WHAT IS A FORT?

Forts are a familiar category of monuments, the world over. They also constitute some of the most ancient historical structures apart from places of worship. Despite its preponderance it is important to understand as to what the term “fort”, both as a concept and as a structure, implies. Etymologically, the word “fort” is derived from the Latin root fortis or forte which means strong or firm. The indigenous Hindi word for “fort” is durg which is said to have derived from the Sanskrit word durgam meaning difficult.Thus, a fort essentially means any structure that is used or built for the purpose of defending a territory by repelling external attacks.

Some of the earliest forms of fortifications were not “built”. They constituted of natural lines of defence such as forests, rivers or hills. Forts have been historically built using locally available resources and been based on contemporary standards of technological expertise. The building of forts also greatly depended on the physical terrain of a territory. For example, rocky terrains came to develop hill forts, while in plains long and massive walls around settlements were erected. While early settlements had walls surrounding entire areas of habitation, as settlements expanded beyond the walled confines, fortifications aimed at protecting the prominent spaces (residences of chiefs or religious centres) within settlements.While forts essentially contain the element of defence or military significance, over time forts did not merely remain military outposts, but also came to house residential structures, houses of worship and a myriad of other structures/elements which were not directly connected to warfare.Also, sometimes when the strategic importance of a particular site declined (due to political developments like the shift of empires and change of ruling class), certain structures that were initially constructed for defence lost their military significance and became residential quarters for the ruling class. At the same time, many sites due to their peculiar geographical location retained their strategic significance over the centuries. These structures reflect layers of construction and renovation, depending on the exigencies of war.