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144-622: Vellore Fort is a large 16th-century fort situated in heart of the Vellore city, in the state of Tamil Nadu , India built by the Emperors of Vijayanagara . The fort was at one time the imperial capital of the Aravidu Dynasty of the Vijayanagara Empire . The fort is known for its grand ramparts, wide moat and robust masonry. The fort's ownership passed from Emperors of Vijayanagara , to

288-430: A ravelin like angular gun platform screening one of the curtain walls which is protected from flanking fire from the towers of the main part of the fort. Another example is the fortifications of Rhodes which were frozen in 1522 so that Rhodes is the only European walled town that still shows the transition between the classical medieval fortification and the modern ones. A manual about the construction of fortification

432-487: A Monument of National Importance and is a famous tourist attraction. The State Government Museum is inside the fort and opened to the public in 1985. It consists of art, archaeology, prehistory, weapons, sculptures, bronzes, wood carvings, handicrafts, numismatics, philately, botany, geology, and zoology exhibits. Historical monuments of the North Arcot District are contained in the gallery. Special exhibits include

576-699: A base in the battle of Toppur in the 1620s. This major battle took place for the claiming of the Raya title between two factions of the Raya family. Each faction included their respective subordinates: the Nayaks of Tanjore , the Gingee and the Madurai taking sides to suit their interests. The Rayas also had long-running battles with their longtime rivals, the Turko-Persian Bijapur Sultans , and with their subordinates in

720-458: A branch that operates at the district level and is headed by a superintendent. The GDP of Vellore is $ 4 billion as of 2020. According to the Indian Census of 2001, the urban workforce employment rate of Vellore is 43.64%. Vellore, being the headquarters of the district, has registered growth in its tertiary sector activities with a corresponding decrease in the primary sector. Most employment

864-623: A broad moat fed with water by subterranean pipes from the Suryagunta reservoir. Within the fort is the similarly aged Jalakanteswara Temple . The fort houses the Tipu Mahal where Tipu Sultan is believed to have stayed with his family during the war with the British; the graves of Tipu's sons are found at Vellore. It is managed by the Archaeological Survey of India. Vellore Fort has been declared

1008-711: A double bronze sword from Vellore Taluk dating to 400 BCE, stone sculptures from the late Pallava to Vijayanagar periods, ivory chess boards and coins used by the last Kandian King of Sri Lanka, Vikrama Raja Singha. Educational activities at the museum include an art camp for school students and the study of inscriptions and iconography for college students. The Vellore municipal corporation maintains 104.332 km (64.829 mi) of roads. It has 50.259 km (31.229 mi) of concrete road, 6.243 km (3.879 mi) of kutcha road and 47.88 km (29.75 mi) of bituminous road. The National Highways passing through or terminating at Vellore as per new numbering are: Vellore

1152-512: A double wall of trenches and ramparts, and in the Congo forests concealed ditches and paths, along with the main works, often bristled with rows of sharpened stakes. Inner defenses were laid out to blunt an enemy penetration with a maze of defensive walls allowing for entrapment and crossfire on opposing forces. A military tactic of the Ashanti was to create powerful log stockades at key points. This

1296-624: A large army and captured Vellore Fort. Subsequently, both the Madurai-Bijapur armies converged on Gingee, defeating the Vellore-Tanjore forces. After a melee, both the forts ended up in the hands of the sultan of Bijapur. The defeat also marked the end of the last direct line of Vijayanagara emperors. Within 20 years after this incident, the Marathas seized the fort from the Bijapur sultans. In 1676,

1440-413: A necessity for many cities. Amnya Fort in western Siberia has been described by archaeologists as one of the oldest known fortified settlements, as well as the northernmost Stone Age fort. In Bulgaria, near the town of Provadia a walled fortified settlement today called Solnitsata starting from 4700 BC had a diameter of about 300 feet (91 m), was home to 350 people living in two-storey houses, and

1584-500: A new round hat for the Madras sepoys to replace their turbans, plus ordering the removal of beards, caste markings and jewelry. These measures were intended merely to improve the appearance of the Madras soldiers on parade but the sepoys considered them to be an offensive meddling with their religious beliefs. The situation was worsened by the fact that the hat included a leather cockade , made from cow hide. On 10 July 1806, before sunrise,

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1728-547: A number of recruits from the Vellore district , especially from Kammavanpet (known as "the military village"). Military spending is a major source of income. Vellore is considered a prominent destination for medical and technological education in India. It has a state-government university, a private technological university, one government and one private medical school and several engineering and arts and science colleges. The country's first stem-cell translational research centre

1872-608: A population of 504,079 of which 247,002 are males and 257,077 are females. The sex-ratio of Vellore is 1,009 females for every 1,000 males, much above the national average of 926. A total of 48,547 were under the age of six, constituting 24,692 males and 23,855 females. The literacy rate of Vellore is 87.09%, which is higher than national urban average of 85%. Literacy rate for males and females stood at 92.03% and 82.23% respectively. Total literates in Vellore were 379,849 of which males were 199,247 and remaining 180,602 were females. The city had

2016-579: A result, very very few kotas still stand to this day. Notable kotas: During Muhammad 's era in Arabia, many tribes made use of fortifications. In the Battle of the Trench , the largely outnumbered defenders of Medina, mainly Muslims led by Islamic prophet Muhammad, dug a trench , which together with Medina's natural fortifications, rendered the confederate cavalry (consisting of horses and camels ) useless, locking

2160-450: A series of straight lines creating the central fortified area that gives this style of fortification its name. Vellore Vellore East ( Sathuvachari ) Vellore South ( Vellore Fort ) Vellore (English: VAY -loor ), also natively spelt as Velur , is a sprawling city and the administrative headquarters of Vellore district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu . It is located on

