Spatial distribution of Late Medieval Fortresses (Garhs ) in Garhwal region of Central Himalaya, India

Vinod NAUTIYAL | Nagendra RAWAT
(Department of History and Archaeology, HNB Garhwal University, Srinagar, Garhwal, Uttarakhand, India)

Keywords: Gathwal, Late Medieval Fortresses, Garh, Defence Strategy, India

Reconstructing Defence Strategy through the application of Remote Sensing and GIS tools

Abstract:
This paper explores the distribution patterns of remains of fortresses called Garhs in local dialect belonging to late medieval phase(c.1000-1500CE) in Garhwal region of Central Himalaya, India through the application of the geo-informatics tools including GPS, Google earth, satellite imageries (LISS-3 andLISS-4) , Arc GIS 9.3 and Global Mapper 16.1. This study assumes importance because the we have traced structural remains of more than 170 fortresses as result of our detailed exploration and sustained field work through in this part of Central Himalaya. It is believed that these fortresses which were constructed strategically on the cliffs or high elevation as watch towers cum residence overlooking the valleys by the small chieftains who ruled the small principalities in this part of Central Himalaya during late medieval phase. The region was called GARHWAL because of the presence of large number of forts and, therefore, this region assumed political and administrative identity since 1600CE.
Unfortunately the history of this period is obscure asno records or other archaeological evidences are available to study this period. Therefore, the only source of information to study some aspects of the medieval warfare strategy rests on the study of these fortresses or Garhs. Though these structural remains of fortresses have received some attention in isolation, no serious effort has been made to study these fortresses in a larger perspective to understand their spatial distribution and networking in close loop as a part of strategy for defence purposes. Therefore to address this problem, the present work based on the application of Remote Sensing and GIS tools as mentioned above has mapped the ruins of such structural remains of fortresses or Garhs in Garhwal Himalaya to reconstruct their configurational pattern in such a large and harsh mountainous terrain to understand the warfare and defence strategy of the small chieftains during Late medieval phase in Garhwal Central Himalaya, India.