Forts in India

Gwalior Fort

The existence of the earliest forts in India have been substantiated by documentation and excavation. In the medieval times, the architecture of the forts had both Hindu and Muslim influence. The forts constructed by the British initially opted for simple designs. The existing castles are continually modified and many of them are privately owned.

Quotes

• Forts are the bedrock of swarajya.
  • Ramchandrapant Amatya, quoted in How Chhatrapati Shivaji Scaled The Great Maratha Heights Using Hill Forts

• It is true that the Rigveda does not provide us details of the inner layout of these forts, but surely the text was not meant to be a treatise on Vastusastra. May it be remembered that it is essentially a compilation of prayers to gods and should be looked at as such. All the evidence that it provides regarding the material culture of the then people is only incidental.
  • About forts in the Rigveda.
  • B.B. Lal, Aryan invasion of India, Perpetuation of a myth. quoted in : Bryant, E. F., & Patton, L. L. (2005). The Indo-Aryan controversy : evidence and inference in Indian history. Routledge 67

Rigveda

• Far away in fortresses of unbaked bricks
  • RV II 35, 6

• For Divodasa, him who brought oblations, Indra overthrew A hundred fortresses of stone.
  • RV 4.30.20 (Griffith 1973, reprint: 221) in Bryant, E. F., & Patton, L. L. (2005). The Indo-Aryan controversy : evidence and inference in Indian history. Routledge 66

• And, irresistible, be thou a mighty iron fort to us, With hundred walls for man’s defence.
  • (RV 7.15.14), (Griffith 1973, reprint: 340) in Bryant, E. F., & Patton, L. L. (2005). The Indo-Aryan controversy : evidence and inference in Indian history. Routledge 66

• . . . stitch ye [oh gods] the coats of armour, wide and many; make iron forts, secure from all assailants.
  • RV 10.101.8, (Griffith 1973, reprint: 615) in Bryant, E. F., & Patton, L. L. (2005). The Indo-Aryan controversy : evidence and inference in Indian history. Routledge 66