Forts in India

Forts in India have been constructed and used since at least the Bronze Age. While they are all called forts, most of them are larger and resemble castles. The existence of forts in ancient India is substantiated by documentation and excavation, as most of the structures have been lost, but it is known that they were classified into six categories, based on their defensive structures. In medieval times, the architecture of the forts had both Hindu and Muslim influence. Their structure moved towards having multiple walls, strong gates, deep defensive zones, and they began to enclose multiple structures, such as palaces and temples. Early modern forts were strengthened and adapted to resist gunpowder cannons, and the cities protected by the forts grew from small townships to presidencies. The forts constructed by the British initially had simple designs, and they adapted many existing forts into military barracks and training academies. Very few forts and castles have survived unchanged since the early Middle Ages or even since the early modern period: most of those built in the 10th-15th centuries were later rebuilt and altered. The existing forts are continually modified and many of them are privately owned.

Etymology

Most of the forts in India are actually castles or fortresses but, when the British Government in India were cataloging them in the 17th–19th century, they used the word "forts" as it was common in Britain then.