01809nam a22001217a 4500008004100000100001500041245006400056260001200120300003000132520128500162650022801447773001201675240611b           ||||| |||| 00| 0 eng d  aRao, Baaji  aDefence architecture of forts of Andhra Pradesh & Telangana  aYojana   a68(6), Jun, 2024: p.14-19  aForts have played a crucial role in shaping the history of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Maharashtra. Some of the most notable forts in these regions include Golconda Fort, an early capital of the Qutb Shahi dynasty, and Khammam Fort, which served as a stronghold for multiple dynasties, including the Musunuri Nayaks and Qutb Shahis.
The architectural brilliance of these forts reflects the strategic importance they held in their time. Many forts were designed with intricate defense mechanisms, hidden chambers, and escape routes to withstand invasions. The Bhongir Fort, built in the 11th century, is a prime example of such craftsmanship, featuring an egg-shaped structure carved from a single rock.
The earliest references to forts and fortified towns occur in the accounts of megasthens, followed by Pliny, who mentions that there were 30 walled towns, and numerous villages in Andhra Desa ( comprising modern Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and parts of Maharashtra). This period has witnessed the emergence of new forts, including local administrative defenses, in both Andhra and Telangana states. All these forts, once centers of power, polity, and might, engulfed in the annals of time, yet they remain a source of information about those bygone societies. – Reproduced   aForts, Fortified towns, Megasthenes, Pliny, Andhra Desa, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Maharashtra, Administrative defenses, Power centers, Polity, Historical significance, Annals of time, Bygone societies, Information source.  aYojana