2304-682: A three-year Bachelor of Laws (BL) degree with an annual intake of 80 students. The college is in Katpadi, Vellore. There are several Arabic colleges in Vellore such as the Madrasa Al-Baqiyathus Salihath (popularly known as Baaqiyaath ), founded by Shah Abdul Wahab and is the second oldest Arabic college in India after Darul Uloom Deoband in Uttar Pradesh . Schieffelin Institute of Health – Research and Leprosy Centre (SIH-R & LC)

2448-637: A total of 112,486 households, with 70,257 workers, including 297 cultivators, 395 main agricultural labourers, 4,387 in household industries, 59,281 other workers, 5,897 marginal workers, 59 marginal cultivators, 74 marginal agricultural labourers, 667 marginal workers in household industries, and 5,097 other marginal workers. According to the religious census of 2011, Vellore's population was 80.09% Hindu , 14.28% Muslim , 4.79% Christian , 0.02% Sikh , 0.03% Buddhist , 0.51% Jain , with 0.26% following other religions, and 0.02% following no religion or not indicating any religious preference. As of 2001, 69.88% of

2592-424: Is Mr. Nandakumar all from DMK. Vellore is a part of the Vellore and Arakkonam Lok Sabha constituencies. It consisted of the following six assembly constituencies before 2009: Katpadi , Gudiyatham , Pernampattu , Anaicut , Vellore and Arni . After the 2009 reorganization, it is composed of Vellore , Anaicut , Kilvazhithunaiankuppam , Gudiyatham , Vaniyambadi and Ambur constituencies. Since 1951,

2736-1178: Is a major railway junction on the Chennai-Bangalore broad-gauge line extending to many cities including Chennai, Bangalore, Tirupati, New Delhi, Howrah and Kanyakumari. There are direct rail links to Vijayawada Junction , Tirupati , Jhansi Junction , Bhubaneswar , Nagpur Junction , Bangalore , Coimbatore Junction , Lucknow Junction , Dehradun , Agartala , Ahmedabad Junction , Ludhiana Junction , Bhopal Junction , Mumbai Central , Mangalore Central , Tiruchirappalli Junction , Mayiladuthurai Junction , Chidambaram , Kumbakonam , Bilaspur Junction , Korba , Patna Junction , Ernakulam Junction , Thiruvananthapuram Central , Kanniyakumari , Shirdi , Kanpur Central , Gaya Junction , Dhanbad Junction , Jammu Tawi , Madurai , Durg Junction , Gwalior Junction , Chennai Central , Howrah Junction , New Delhi , Guwahati , Silchar , Madhupur Junction , Nagercoil Junction , Kozhikode , Kollam Junction , Bhagalpur Junction , Jaipur Junction , Dibrugarh , Varanasi Junction , Pune Junction , Hyderabad , Vishakapatnam and other major cities. More than 150 trains cross

2880-549: Is also an intermediate branch known as semi-permanent fortification. Castles are fortifications which are regarded as being distinct from the generic fort or fortress in that they are a residence of a monarch or noble and command a specific defensive territory. Roman forts and hill forts were the main antecedents of castles in Europe, which emerged in the 9th century in the Carolingian Empire . The Early Middle Ages saw

3024-428: Is another example of a Gaulish fortified settlement. The term casemate wall is used in the archaeology of Israel and the wider Near East , having the meaning of a double wall protecting a city or fortress, with transverse walls separating the space between the walls into chambers. These could be used as such, for storage or residential purposes, or could be filled with soil and rocks during siege in order to raise

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3168-964: Is connected with major cities in the states of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka . Bus service is available to Chennai , Coimbatore , Bangalore , Thiruvananthapuram , Tirupathi , Kadapa , Anantapur , Salem , Chittoor , Kuppam , Kolar , Kolar Gold Fields , Madanapalle , Vijayawada , Hyderabad , Mangalore , Karur , Kumbakonam , Aranthangi , Mannargudi , Nagapattinam , Hosur , Marthandam , Thoothukudi , Thiruchendur , Sengottai , Cuddalore , Kurnool , Kadiri , Trichy , Thuraiyur , Thammampatti , Thiruvannamalai , Tindivanam , Pondicherry , Kallakkurichi , Tirupattur , Viluppuram , Kanyakumari , Arani , Madurai , Tirunelveli , Kanchipuram , Arakkonam , Tiruttani , Kalpakkam , Pallikonda , Ponnai , Gudiyatham , Dharmapuri , Erode , Tirupur , Palakkad , Krishnagiri , Mumbai Gingee and other major towns and cities in South India. Vellore

3312-451: Is considered to be the first large-scale Indian mutiny against the British, and a prelude to the much larger Sepoy Mutiny in 1857. In the 1930s, a series of communal riots ocurred between Hindus and Muslims . The economic condition of the district in the earlier stages was not sound with the absence of major industries. Industries like Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited in Ranipet and

3456-543: Is employed when in the course of a campaign it becomes desirable to protect some locality with the best imitation of permanent defences that can be made in a short time, ample resources and skilled civilian labour being available. An example of this is the construction of Roman forts in England and in other Roman territories where camps were set up with the intention of staying for some time, but not permanently. Castles are fortifications which are regarded as being distinct from

3600-519: Is formally known as poliorcetics . In some texts, this latter term also applies to the art of building a fortification. Fortification is usually divided into two branches: permanent fortification and field fortification. Permanent fortifications are erected at leisure, with all the resources that a state can supply of constructive and mechanical skill, and are built of enduring materials. Field fortifications—for example breastworks —and often known as fieldworks or earthworks, are extemporized by troops in

