The Military System of the Marathas, with a Brief Account of Their Maritime Activities c9.34

c9.34

In the defence of a fort vigilance alone was greatly needed. If the enemy ran mines the garrison had to countermine, but strong hill forts could not be easily or effectively mined. The only other danger against which the commander had to be careful was surprise. An open assault he generally tried to beat back by artillery, bombs and rockets supplemented by a heavy shower of stones. Sometimes he had to make a sally, as did Murar Baji Prabhu when Diler Khan tried to storm Purandar.⁴ But, generally, a fort was reduced by a lengthy blockade, and failure of provision alone led to capitulation.