Defence Architecture in Early North Karnataka c11.1

c11.1

The Forts in Banavāsi and Sannati - Description and critical Analysis The political history of North Karṇāṭaka begins with the rule of Mauryas who had extended their empire as far down as the Tungabhadrā valley. The Minor edicts of Aśōka are found in Siddāpura, Jaṭṭiṅgarāmēshwara and Brahmagiri. The edict in Brahmagiri the most important, for it contains the orders of Aśōka the Mauryan emperor (273-232 B.C.) conveyed through the provincial governor of Suvarnagiri to the Mahāmātra stationed at Isila. Isila was, therefore, one of the administrative Head-quarters of the southern province, namely of Suvarnagiri. This Isila township must be in the vicinity of the edict. It is with this clue, Dr. M.H. Krishna, the then Director of the Department of Archaeology of the Old Mysore State explored the whole area near the edict, and discovered an ancient habitation site; (Annual Report of the *Mysore Archaeological Department*, 1940, pp. 63-74). He excavated the site and found that the area was occupied from very early times by the people using some stone tools such as microliths and Neoliths; immediately followed by the people using iron. Then followed the development of a town that was called Isila referred to in the edict. Material remains of every day use, structural parts etc. were traced. His inferences were later confirmed by further excavations carried out most methodically and scientifically by Wheeler (*AI*. No.4, pp. 181-308).