3744-506: Is in Vellore at Katpadi . This is India's only government explosives company with more than a thousand employees. The company is headed by a senior Indian Administrative Service officer. Kramski Stamping and Molding India Pvt Ltd, a German precision metal and plastic integrated-component manufacturing company with automotive, telecommunications, electronics and medical applications is located in Erayankadu, near Vellore. Major businesses in

3888-691: Is in the Vellore district of the South Indian state, Tamil Nadu, 135 km (84 mi) west of the state capital Chennai and 30 km (19 mi) south of its twin city Chittoor , across the Andhra Pradesh border. Vellore lies in the Eastern Ghats region and Palar river basin. The topography is almost flat with slope from west to east. Vellore has a tropical savanna climate ( Köppen climate classification Aw ). The temperature ranges from 13 °C (55 °F) to 39.4 °C (102.9 °F). Like

4032-458: Is known as the leather hub of India. Hundreds of leather and tannery facilities are around Vellore and nearby towns, such as Ranipet , Ambur and Vaniyambadi . The Vellore district is the top exporter of finished leather goods in the country. Vellore leather accounts for more than 37% of the country's export of leather and leather-related products (such as finished leathers, shoes, garments and gloves ). Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL)

4176-453: Is located near Vellore and was established in 1955 to care for leprosy patients. The institute is named in honor of the American philanthropist William Jay Schieffelin , who played a key role in its founding. Vellore Fort is the most prominent landmark in the city. During British rule , Tipu Sultan 's family and the last king of Sri Lanka , Vikrama Rajasinha, were held as royal prisoners in

4320-457: Is one of the nine major government owned enterprises in the nation. The Boiler Auxiliaries Plant of BHEL in Ranipet is the industrial hub of Vellore. Chemical plants in the Ranipet - SIPCOT economic zone are a major source of income to residents. EID Parry is a sanitary-ware manufacturing company with 38% of the world's market share in bathroom accessories. Tirumalai Chemicals and Greaves are among

4464-433: Is provided by the leather industry, tobacco industry, agricultural trading, and industries in and around the city. Approximately 83.35% of the workforce is employed in the tertiary sector comprising transport, services and commerce. The secondary sector activities like manufacturing and household industries employs 13.52% of the workforce. Male worker employment (43.64%) is higher than female work employment (24.39%). Vellore

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4608-569: Is served by a city bus service, which connects the city, suburbs, and other places of interest. The bus service extends about 30 km from the city center. There are two bus terminals: the Town Bus Terminus (opposite the fort and near CMC Hospital) and the Central Bus Terminus (near Green Circle). Other bus terminals are located at Chittor Bus Stand (near VIT Road), Bagayam and Katpadi (Junction bus stop). The bus stands are maintained by

4752-581: Is the greatness of Sri Swamiji & his powers. The mosque inside the fort was constructed during the last Arcot Nawab 's period. Presently, Muslims are not allowed to pray inside the fort mosque despite protest by several thousand people living in Vellore . Vellore's inhabitants believe that the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) is being discriminatory by excluding Muslims from the mosque while Hindus and Christians are not stopped from entering temple and church respectively. However, some refute

4896-512: Is the oldest college in the district and known as the institution where Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan (former president of India) studied; a commemorative stamp for the centenary of the college was issued by the government of India. C. Abdul Hakeem College is in Melvisharam. Arignar Anna Arts College for Women (AAA) is located in Walajapet. The Government Law College was established in 2008. It offers

5040-684: The Bijapur sultans , to the Marathas , to the Carnatic Nawabs and finally to the British , who held the fort until India gained independence . The Indian government maintains the fort with the Archaeological Department. During British rule, the Tipu Sultan 's family and the last King of Sri Lanka , Sri Vikrama Rajasinha were held as prisoners in the fort. It is also a witness to the massacre of

5184-684: The British Raj are found in the mainland Indian subcontinent (modern day India , Pakistan , Bangladesh and Nepal ). "Fort" is the word used in India for all old fortifications. Numerous Indus Valley Civilization sites exhibit evidence of fortifications. By about 3500 BC, hundreds of small farming villages dotted the Indus floodplain. Many of these settlements had fortifications and planned streets. The stone and mud brick houses of Kot Diji were clustered behind massive stone flood dykes and defensive walls, for neighbouring communities bickered constantly about

5328-509: The Gingee Fort in 1677, but left the task of attacking Vellore to his assistant and rushed to Deccan as his territories were being attacked by Mughal Emperor Aurangazeb . In 1678, after a prolonged fourteen-month siege, the fort passed on to the Marathas. Shivaji's representative strengthened the fort's fortifications and ruled the area in relative peace. In 1707, the year that Aurangazeb died,

5472-614: The Indus Valley Civilization were the first small cities to be fortified. In ancient Greece , large stone walls had been built in Mycenaean Greece , such as the ancient site of Mycenae (known for the huge stone blocks of its ' cyclopean ' walls). A Greek phrourion was a fortified collection of buildings used as a military garrison , and is the equivalent of the Roman castellum or fortress. These constructions mainly served

5616-560: The Jalakandeswarar Temple within the fort represents Vijayanagara architecture . Christian Medical College & Hospital , founded in 1900 by the American medical missionary Dr. Ida S. Scudder , is another Vellore landmark. The hospital has grown into a medical institution of international repute. The central prison in Vellore, established in 1830, had imprisoned notable Indian independence activists like C. Rajagopalachari and Ramaswamy Venkataraman . Other landmarks include

