Defence Architecture in Early North Karnataka c16.s1: The Fort of Vijayanagara
Defence Architecture in Early North Karnataka c16.s1
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The Fort of Vijayanagara
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The very name Vijayanagar in the history of South India in particular and of India in general, immediately stirs indescribable thrill and amazement on the part of listeners, for as repeatedly described in a most unparallel way Vijayanagara was a catch-word for the extraordinary glory and prosperity in the whole of Asia then. Likewise, its defensive walls protecting the capital were by far the most extensive covering incredibly a very vast area. The fort has been described by the contemporary foreign itinera^nts^ies, who visited the capital, as the most stupendous.
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Hampi to some extent is somewhat informative in the light of the recent archaeological studies. In Hampi proper, in the recent excavations an inscription of lime stone has been found, this inscription palaeographically ascribable to 2nd c. A.D. Near Mahānavami Dibba are many structures. In the construction of these structures are found many well out lime stone blocks and slabs. These indicate that the inscription in question was not brought from else where i.e. from a distance but from nearby structure/s in the same area; that is to say that Hampi was an important centre during the Sātavāhana period and it continued to be so almost throughout the history, for the original part of the Virūpāksha temple and some of the inscriptions are of the Kalyāṇa Chālukya period, i.e. the times of Somesvara I and Vikramāditya VI in the early part of the 12th century A.D., who had established one of the strong political bases at Kampili, nearby Hampi. In the wake of the dwindling Hoysala kingdom, during the early part of the 14th century A.D., there was already rising a small but powerful principality in Kamalāpur area; and further, its security is provided by the natural hill ranges of immense strength. All these factors in addition to the religious significance the place has i.e. Kishkinda or Bhāskara Kshētra, must have prompted Hukka and Bukka to make it the capital of their kingdom under the guidance of sage Vidyāraṇya. An inscription at Bāgepalli (E.C. X No. 70) states that Vidyaranya directed the building of a city called Vijayanagara and the king Harihara following these directions built a city near Pampā-Kshetra and called it as 'Vidyanagara' in honour of the sage.
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Located in a most ruggedly hilly areas on the right bank of the Tungabhadra (Fig. 57), the city was certainly in a most strategic position, where nature had been then to a great extent a mighty protector. Taking into consideration a large area, with Hampi (Fig.58) as the centre, one will realise that the latter comprises so many hills and valleys, that with the little effort of connecting them would prove to be effectively defensive. Even the Tungabhadra on the north side runs on a bouldery bed in a winding way. A person, who is not familiar with the course of the river, is bound to meet fatal end while crossing.
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Wisely understanding the natural potentialities of the whole area, the builders of Vijayanagar empire selected the Hampi region as the centre of their political activity. The importance and wisdom of their selection would be much better in view of the technological advancement made in the military equipments then such as heavy guns. It may be noted here that the transport of such heavy guns in such hilly areas was almost impossible and without such guns, the fort walls (Fig.58) forming part of the natural hill-ranges could never be conquered. The physiography, therefore, of the region had been most cleverly made use of by the builders of Vijayanagara empire.
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The capital of this Chivalrous dynasty, thus, was "located in a land scope of wild resolute character, dominated by huge fantastic boulders (Fig.58) within mountain ranges (Sewell,R., 1962, p.20). The engineers, particularly in the field of defence architecture, must have studied the geological, geographical and ecological aspects of the terrain and advised the royal authorities on the problems of defence from time to time.
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The picturesque irregularity of the terrain not only aided the builders in raising the fortifications here easily, because of the abundance of material naturally available, but also made the close association between the buildings and the solid rock foundations so that it is difficult to tell, where nature leaves off and the work of man begins.
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The intervening gaps in between the huge rocks and hillocks, which spread almost around the entire environs of Vijayanagar city, were bridged with solid mess of stone walls, that served a frame work of the impregnable defence-wall-system. The high hills (Fig.58) rocks and boulders were the gifts of nature, that stand erect, even now, as the watch-towers and defensive bastions, over looking the plains beyond on the west, south and the east.
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The whole area is dotted with rather barren and rocky hills. The hills are of granite with bluish and gray to rich golden brown. Many boulders weigh hundreds of tons. In places, huge rocks stand deliberately poised one upon another and they form quite impassable stone screens. On the sides of these hills and along the low ground between them, there are the fortified enclosure walls of the old city, which are often in several lines, one behind the other.
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On the northern sector, the unfordable Tungabhadra (Fig.58) has been again the natural gift of water defence, which runs so swiftly and piercing like the sharp sword of a warrior. The river is unfordable because, it is exceedingly zig-zag and runs over rocky boulders and makes here and there several whirls. It is therefore extremely dangerous to cross the river without properly knowing the physiography of the course even when it is knee-deep, during the dry days of the southern summer.³⁵