Fortified Cities of Ancient India

Dieter Schlingloff

Description

A comparative exploration of the development of towns and cities in ancient India, based on in-depth textual and archeological research.

Authored by one of the leading scholars of German Indology, “Fortified Cities in Ancient India” offers a comparative exploration of the development of towns and cities in ancient India. Based on in-depth textual and archeological research, Professor Dieter Schlingloff’s work presents for the first time the striking outcomes of intertwining data garnered from a wide range of sources. This volume scrutinizes much of the established knowledge on urban fortifications in South Asia, advancing new conceptions based on an authoritative, far-reaching study.

CHAPTER 1. THE LAYOUT OF THE CITY: The analysis of the reference to towns in epic, Buddhist and Jain literature shows that such texts contain a variety of stock phrases concerning city architecture (p. 11–14). Specialist statements contained in the Kauṭilīya Arthaśāstra elucidate these (p. 14–16). A survey of the results of archaeological research (p. 16–28) verifies these statements and confirms the planning of Old Indian cities (p. 28–29). The investigation of house architecture (p. 30–32) illuminates the question of the population density in the cities, which had the same dimension as contemporary Greek and Roman cities (p. 32). According to Megasthenes, Pāṭaliputra, however, was 10–20 times larger than the usual towns; nearly double the size of imperial Rome, it was the greatest city of the ancient world (p. 32–33). Combining the notes of Megasthenes with statements from Indian literature (p. 33–35) and archaeology (p. 35–37), the boundaries of ancient Pāṭaliputra can be reconstructed (p. 37–40). This proves that the Bhikna Pahadi was on the one hand, in accordance with the prescriptions of the Kauṭilīya, a monument in the centre of the city (p. 39–40); Kumrahar, on the other, never could have been a palatial area, but rather was a pleasure hall outside the city wall (p. 40–43). After investigating the historical development of Pāṭaliputra (p. 43–46), the similarities and differences in the development of Greek and Indian cities are discussed which proves that the different constitutions of the states are conform with the different positions of Greek and Indian cityscapes (p. 46–48). Overview (p. 49). Figures 1–29 (p. 52–56). CHAPTER 2. THE CONSTRUCTION OF A FORTIFICATION: The chapter on city fortifications in the Arthaśāstra, regarded as the most obscure in Kauṭilya’s work, is elucidated by the results of excavations as as by building technical and military considerations (p. 57–59). Its prescriptions regarding the size and form of moats, ramparts and walls (p. 59–63) generally correspond with the archaeological finds (p. 63–69). The texts continues with the description of the defences, viz. towers, embrasures etc. (p. 69–72). The most elaborate description concerns the city gates, details of which reveal a striking similarity with gates, especially in Sisupalgarh and Śrāvastī (p. 72–82). Lexicographical results (p. 83–84). Figures 1–30 (p. 86–90). CHAPTER 3. THE MODEL OF THE CITY IN NARRATIVE AJANTA PAINTINGS: Some of the narrative Ajanta paintings show the depicted events embedded into an ideal city plan. This plan, divested of the figures acting in them reveals a generalised sketch of the cityscape which may complete the picture of the cities of Ancient India elaborated on in chapters 1 and 2 (p. 91–92). Figures 1–8 (p. 93–96). LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS; INDEX; ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Sujets

• History of Asia

Informations

• Publié par: Anthem Press
• Date de parution: 01 octobre 2013
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9780857283412
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 7 Mo

Extrait

The Layout of the City

FORTIFIED CITIES OF ANCIENT INDIA

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Fortified Cities of Ancient India

Cultural, Historical and Textual Studies of South Asian Religions

The volumes featured in the AnthemCultural, Historical and Textual Studies of South Asian Religionsseries are the expression of an international community of scholars committed to the reshaping of the field of textual and historical studies of religions. Titles in this series examine practice, ritual, and other textual religious products, crossing different area studies and time frames. Featuring a vast range of interpretive perspectives, this innovative series aims to enhance the way we look at religious traditions.

