Defence Architecture in Early North Karnataka c14: Appendix
Defence Architecture in Early North Karnataka c14
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Appendix
Provision of Battlements is of an Indian Origin
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Incidentally speaking, that provision of battlements to a fort is not wholly unknown in Indian fort Architects. It is interesting to note that in the Tōraṇa of the Mahāstūpa at Sanchi (Coomaraswamy,A.K., 1972, Plates XIV and XVI) there is a representation of the fortified city of JADUTTARA. The fort has a balustrade on the outer edge of the moat, an imposing gate-way, with bastions and balconys and also battlements at the top of the outer edge of the fort. But, the battlements do not have loop-holes, for the simple reason,that the method of war was essentially archery and use of lances etc. In the late mediaeval forts we find, the appearance of battlements with loop-holes for the purpose of placing through the loaded guns for firing.
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Why the provision of battlements is not found in the extant forts of early India, is to be investigated. Of course, most of the early forts of India, are in ruins, so much so that,it may not be possible to trace,if there were any battlements at the top. Fortunately, in Karnāṭaka, we do have sculptural representation of forts with battlements, in Hero-stones placed now in Tārakēśhwara temple at Hāngal (Illns. J2 & J3) and Someshwar temple at Laxmēshwara (Illn. J4). The former has got an inscription of circa of 12th century. So far, we have not come across any Indo-Islamic forts of such an early date. The later Muslim rulers must have taken over the Indian tradition that became common in the construction of their forts. We find rather suddenly, therefore, the beginning of the occurrence of the battlements in the Indo-Islamic forts.
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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 MALKHĒḌ KRISHṆĀ ĀNDHRA PRADĒSH VARADĀ TUNGA BHADRĀ GOA ARABIAN SEA KĀVERĪ TAMIL NĀḌU KĒRAḶA Karnataka — LOCATION OF THE FORT OF MALKHĒḌ]
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[Figure: MALKHĒD FORT
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1CM TO 20 M
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R. KĀGINĀ MATH OF TĪKĀCHĀRYA GULBARGA SEDAM
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WESTERN GATE MOAT OUTER FORT EASTERN GATE RIVULET CITADEL ENT I ENT II ENT III PALACE RUINS SINGLE WALLING RIVULET
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SCHEDULE
1. OUTER FORT
2. INNER FORT (CITADEL)
3. DARGAH OF PIR JAFAR HUSEN
4. MASJID
5. UPALI-QILA
6. KALI MASJID
7. JOMMA MASJID
8. SAMADHI OF AMSI DUNVA TIRTHA
9. NEMINATH BASADI]
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[Figure: FIG.36
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¹ cm TO 1 m. 0 2 4 5 m. GUARD ROOM 5 x 2 1/2 m 3.00 4.50 m 2.00 1.00 m WING WALL WING WALL. MALKHED FORT - western gate to the outer fort Looking the river kagina
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[Figure: FIG. 37
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1cm TO 1m. 0 1 2 3 4 5m. MAḶKHĒḌ FORT, — The entrance NO. 1 to the inner fort GUARD ROOM 3.00 2.00 3.25 4.25m DOOR 3.25m GUARD ROOM DOOR PIVOT POINT BARBICAN BASTION 6.00m DIAM. 6.25m BASTION
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[Figure: FIG. 38
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⁰ 1 2 3 4 5 m GUARD ROOM 7.00 m 3.25 2.50 2.00 3.25 BASTION BARBICAN MALKHĒD FORT— Entrance II, of Inner fort.
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[Figure: RUINS TO KALI MASJID TO JUMMA MASJID FIG.39 SCALE GUARD ROOM DOOR SOCKETS MALKHĒD FORT– Entrance, III, of inner fort.
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[Figure: FIG. 40
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⁰ 3 6 9 12 15 m 1 CM TO 3 M N MANDAPAM OF AKSHŌBHYA TĪRTHA 12 00m 6.00m KĀLĪ MASJID 54 STEPS GUN UPLI BURJ 20m DIAM. RUINS. MĀLKHĒD FORT — UPLI BURJ & KĀLĪ MASJID
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[Figure: FIG. 41
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⁰ 3 6 9 m 1 CM TO 1.50 m Crenellations Stones of smaller size : 70 x 35 cms WALL 20.00 m Bulbous portion Stones of bigger size : 1.25 x 0.75 G.L. 15.50 m MALKHĒḌ FORT — Unique bulbous Bastions adopted in the inner wall, at NE corner.
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[Figure: FIG.42
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2cm to 1m. 0 1 2 3 4m BLOCKS OF STONES 70 cms 1·15 m 0·50 0·50 LIME MORTAR USED in JOINTS BULBOUS BASTION GL. 15 00 Mālkhed — Elevation of Arrangement of Stones in the inner fort wall (at N.E. Corner)