Defence Architecture in Early North Karnataka c18.3

c18.3

Apart from the relevant texts dating from about 3rd century B.C. beginning with Kautilya's Arthaśāstra, there are references to forts even in the Vēdas. For instance Indra is described as 'Purandara'. He is described as having destroyed a hundred forts (Bhattacharya Sripadasharma Damodarabhatta, 1940, P.461). But these references do not give clear picture of the actual architecture of the forts. At best, that many cities in the Vēdic period had fortifications, is known. The date of the Vēdic texts referring to such fortified cities namely the Rigvēda is very much disputed. The consensus of the opinions is c. 2000 B.C., as the most probable date of the compilation of the Rigvēda.