Western Chālukyas, the Rāṣṭrakūṭas, the Later Chālukyas, the Vijayanagara Rulers, the Ādil Shāhis respectively ruled. Further, since these forts were to protect the imperial capitals, they must have been constructed with great care and highly advanced devices. They therefore represent supreme phases of defence architecture of the respective periods.