Defence Architecture in Early North Karnataka c12.s7: Fort of the period of Hyder Ali and Tippu Sultān
Defence Architecture in Early North Karnataka c12.s7
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Fort of the period of Hyder Ali and Tippu Sultān
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When Hyder Ali conquered Bādāmi fort, during his and his son and successor's periods two citadels were raised on the top of the hill plateaux on both the hills the north (Illn. 0.5) and south. On the north hill at the western scarp, the hill becomes rather pointed, providing commanding view of the plains not only on the front but also on the sides of the hill, thus it is a strategic point (Illn.0.4). It is at this point,a semi-circular fort wall is raised serving as bastion connecting the earliest walls of the citadel on both the sides. The interior diameter of the bastion is 20 m; this is approached by a flight of steps on the eastern side (Fig.33). The flight of steps consists of seven steps the first four are only 4 m. wide and the remaining three are 14 m wide. Although this method of providing shorter and wider steps is normal, it has some defensive implications too, Suppose the enemy soldiers in many numbers march towards the bastion in attacking the guards, they cannot together ascend because of the narrow length of the frontal four steps; and they had to ascend by that flight of steps only. On the other hand the defenders can spread all along the upper steps and attack the enemies now concentrated at one point. The parapet wall has at regular interval five slits of about 50 cms. wide each. Its height is 2 m., so that the army guards could not be seen at all from outside. Immediately on the northern side of the flight of steps a little behind is a cell with small opening. The cell perhaps a magazine is actually underground; it was probably meant for storing gun-powder. There are two metal guns still preserved within the bastion.
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The other fort on the south-hill is approached by a flight of steps through a narrow valley. On the top is an irregularly pentagonal citadels with the extension of walls at the north-east and south-west corners outside. The walls have circular bastions on the outside, at the corners and at the ends. Within the fortification is a metal gun. Both at the beginnings of the flight of steps at the north-east corners of the pentagonal fort are gateways. At the centre of this pentagonal enclosure is a structure of ashlar masonry. In the eastern wall of it, there is an entrance of arch type with pointed apex. This was probably a guard room or a magazine. The wall is of ashlar masonry consisting of well dressed rectangular blocks of stones with mortar as binding material.
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With the use of metal guns and powder at two strategic points as described above with minimum fortification, the whole area could be protected. Thus, we find the display of wisdom in the minimum construction along with advanced technology of warfare.
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Bādāmi provides excellent materials for the study of development of defence architecture at four definite changing periods in history from about middle of 6th century to the middle of 18th century, in response to the changing and advancing techniques of warfare.
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[Figure: NOTE: BASED ON SURVEY OF INDIA MAPS, PUB- BANGALORE (1978)
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0 60 120 KMS MAHĀRĀṢTRA BHĪMĀ KĀGINĀ FORT OF BĀDĀMI KRISHNĀ VARADĀ TUNGA BHADRĀ ĀNDHRĀ PRADĒSH KĀVĒRĪ TAMIL NĀDU KĒRAḶA ARABIAN SEA GOA karnāṭaka — LOCATION OF THE FORT OF BĀDĀMI]
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[Figure: BĀDĀMI— showing Different Fortifications 1 CM = 80 M. NORTH HILL TANK SOUTH HILL ① — FORT, BY PULIKĒSI (I) ② — FORT, BY RĀṢṬRAKŪṬAS ③ — FORT, BY VIJAYANAGARA RULERS. ④ — FORT, BY HYDER & TIPPU SULTĀN]
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[Figure: SCHEDULE
1) ENT ENTRANCE
2) FORT WALL WITH BASTIONS
3) MONUMENTS
4) INSCR. INSRIPTION
5) ROCKS
6) TANK
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SCARP 105 m EASTERN ENTRANCE BATTERAIPM (HANUMA) TEMPLE DARGAH UPPER SHIVALAYA PUL-I INSCR PALLAVA INSCR MUSEUM LOWER SHIVALAYA SCARP 55 m OFFICER ROCKS GRANARY WELL ENT·IV ENT. V ENT. I ENT. II ENT. III TANK]
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BĀDĀMI – FORT ON THE NORTH-HILL [EARLY CHĀLUKYAN PERIOD),
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It measures on its axis 330 m EW and 340 m. NS.
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[Figure: SCALE
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1 CM TO 1 M.
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BOULDERS GUARD ROOMS BOULDERS ENT: I SCARP
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BĀDĀMI- EARLY CHĀLUKYAN FORT, ENTRANCES: I, II, & III.