5760-1098: The Maratha Empire . A large majority of forts in India are in North India. The most notable forts are the Red Fort at Old Delhi , the Red Fort at Agra , the Chittor Fort and Mehrangarh Fort in Rajasthan , the Ranthambhor Fort , Amer Fort and Jaisalmer Fort also in Rajasthan and Gwalior Fort in Madhya Pradesh . Arthashastra , the Indian treatise on military strategy describes six major types of forts differentiated by their major modes of defenses. Forts in Sri Lanka date back thousands of years, with many being built by Sri Lankan kings. These include several walled cities. With

5904-574: The Mediterranean . The fortifications were continuously being expanded and improved. Around 600 BC, in Heuneburg , Germany, forts were constructed with a limestone foundation supported by a mudbrick wall approximately 4 metres tall, probably topped by a roofed walkway, thus reaching a total height of 6 metres. The wall was clad with lime plaster, regularly renewed. Towers protruded outwards from it. The Oppidum of Manching (German: Oppidum von Manching)

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6048-868: The Mumbai –Chennai arm of the Golden Quadrilateral . Vellore is governed under a mayor and the Vellore Municipal Corporation . It is a part of both the Lok Sabha and state assembly constituencies of Vellore. Vellore is the home to the Christian Medical College & Hospital , the Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT) and the Sripuram Golden Temple. The Vellore region is the largest exporter of finished leather goods in

6192-552: The Napoleonic wars . Most of the colonial forts were garrisoned up until the early 20th century. The coastal forts had coastal artillery manned by the Ceylon Garrison Artillery during the two world wars. Most of these were abandoned by the military but retained civil administrative officers, while others retained military garrisons, which were more administrative than operational. Some were reoccupied by military units with

6336-431: The Nayaks of Madurai and the Gingee over non-remittance of annual tributes. In the 1640s, during the reign of Sriranga Raya III , the fort was briefly captured by the Bijapur army, but was eventually recaptured with the help of the Nayaks of Tanjore . During Emperor Sriranga Raya 's reign in 1614 CE, a coup broke out within the royal family and the reigning Emperor Sriranga Raya and his royal family were murdered by

6480-518: The Nordic states and in Britain , the fortifications of Berwick-upon-Tweed and the harbour archipelago of Suomenlinna at Helsinki being fine examples. During the 18th century, it was found that the continuous enceinte , or main defensive enclosure of a bastion fortress, could not be made large enough to accommodate the enormous field armies which were increasingly being employed in Europe; neither could

6624-677: The Old City of Shanghai , Suzhou , Xi'an and the walled villages of Hong Kong . The famous walls of the Forbidden City in Beijing were established in the early 15th century by the Yongle Emperor . The Forbidden City made up the inner portion of the Beijing city fortifications . During the Spanish Era several forts and outposts were built throughout the archipelago. Most notable is Intramuros ,

6768-735: The Pallava dynasty , Medieval Cholas , Later Cholas , the Rashtrakuta dynasty , the Sambuvaraya chieftains , Vijayanagar , the Nawabs of the Carnatic , and the administration of the British . In the 18th century, Vellore was involved in the Carnatic Wars between Britain and France. It was situated close to several decisive battles, including those at Ambur (1749), Arcot (1751), and Vandavasi (1760). During

6912-883: The Post and Telegraph Department of India released a stamp commemorating the fort, and in July 2006 a stamp marking the 200th anniversary of the Mutiny was released by the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister . This 16th-century fort was opened up to tourists and is now maintained by the Archaeological Survey of India . Government Museum is a multi-purpose museum maintained by the Department of Museum Government of Tamil Nadu. Its treasures include ancient- and present-day curiosities relating to subjects such as anthropology , botany , geology , numismatics , pre-history, and zoology . Historical monuments of

7056-414: The Second Anglo-Mysore War , but the British garrison held out for over two years before the siege was lifted. The fort was the scene of the Vellore Sepoy Mutiny, popularly called the Vellore Mutiny. In 1806 Vellore Fort was used by the British to station two infantry regiments of the Madras Army plus four companies of an English regiment. The British commander-in-chief of the Madras Army had prescribed

7200-461: The Siege of Ta'if in January 630, Muhammad ordered his followers to attack enemies who fled from the Battle of Hunayn and sought refuge in the fortress of Taif. The entire city of Kerma in Nubia (present day Sudan) was encompassed by fortified walls surrounded by a ditch. Archaeology has revealed various Bronze Age bastions and foundations constructed of stone together with either baked or unfired brick. The walls of Benin are described as

7344-415: The Tamil Nadu Industrial Explosives Limited , and the locality of Katpadi were established as the result of government policy. There has been notable growth of small scale industries and tanneries in the district, which has generated employment opportunities and benefitted farmers. Uzhavar Santhai is a useful market window for farmers. Women-driven self help groups have played an important role in building

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7488-427: The Tang dynasty (618–907 AD). The Great Wall of China had been built since the Qin dynasty (221–207 BC), although its present form was mostly an engineering feat and remodelling of the Ming dynasty (1368–1644 AD). In addition to the Great Wall, a number of Chinese cities also employed the use of defensive walls to defend their cities. Notable Chinese city walls include the city walls of Hangzhou , Nanjing ,

7632-419: The Theodosian Walls of Constantinople , together with partial remains elsewhere. These are mostly city gates, like the Porta Nigra in Trier or Newport Arch in Lincoln . Hadrian's Wall was built by the Roman Empire across the width of what is now northern England following a visit by Roman Emperor Hadrian (AD 76–138) in AD 122. A number of forts dating from the Later Stone Age to

7776-455: The Vellore Municipal Corporation . Vellore New Integrated Bus Terminus was constructed at a cost of ₹46.51 crore in a 9.25 acre area under the Smart City project by the Vellore City Municipal Corporation, it was completed in 24 months and become operational by January 2022. Vellore has three main railway stations: Katpadi Junction , Vellore Cantonment and Vellore Town. The largest is Katpadi Junction (5 km north of CMC hospital). It

