War in Ancient India c9.s3.1

c9.s3.1

One kind of land fight was siege warfare. The ancient kings attached very great importance to fortresses, for they served as the main base to defend the kingdom against the invasions of the enemy. The capital city of every ruling chief was surrounded by fortifications either natural or artificial.³⁷ The natural ones were water-fortifications, mountain-fortifications, desert-fortifications, and forest-fortifications.³⁸ Of these forms more value was attached to the water and mountain-fortifications as affording ampler protection for people and serving as impassable and insurmountable barriers to the invading enemy. The treasury was located in the citadel itself. Artificial fortifications like the Maginot Line in France were those which were specially constructed with a view to defend the capital from an invading enemy. Every fort town was surrounded by a deep and wide ditch closely touching the lofty rampart walls thrown around. Here in these ramparts usually poisonous and thorny plants were allowed to grow.