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ENT: II]
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[Figure: OFFICIALS' Qrts TO LOWER SHIVĀLAYA TO UPPER SHIVĀLAYA GUARD ROOM. (3.00) ENT: IV PASSAGE 3.80 ROCKS ROCKS SCALE 0 1 2 3 4 5 m. BĀDĀMI - NORTH FORT, PLAN OF ENTRANCE: IV.]
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[Figure: FIG. 26 BĀDĀMI —— EARLY CHĀLUKYAN FORT, ON THE NORTH HILL, ENTRANCE: V & GRANARIES ROCKS PATH WAY WALLING ENT: V GRANARY OPEN-SPACE TANK UP ROCKS TO UPPER SHIVĀLAYA
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BĀDĀMI— ARRANGEMENT OF BLOCKS OF STONES IN FORT WALLS OF DIFFERENT PERIODS
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i) EARLY CHĀLUKYAN PERIOD ( 6ᵗʰ- 7ᵗʰ CENT. AD)
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un-even rough blocks of stones, with clay binding.
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ii) : LATE RĀSTRAKŪṬA PERIOD Or BEGINNING OF LATER CHĀLUKYAN PERIOD ( 10ᵗʰ - 11ᵗʰ CENT. A.D ).
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faily dressed blocks blocks of stones, with clay binding.
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iii) VIJAYANAGARA PERIOD ( 15ᵗʰ - 16ᵗʰ CENT. AD)
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Dressed stones with lime mortar.
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iv) : HYDER ALI & TIPPU SULTĀN PERIOD , ( LATE 18ᵗʰ CENT AD)
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Ashlar masonry with Neatly dressed stones & Lime mortar.
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[Figure: SCALE
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2 CM TO 1 M . WALL WALK 1·50 m 0·50 m PARAPET ROUGHLY DRESSED BLOCKS OF RED SAND STONE 6 M. HIGH TAPERING WALL HEARTING IN CLAY & ROBBLES CLAY POINTING GL 4·00 m SECTION]
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BĀDĀMI— FORTWALL OF RĀṢṬRAKŪṬA PERIOD : SECTION LOOKING WEST , WESTERN WING OF THE SOUTH GATE.
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[Figure: SCALE
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² cm. TO 1 m. STONE SIZE : 1.25 X 1.50 m, ON AN AVERAGE 5.50 m BĀDĀMI — ELEVATION OF FORT-WALL, OF RĀŚTRAKŪṬA PERIOD, LOOKING SOUTH, ON THE RIGHT OF THE SOUTH-GATE, SHOWING ARRANGEMENT OF STONE BLOCKS.
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[Figure: SCALE FIG. 30
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LOWER SHIVĀLAYA FORT WALL 3 TO 6 m. 55.00 m G.L. BĀDĀMI — CHĀLUKYAN FORT ON THE STEEP SCARP, 55.00 m HIGH, ABOVE G.L.; THE WALL CONNECTS THE BOULDERS.
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[Figure: FIG.31 0 1 2 3 2CM TO 1m. BĀDĀMI — PLAN OF DIḌḌI GATE IN THE FORT WALL OF RĀŚTRAKŪṬA PERIOD, IN N.W. CORNER OF THE TANK. ANCIENT DAM 5.00(m) 1.50m BOULDERS DIḌḌI GATE 1.00 DOWN TANK
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[Figure: FIG. 32 N SCALE 0 1 2 3 2 CM TO 1M DOUBLE DOOR SYSTEM UP WIDTH OF FORT WALL 4.00 m 3.75 m 4.00 m 4.00 m PIVOT POINT OF THE DOOR 2.00 m 2.00 m BĀDĀMI— SOUTH GATE IN FORT OF RĀṢṬRAKŪṬA PERIOD
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[Figure: 0.50 m. WIDE LOOP-HOLES 0.25 m. PARAPET WITH ROUNDED COPING. SCARP DIAM; OF BASTION 20 m. SCARP 14.00 m UNDER GROUND MAGAZINE FORT-WALL 4.00 m. SCALE 0 2 4 6 8 10 m 4.00 BĀDĀMI-NORTH FORT SEMI-CIRCULAR BASTION, AT HT. OF 102 M. FROM G.L., IN ASHLAR MASONRY, CONTRIBUTED BY HYDERALI & TIPPU, LATE 18th CENTURY.]