Defence Architecture in Early North Karnataka c11.3

c11.3

But, in spite of intensive explorations and excavations in all these places, no remains of defensive walls enclosing the township have been noticed, and reported. However, all these places are located in the midst of hill valleys. The surrounding hill ranges had been sufficiently defensive, providing considerable protection from possible sudden attack from outside. Secondly these formed the southern border of the Mauryan empire that was away from the other contemporary kingdoms in the deep south, such as the Chōḷas and the Pāṇḍyas, referred to in the Aśōkan edicts No.2 and No.13. Thirdly, during the Mauryan period, this region was only an administrative centre, but was not politically active inviting the attention of the powerful rulers. Hence probably no necessity was felt by the administrative officers to think of having defensive walls enclosing the township.