ROLE OF FORTIFICATION IN INDUS AND POST INDUS PERIOD: ARCHITECTURAL INSIGHTS THROUGH POLITICAL ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND ETHNO ARCHAEOLOGY

Abstract

fortification walls around the town and cities are known important architectural legacy globally and particularly in south Asian urban history, from ancient world up to date the fortification has served special purposes and functions in urban system. Archaeological excavations in different countries shows the evidences of fortifications, Mohen jo Daro, Harappa, Kot Diji, Dholavira, Kalibangan, Rakhigarhi, Ali Murad Indus period sites in south Asian and Ur, Urak  are the fine examples of west Asian regions of fortifications. In Sindh Pakistan many contemporary examples of fortifications are available, Buddhist period sites, including Dhamrah jo Daro in district Nawab Shah, the fortifications of, Rohri, Sehwan, Thatta, Banbhore, Khuda Abad, Hyderabad are continuation of early urban fortification. Early scholarly discussions conclude fortification in Indus as strategic purposes but archaeological studies proved such architectural structures did not merely served strategic purposes but also safeguarded the inhabitants from natural calamities like floods, erosion, administrative ,social and symbolic icon. In Indus civilization urbanization was based on citadel, lower city, sometimes citadel or both citadel and lower city were fortified. This paper focuses the significant role of fortification in south and west Asian urban traditions, and its continuity after Indus up to modern historical urban landscape.