7920-401: The "Great Wall of Brodgar" it was 4 metres (13 ft) thick and 4 metres tall. The wall had some symbolic or ritualistic function. The Assyrians deployed large labour forces to build new palaces , temples and defensive walls. In Bronze Age Malta , some settlements also began to be fortified. The most notable surviving example is Borġ in-Nadur , where a bastion built in around 1500 BC

8064-475: The 1977 elections, All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) won the assembly elections in 1977 and 2009, while Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) won seats in 1980, 1984 and 1989. Elections were won twice by the Indian National Congress (INC), in 1991 and 2001, while the Tamil Maanila Congress (TMC) secured seats in 1996 and 2001. The current MLA of Vellore constituency is Mr. P. Karthikeyan, Katpadi constituencyis Mr. Duraimurugan and Aniacut constituency

8208-493: The 1998 and 1999 elections. The current Member of Parliament from the constituency is Kathir Anand from the DMK party. Law enforcement in Vellore is organized by the Vellore subdivision of the Tamil Nadu Police headed by a deputy superintendent. There are four police stations in the city, one of them being an all-women station. Different special task forces focus on prohibition enforcement, district crime, and social justice and human rights. Administrative duties are performed by

8352-530: The 19th and early 20th centuries. The advances in modern warfare since World War I have made large-scale fortifications obsolete in most situations. Many United States Army installations are known as forts, although they are not always fortified. During the pioneering era of North America, many outposts on the frontiers, even non-military outposts, were referred to generically as forts. Larger military installations may be called fortresses; smaller ones were once known as fortalices. The word fortification can refer to

8496-473: The Aruganthampoodi mausoleums, located close to the section of National Highway 48 between Vellore and Arcot, where the family members of Tipu Sultan were buried; and the Muthu Mandapam, a memorial on the banks of Palar River built by the Tamil Nadu Government to honor Sri Vikrama Rajasinha , the last ruler of the Kingdom of Kandy in Sri Lanka , who ruled from 1798 to 1815 and was imprisoned in Vellore Fort for 17 years until his death. The fort of Vellore

8640-468: The British in 1760. Vellore Fort withstood Hyder Ali's siege from 1780 to 1782, and would later become the base for Lord Cornwallis’ march on Bangalore to defeat Tipu Sultan. When Tipu Sultan was killed at Sringapatam during the Fourth Anglo-Mysore War (1798-79 CE), his kingdom was handed back to the Hindu Wodeyar kings of Mysore and the British exiled Tipu's surviving sons, daughters, their families, and their entire entourage to Vellore Fort. They stayed in

8784-553: The Christian Medical College succeeded in reprogramming cells from adult mice to make them function like stem cells found in the human embryo. The agricultural research station at Virinjipuram is in the Northeastern Zone of Tamil Nadu. It is one of 32 research stations of Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU). The Government of India -sponsored National Watershed Development Project for Rainfed Areas (NWDPRA) scheme has been in operation since October 1997, and it makes conservation measures conducted in water and soil of 18 watersheds in

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8928-432: The Construction but all their pain ended in vain unfortunately. Finally they decided to have dharshan of Sri Swamiji who was staying at Shenbakkam. Sri Swamiji mediated Lord and asked the Kings to construct the Fort with little Brindhavanas in between the fort (see the picture). They did as per the advice of Sri Swamiji and the Fort which you see today stands beautiful/strong till the date because of Sri Swamiji blessings. Such

9072-421: The Delhi Army under Daud Khan captured Vellore Fort after defeating the Marathas. The struggle for the Delhi throne empowered the Deccan Muslim governors to declare independence. In 1710 the recently established Nawab of Arcot under Sadat Ullah Khan followed suit. Dost Ali , the latter's successor in 1733, gifted the fort to one of his sons-in-law. Following the decline of Madurai Nayaks, and coinciding with

9216-400: The Evangelist . However, the church was never officially consecrated and hence not officially named as St. John's Church. St. John's Church is the oldest standing church in the Vellore Diocese . Vellore Fort has housed several royal captives over its history. After the fall of Srirangapatnam in 1799 and the death of Tipu Sultan, his family, including his sons, daughters, wife and mother (who

9360-561: The Indian sepoys stationed in the fort attacked the European barracks there, and by late morning had killed about 15 officers and 100 British soldiers and ransacked their houses. Some of the rebelling soldiers also urged the sons of Tipu Sultan to lead them. The news quickly reached the colonel commanding the cavalry cantonment in Arcot , who reached the fort within nine hours with several squadrons of British and Indian cavalry, accompanied by horse-artillery . The mutineers, numbering more than 800, were scattered with heavy losses. By noon

9504-458: The Indus Valley Civilization were fortified. Forts also appeared in urban cities of the Gangetic valley during the second urbanisation period between 600 and 200 BC, and as many as 15 fortification sites have been identified by archaeologists throughout the Gangetic valley, such as Kaushambi , Mahasthangarh , Pataliputra , Mathura , Ahichchhatra , Rajgir , and Lauria Nandangarh . The earliest Mauryan period brick fortification occurs in one of

9648-455: The Iron Age and peaking in Iron Age II (10th–6th century BC). However, the construction of casemate walls had begun to be replaced by sturdier solid walls by the 9th century BC , probably due the development of more effective battering rams by the Neo-Assyrian Empire . Casemate walls could surround an entire settlement, but most only protected part of it. The three different types included freestanding casemate walls, then integrated ones where