Series Editor

Federico Squarcini, University of Florence, Italy

Editorial Board

Piero Capelli, Ca’ Foscari University of Venice, Italy Vincent Eltschinger, ICIHA, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Austria Christoph Emmrich, University of Toronto, Canada James Fitzgerald, Brown University, USA Jonardon Ganeri, University of Sussex, UK Barbara A. Holdrege, University of California, Santa Barbara, USA Sheldon Pollock, Columbia University, USA Karin Preisendanz, University of Vienna, Austria Alessandro Saggioro, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy Cristina Scherrer-Schaub, University of Lausanne and EPHE, France Romila Thapar, Jawaharlal Nehru University, India Ananya Vajpeyi, University of Massachusetts Boston, USA Marco Ventura, University of Siena, Italy Vincenzo Vergiani, University of Cambridge, UK

The Layout of the City

RELIGIONANDIDENTITYIN SOUTHASIAANDBEYOND FORTIFIED CITIES OF ANCIENT INDIA ESSAYSINHONOROFPATRICKOLIVELLE A COMPARATIVE STUDY

Dieter Schlingloff EditedbyStevenE.Lindquist

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Fortified Cities of Ancient India

Anthem Press An imprint of Wimbledon Publishing Company www.anthempress.com

This edition first published in UK and USA 2013 by ANTHEM PRESS 75-76 Blackfriars Road, London SE1 8HA, UK or PO Box 9779, London SW19 7ZG, UK and 244 Madison Ave. #116, New York, NY 10016, USA

Copyright © Dieter Schlingloff 2013 The author asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work. Layout by Marianna Ferrara

Cover image courtesy of Dominik Oczkowski

All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise), without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.

British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data A catalog record for this book has been requested.

ISBN-13: 978 0 85728 331 3 (Hbk) ISBN-10: 0 85728 331 6 (Hbk)

This title is also available as an eBook.

The Layout of the City

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Dedicated to the memory of Herbert Härtel (1921-2005), the excavator of Sonkh (Mathura)

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Fortified Cities of Ancient India

(p. 7678)

The Layout of the City

(p. 6162)

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Fortified Cities of Ancient India

Acknowledgments

Translation from the German by Paul Yule. Revisions and edit- ing by Patrick Olivelle, assisted by Oliver Freiberger. Drawings by Waldtraut Schlingloff (†) (Chs. 1 and 2) and Monika Zin (Ch. 3). Gate reconstruction by Dominik Oczkowski. Formatting by Monika Zin.

Summary of Contents

Chapter 1. The Layout of the City

11

The analysis of the reference to towns in epic, Buddhist and Jain litera- ture shows that such texts contain a variety of stock phrases concerning city architecture (p. 11-14). Specialist statements contained in the Kauṭilīya Arthaśāstra elucidate these (p. 14-16). A survey of the results of archaeo- logical research (p. 16-28) verifies these statements and confirms the plan- ning of Old Indian cities (p. 28-29). The investigation of house architecture (p. 30-32) illuminates the question of the population density in the cities, which had the same dimension as contemporary Greek and Roman cities (p. 32). According to Megasthenes, Pāṭaliputra, however, was 10-20 times larger than the usual towns; nearly double the size of imperial Rome, it was the greatest city of the ancient world (p. 32-33). Combining the notes of Megasthenes with statements from Indian literature (p. 33-35) and ar- chaeology (p. 35-37), the boundaries of ancient Pāṭaliputra can be recon- structed (p. 37-40). This proves that the Bhikna Pahadi was on the one hand, in accordance with the prescriptions of the Kauṭilīya, a monument in the center of the city (p. 39-40); Kumrahar, on the other, never could have been a palatial area, but rather was a pleasure hall outside the city wall (p. 40-43). After investigating the historical development of Pāṭaliputra (p. 43-46), the similarities and differences in the development of Greek and Indian cities are discussed which proves that the different constitutions of the states are conform with the different positions of Greek and Indian cityscapes (p. 46-48). Overview (p. 49). Figures 1-29 (p. 52-56).

Chapter 2. The Construction of a Fortification

57

The chapter on city fortifications in the Arthaśāstra, regarded as the most obscure in Kauṭilya’s work, is elucidated by the results of excavations as as by building technical and military considerations (p. 57-59). Its prescrip- tions regarding the size and form of moats, ramparts and walls (p. 59-63)

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Fortified Cities of Ancient India

generally correspond with the archaeological finds (p. 63-69). The texts continues with the description of the defenses, viz. towers, embrasures etc. (p. 69-72). The most elaborate description concerns the city gates, details of which reveal a striking similarity with gates, especially in Sisupalgarh and Śrāvastī (p. 72-82). Lexicographical results (p. 83-84). Figures 1-30 (p. 86- 90).

Chapter 3. The Model of the City in Narrative Ajanta Paintings

91

Some of the narrative Ajanta paintings show the depicted events embedded into an ideal city plan. This plan, divested of the figures acting in them re- veals a generalized sketch of the cityscape which may complete the picture of the cities of Ancient India elaborated on in chapters 1 and 2 (p. 91-92). Figures 1-8 (p. 93-96).

List of Abbreviations

Index

About the Author

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