Defence Architecture in Early North Karnataka c14.s1.1

c14.s1.1

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.