Ancient Defence Structures or Forts in Sirohi District

From the beginning, we all know that humans continuously built shelters like caves or houses used for their defence or to remain safe from dangerous animals or to protect their property against the enemy. Due to understanding this discipline in human history, we could analyse how humans first discovered defence architecture. The term ‘defence architecture’ here is used for the architectural structures which provide protective fortification like enclosure around any settlement or fort building and even sometimes stronghold fortified building like a temple. In the archaeological context, defence structures are mainly constructed on a formal or informal plan that consists of only walls or some fortification built in massive size. The title of this thesis tells that it put emphasis on field research to explore historical defence architecture developed in the Sirohi district of Rajasthan. The practice of Durga-Sanniveša or Kilabandi (fortification) played a significant role in past, especially in defence or protecting elite forces from hostile enemies. It also deals with research on newly discovered defence architecture explored by my team which is also published in certified journals. In brief history, we have information that according to Sirohi district history, the earliest inscription found here from Vasantgarh dating 625 AD gives evidence rule of king Varmalata who seems to have had long rule because of Rajila and his father Vajrabhata Satyasraya ruling feudatory over Vata/ Vatakara identified as Vasantgarh. King Varmalata remain silent about his dynasty but numismatic coin evidence was found from Vasantgarh identifying king Varmalata of Bhinmal/Shrimal. Latter in 646 A.D. data was mentioned in the Samoli inscription of Udaipur, stating king Siladitya's ruled over Vatanagara (Vasantgarh). Epigraphic source of early medieval time tells settlement of Rajputana dynastic kings- Parmar of Abu (800-1270AD) who recognized suzerainty with Chalukyas of Gujarat (940-1244 AD) and medieval time in 1405AD the Siranwa hills of Sirohi came under Deora Chauhan of Nadol and Maharana Kumbha (1433- 1468) of Guhil dynasty ruling Vasantgarh and Achalgarh area. Finally, in the fifteen century, Deora Chauhan capture the whole area and still have kingship over Sirohi. Briefly speaking these dynasties builds here defence architecture which we have discussed in this research.