Construction of Durga in the Arthaśāstra of Kauṭilya— A study

Abstract: A military building designed to be defended from attack, consisting of and area surrounded by a strong wall, in which soldiers are based is called a durga, i.e., fort. From very early history to modern times, forts have been often been necessary for cities to survive in an ever-changing world of invasion and conquest. The Arthaśāstra of Kauṭilya is an ancient Indian Sanskrit treatise on statecraft, political science, economic policy and military strategy. The author of the Arthaśāstra also gives stress on the construction of durga. The Arthaśāstra discusses the creation of durga which can be of various forms depending upon the topography of the kingdom. Because of its importance a lot of care has been taken towards the construction of the durgas as has been discussed in the Arthaśāstra.