01897nam a22001577a 4500 526542 526542 240611b ||||| |||| 00| 0 eng d Rao, Baaji 53436 Defence architecture of forts of Andhra Pradesh & Telangana Yojana 68(6), Jun, 2024: p.14-19 Forts 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 Forts, Fortified towns, Megasthenes, Pliny, Andhra Desa, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Maharashtra, Administrative defenses, Power centers, Polity, Historical significance, Annals of time, Bygone societies, Information source. 53437 Yojana FORTS AR 0 0 ddc 0 0 401620 IIPA IIPA 2024-06-11 68(6), Jun, 2024: p.14-19 AR132204 2024-06-11 AR