Fort (Part III- Introduction Continued)

Continue reading from Part II

Maharaj says in one of his edicts that,

‘देशोदेशी स्थळे पाहून, किल्ले बांधावे, एका गडासमीप दुसरा पर्वत, किल्ला असू नये, असल्यास तो सुरूंग लावून गडाचे आहारी आणावा, जर शक्य नसेल तर बांधून ती जागा मजबूत करावी. तट, बुरूज, चिलखते, पहारे, पडकोट जेथे जेथे असावे ते मजबूत बांधावे. नाजूक जागा ज्या असतहल त्या सुरूंगति प्रयत्नांनी अवघड करून पक्की इमारत बांधून गडाचा अैब टाळावा. खालून होऊ शकणारा मारा चुकविता येईल असे दरवाजे बांधावे. दरवाजांचे पुढे बुरूजांचा रोख येताजातनाच्या मार्गावर असेल अशी रचना करावी…. भुईकोट किल्ला असेल तर तटाभोवती खोल व रूंद खंदक खणून ठेवावा. गडाची राखण करण्याकरिता झाडी वाढवावी. गडाभोवती नेहमी मेढे असावे. गडाखाली इमारतीचे घर किंवा घराभोवती दगडाचे कुसू कधीही असू न द्यावे. गड बांधताना पाण्याची सोय मुख्यः पहावी, गडावर तळी किंवा टाकी बांधवी. गडावरील मुख्य बांधकाम म्हणजे राजवाडा. राजवाड्याच्या भिंती विटांच्या बांधून त्यांस चुना दाट गच्च द्यावा. उंदीर, विंचू, मुंग्या रहतील अशी फट ठेवू नये. घरास कुसू निर्गुडी आदिकरून झाडांचे पातळ घालावे…. तटास झाडे वाढली की ती खणून काढावी. तटावरील गवत जाळून टाकावे. गडावरून मात्र झाडे भरपूर वाढवावी. ’

Translation:

“by searching places in the country, forts should be built, there should not be another mountain or fort near a fort, if any, then made a tunnel and brought it under the fort. If it is not possible, then the place should be strengthened by building it. Forts, bastions, armors, guards, padkots should be built strong wherever they are. The fault of a fort should be avoided by making difficult the fragile place by building a strong building/premises over there. Doors should be built to avoid a blow from below. Next to the gates, the bastions should be designed in such a way that the traffic is on the way…. If there is a Bhuikot fort/fort on a surface of earth, a deep and wide trench should be dug around the bank. Trees should be grown to maintain the fort. There should always be a ramp around the fort. There should never be a building house under the fort or a stone wall around the house. While building a fort, water facility should be considered, a pool or a tank should be built on the fort. The main structure on the fort is the palace. The walls of the palace should be built with bricks and plastered with lime. Do not keep a crack where rats, scorpions, ants stay. The house should be made of Kusu Nirgudi (cactus) etc. and the thins of the trees should be added. Burn the grass on the bank. However, a lot of trees should be grown on the fort. ‘

This means, if two forts are very close, both the forts can of course pose a threat to Swarajya. So the two forts should not be too close and if they are, they should be consolidated, if that is not possible, then they should be protected from each other by building embankments and so on.

There are three main and two sub-types of fort. It means in total fort has 5 types.

We will see these types in next blog.

Continue reading with Part IV

or goto Part I, Part V, Part VI, Part VII, Part VIII, Part IX, Part X, Part XI

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