9792-413: The Mawlas under the Great Maratha King Shivaji marched south to the Tanjore country, which had recently been attacked and captured by Chokkanatha Nayak of Madurai. That same year, Ekoji , the brother of Chh Shivaji Maharaj took control of Tanjore, but was under threat from his immediate neighbours Madurai and Bijapur Sultans , based in Gingee and Vellore respectively. Shivaji Maharaj’s army first captured

9936-505: The Vellore and Tiruvannamalai districts. Thiruvalluvar University was split off from the University of Madras and is located near Vallimalai , Vellore. Most government-run arts and science colleges in Vellore , Tiruvannamalai , Villupuram and Cuddalore districts are affiliated with Thiruvalluvar University. Thanthai Periyar Government Institute of Technology is the only government engineering college in Vellore. The Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT) has been ranked as one of

10080-444: The Vellore parliament seat was won by the Indian National Congress four times in the 1957, 1962, 1989 and 1991 elections; AIADMK twice during the 1984 and 2014 elections; CWL once during 1951 elections; independent once during the 1980 elections; Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam five times during the 1967, 1971, 1996, 2004 and 2009 elections; once each by NCO during the 1977 elections; and twice by Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) during

10224-435: The Vellore-Chandragiri regions to do trading, which is in present-day Chennai . In the 1650s, Sriranga allied with the Mysore and Tanjore Nayaks and marched south to attack Gingee and Madurai . His first stop was the capture of Gingee Fort, but Thirumalai Nayak of Madurai responded by requesting the Sultan of Bijapur to attack Vellore from the north to divert Sriranga's attention. The Bijapur sultan promptly dispatched

10368-785: The Vijayanagara royal family of Sriranga Raya . The fort houses the Jalakanteswarar Hindu temple , the Christian St. John's Church and a Muslim mosque , of which the Jalakanteswarar Temple is famous for its magnificent carvings. The first significant military rebellion against British rule, the Vellore Mutiny , erupted at this fort in 1806. Vellore Fort is one of the most popular tourist destinations for both domestic and international visitors to Tamil Nadu. Vellore Fort

10512-508: The ancient site of Mycenae (famous for the huge stone blocks of its ' cyclopean ' walls). In classical era Greece , the city of Athens built two parallel stone walls, called the Long Walls , that reached their fortified seaport at Piraeus a few miles away. In Central Europe , the Celts built large fortified settlements known as oppida , whose walls seem partially influenced by those built in

10656-608: The army. With the levels of resentment towards the British already high, the sons of the deceased Tipu Sultan exacerbated the conflict by assisting the mutineers who revolted on 10 July. Under the pretense of attending the wedding of one of Tipu Sultan's daughters, mutineers gathered in Vellore Fort where the wedding was held and revolted. Raising the flag of the Kingdom of Mysore , they declared Tipu Sultan's son Fateh Hyder king. The mutineers inflicted about 200 casualties before their revolt

10800-410: The arrival of cannons on the 14th century battlefield . Fortifications in the age of black powder evolved into much lower structures with greater use of ditches and earth ramparts that would absorb and disperse the energy of cannon fire. Walls exposed to direct cannon fire were very vulnerable, so were sunk into ditches fronted by earth slopes. This placed a heavy emphasis on the geometry of

10944-460: The banks of the Palar River in the northeastern part of Tamil Nadu and is separated into four zones that are further subdivided into 60 wards, covering an area of 153.14  km and housing a population of 315128 as reported by the 2011 census. It is located about 137.20 kilometres (85 mi) west of Chennai , and about 213.20 kilometres (132 mi) east of Bangalore . Vellore is located on

11088-638: The best private engineering universities in India by the India Today magazine. It was established under Section 3 of the University Grants Commission (UGC) Act, 1956, and was founded in 1984 as a self-financing institution called the Vellore Engineering College. The Union Ministry of Human Resources Development conferred University status on Vellore Engineering College in 2001. Christian Medical College & Hospital (CMCH), one of

11232-506: The city center are on Officer's Line, Town Hall Road, Long Bazaar and Bangalore, Scudder, Arni, Gandhi and Katpadi Roads. Many boarding and lodging houses are in and around Scudder and Gandhi Roads. Microsoft Corporation (India) Pvt. Ltd. announced the launch of 14 Microsoft Innovation Centers (MICs) in India. Trichy, Vellore, Coimbatore, Madurai and Salem in Tamil Nadu. Christian Medical College & Hospital (CMCH), on Ida Scudder Road in

11376-453: The city's land area was developed. Out of the developed area, 55.76% was used for residential purposes, 8.34% for commerce, 1.58% for industry, 3.3% for education, 16.46% for public and semi-public use, and 10.12% for transport and communication. Although population density varies between different areas, the average density of the city of Vellore is 241 persons per hectare. Vellore is the municipal headquarters of Vellore district . The town

11520-515: The claims of the Muslims, as in the late 1980s, Muslims including the late Abdul Samad had given a commitment that the Muslims did not want to worship inside the fort structure, in support of re-opening of the Jalagandeeswarar Temple . The local jamaath leadership was also against this move, and blamed fringe political organisations of whipping up communal dis-harmony. The church inside the fort

11664-560: The control of prime agricultural land. The fortification varies by site. While Dholavira has stone-built fortification walls, Harrapa is fortified using baked bricks; sites such as Kalibangan exhibit mudbrick fortifications with bastions and Lothal has a quadrangular fortified layout. Evidence also suggested of fortifications in Mohenjo-daro . Even a small town—for instance, Kotada Bhadli, exhibiting sophisticated fortification-like bastions—shows that nearly all major and minor towns of

