Essay name: Samrajya Lakshmi Pithika (Study)
Author:
Artatrana Sarangi
Affiliation: Savitribai Phule Pune University / Department of Sanskrit and Prakrit Languages
This is a study in English of the Samrajya Lakshmi Pithika (written by Lolla Lakshmidhara) representing an encyclopedic manual for emperors. The Samrajyalaksmipithika encompasses about 3870 verses in addressing topics such as public festivals, governance, warfare (military strategy), and rituals associated with the Tantric worship for the deity Samrajya-Lakshmi.
Chapter 5 - Forts, Castrametation and the Royal Army
21 (of 135)
External source: Shodhganga (Repository of Indian theses)
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G. 516 the prominent types, namely, the hill, the forest and the
ones surrounded by muddy and marshy lands. Thus, such a
fort highly banks on the environment which provides such
facilities, concentrated in a particular locale. This
type of forts though does not figure in some works like
Mbh., MS and others, Manasara makes a mention of these as
the seventh and last category. It defines misra forts
as 'Citadels, situated on hill-tops and surrounded by
many a forest'. (10.52-53). SLP, on the otherhand,
describes misra fort as a citadel, which is surrounded by
marshy lands, is situated on a mountain or is encircled
by a forest. Such a fort, because of its conduciveness,
remains invincible even for the divine beings and monsters,
declares SLP (33.11-12). Thus a comparison reveals that
while Manasara mentions 'mountain' and 'forest' as two
essential factors comprising a mixed fort, SLP adds one
more that of the mud factor to it.
The man-forts :
Most of the ancient works on politics, barring a
few like AS mention n峁沝urga as a type of fortification.
While SN calls it by a different name, the Sainvadurga,
it does not differ from naradurgas mentioned by other works,
atleast, in essence. This becomes clear from an analysis
of the characteristics of this type described by ancient
political treaties. Medh盲tithi, while commenting on MS(7.70)