11808-483: The country. Leather exports from Vellore account for more than 37% of India's leather exports and leather-related products. Vellore is one of 27 cities chosen by the Government of India to take part in the country's Smart Cities Mission . Oxford Economics Global Cities Index 2024 ranked Vellore as 24th Best City in India and 729th best city in the world According to a legend, many babul trees (known locally as velan trees) surrounded this region, which led to

11952-407: The creation of some towns built around castles. Medieval-style fortifications were largely made obsolete by the arrival of cannons in the 14th century. Fortifications in the age of black powder evolved into much lower structures with greater use of ditches and earth ramparts that would absorb and disperse the energy of cannon fire. Walls exposed to direct cannon fire were very vulnerable, so

12096-931: The current level of military development. During the Renaissance era , the Venetian Republic raised great walls around cities, and the finest examples, among others, are in Nicosia (Cyprus), Rocca di Manerba del Garda (Lombardy), and Palmanova (Italy), or Dubrovnik (Croatia), which proved to be futile against attacks but still stand to this day. Unlike the Venetians, the Ottomans used to build smaller fortifications but in greater numbers, and only rarely fortified entire settlements such as Počitelj , Vratnik , and Jajce in Bosnia . Medieval-style fortifications were largely made obsolete by

12240-485: The defences be constructed far enough away from the fortress town to protect the inhabitants from bombardment by the besiegers, the range of whose guns was steadily increasing as better manufactured weapons were introduced. Threfore, since refortifying the Prussian fortress cities of Koblenz and Cologne after 1815, the principle of the ring fortress or girdle fortress was used: forts, each several hundred metres out from

12384-447: The deity was "Jwarakandeeswarar") is noted for its sculptures, and speaks volumes of the exquisite craftsmanship of the highly skilled artisans of that period. The sculpture in the porch on the left of the entrance is a masterpiece appreciated by the connoisseurs of art and architecture. The temple was long used as an arsenal, and remained without a deity, although several years ago it was sanctified with an idol of Lord Shiva. Vellore Fort

12528-504: The emergence of the British on the Madras coast, conflict developed between the Nawab and his sons-in-law. The Nawab was supported by the British and the rival claimants by the French ; resulting in the Carnatic Wars . The British took possession of Vellore Fort with relative ease and used the fort as a major garrison until Indian independence. In 1780, the fort was besieged by Hyder Ali during

12672-433: The erstwhile composite North Arcot district are gracefully depicted in the gallery. This museum is kept open on all days between 9.00 a.m. and 12.30 p.m. and 2.00 pm and 5.00 pm except on holidays, and admission fee is only INR 5/-. Fort From very early history to modern times, defensive walls have often been necessary for cities to survive in an ever-changing world of invasion and conquest . Some settlements in

12816-704: The escalation of the Sri Lankan Civil War ; Jaffna fort , for example, came under siege several times. Large tempered earth (i.e. rammed earth ) walls were built in ancient China since the Shang dynasty ( c.  1600 –1050 BC); the capital at ancient Ao had enormous walls built in this fashion (see siege for more info). Although stone walls were built in China during the Warring States (481–221 BC), mass conversion to stone architecture did not begin in earnest until

12960-506: The executive control of a municipal commissioner. Legislative powers are held by a body of 60 members, with each councilor being elected from one of the city's wards. The legislative body is headed by an elected mayor who is assisted by a deputy mayor. Vellore is a part of the Vellore , Katpadi and Anaicut assembly constituencies and elects 3 members to the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly once every five years. Since

13104-400: The field, perhaps assisted by such local labour and tools as may be procurable and with materials that do not require much preparation, such as soil, brushwood, and light timber , or sandbags (see sangar ). An example of field fortification was the construction of Fort Necessity by George Washington in 1754. There is also an intermediate branch known as semi-permanent fortification. This

13248-436: The first half of the 19th century, the town came under British rule . Vellore Fort is important to Vellore's history. Due to a lack of historical records, it is not known exactly when the fort was constructed, but estimates based on stone inscriptions suggests that the fort was most likely built during the rule of Chinna Bommi Nayak between 1526 and 1595. The fort is a good example of Tamil Nadu military architecture , while

13392-530: The first significant military rebellion experienced in India by the British, although it has been largely overshadowed by the Bengal mutiny of 1857. It is mentioned that "there is no such fort on the face of earth like the one in Vellore. It had a deep wet ditch (moat) where once 10,000 crocodiles swarmed, waiting to grab every intruder into this impregnable fort. It has huge double walls with bastions projecting irregularly, where two carts can be driven abreast". The fort

13536-571: The fort along with the last Raya kings of Vijayanagara Empire. The fort is situated in the centre of Vellore town opposite to the Old Bus stand. Vellore is on the Chennai-Bangalore highway and is 120 km (75 mi) from Chennai and 210 km (130 mi) from Bangalore . The nearest rail station is Vellore - Katpadi Junction , where all super fast trains stop. The nearest airports are Vellore Airport , Tirupati Airport , Chennai International Airport and Bengaluru International Airport . In 1981

13680-447: The fort. The fort houses a church, a mosque and a Hindu temple, the latter known for its carvings. The first rebellion against British rule erupted at this fort in 1806, and it witnessed the massacre of the Vijayanagara royal family of Emperor Sriranga Raya. The fortifications consist of a main rampart, broken at irregular intervals by round towers and rectangular projections. The main walls are built of massive granite stones, surrounded by

13824-467: The fortification to allow defensive cannonry interlocking fields of fire to cover all approaches to the lower and thus more vulnerable walls. The evolution of this new style of fortification can be seen in transitional forts such as Sarzanello in North West Italy which was built between 1492 and 1502. Sarzanello consists of both crenellated walls with towers typical of the medieval period but also has

13968-521: The frontiers of the Nile Valley to protect against invaders from neighbouring territories, as well as circle-shaped mud brick walls around their cities. Many of the fortifications of the ancient world were built with mud brick, often leaving them no more than mounds of dirt for today's archaeologists. A massive prehistoric stone wall surrounded the ancient temple of Ness of Brodgar 3200 BC in Scotland . Named

14112-504: The generic fort or fortress in that it describes a residence of a monarch or noble and commands a specific defensive territory. An example of this is the massive medieval castle of Carcassonne . Defensive fences for protecting humans and domestic animals against predators was used long before the appearance of writing and began "perhaps with primitive man blocking the entrances of his caves for security from large carnivores ". From very early history to modern times, walls have been

14256-572: The health care industry is growing rapidly. Naruvi Hospitals is a private hospital built at a cost of 3300 million INR, a joint venture between Vellore-based Pearl Human Care and Detroit -based Henry Ford Health . Sri Narayani Aayurvedic Centre was inaugurated by the Union Minister of State for AYUSH Shripad Yesso Naik in August 2019. Rural industries other than agriculture include weaving, beedi and matchstick rolling. The Indian Armed Forces has

14400-619: The heart of the city, is Vellore's largest private employer and has a large floating population from other parts of India and abroad. Lodging, hospitals and allied businesses are among the major sources of income generated in the central part of the city. The Government Vellore Medical College and Hospital (VMCH) are located at Adukamparai in Vellore. With hospitals such as Apollo KH Hospital in Melvisharam and Sri Narayani Hospital & Research Centre in Sripuram, coupled with colleges such as CMC & VIT and other engineering and science colleges,

14544-518: The height of the Maguindanao Sultanate 's power, they blanketed the areas around Western Mindanao with kotas and other fortifications to block the Spanish advance into the region. These kotas were usually made of stone and bamboo or other light materials and surrounded by trench networks. As a result, some of these kotas were burned easily or destroyed. With further Spanish campaigns in the region,

14688-413: The inner wall was part of the outer buildings of the settlement, and finally filled casemate walls, where the rooms between the walls were filled with soil right away, allowing for a quick, but nevertheless stable construction of particularly high walls. The Romans fortified their cities with massive, mortar-bound stone walls. The most famous of these are the largely extant Aurelian Walls of Rome and

14832-451: The international brands that have manufacturing units in the city. Automobile and mechanical companies of global brands, including SAME Deutz-Fahr , TVS–Brakes India, Mitsubishi , Greaves Cotton and MRF have their manufacturing units in the area. Brakes India Sholingur's foundry division is located at Vellore- Sholingur and is a major employer in the area. Asia's biggest explosives manufacturing company, Tamil Nadu Explosives Limited (TEL),

14976-402: The intervals between them. The arrival of explosive shells in the 19th century led to yet another stage in the evolution of fortification. Star forts did not fare well against the effects of high explosives and the intricate arrangements of bastions, flanking batteries and the carefully constructed lines of fire for the defending cannon could be rapidly disrupted by explosive shells. Worse,

15120-686: The king and other royals in the event of an attack. This report was however later disputed by researchers of the ASI who found no evidence of the existence of such a passage. The fort is considered to be amongst the best examples of military architecture in Southern India and is known for its grand ramparts, wide moat and robust masonry. The fort houses a temple, a mosque, a church and many other buildings that are now used as public offices including Tamil Nadu's oldest police training centre. The Jalagandeeswarar Temple , dedicated to Jalagandeeswar,(the original name of

15264-413: The large open ditches surrounding forts of this type were an integral part of the defensive scheme, as was the covered way at the edge of the counter scarp . The ditch was extremely vulnerable to bombardment with explosive shells. In response, military engineers evolved the polygonal style of fortification. The ditch became deep and vertically sided, cut directly into the native rock or soil, laid out as

15408-679: The largest hospitals in India and Asia, is based out of Vellore. It is a major health care provider for the surrounding districts. Auxilium Women's College (founded in 1954) is the first women's college in Vellore district; Other arts and sciences colleges in the city are the Dhanabakyam Krishnaswamy Mudhaliar Women's College (DKM) near Sainathapuram and the Muthurangam Government Arts College (MGAC) in Otteri, near Bagayam. Voorhees College (founded 1898)

15552-476: The main antecedents of castles in Europe , which emerged in the 9th century in the Carolingian Empire . The Early Middle Ages saw the creation of some towns built around castles. These cities were only rarely protected by simple stone walls and more usually by a combination of both walls and ditches . From the 12th century, hundreds of settlements of all sizes were founded all across Europe, which very often obtained

15696-567: The mutiny was put down. The events lead to a court of inquiry by the British, who decided to shift the Tipu Sultan's family from Vellore to faraway Calcutta , in isolation. The news of the Vellore Rebellion sent shockwaves to Britain . The governor, Lord William Bentinck , and Commander-in-Chief of the Madras Army, Sir John Cradock both were recalled on this count. The Vellore Mutiny was

15840-706: The name 'Vellore'. Vellore is also known as the Second Madras because of its importance and location relative to Chennai (Madras). The recorded history of Vellore dates back to the ninth century, as seen from a Chola inscription in the Annamalaiyar Temple in Tiruvannamalai . Vellore is strategically located and well-connected by rail and bus routes to major towns in the neighbouring states of Andhra Pradesh , Karnataka and Kerala . Many dynasties and rulers dominated Vellore throughout its history, including

15984-525: The old walled city of Manila located along the southern bank of the Pasig River . The historic city was home to centuries-old churches, schools, convents, government buildings and residences, the best collection of Spanish colonial architecture before much of it was destroyed by the bombs of World War II . Of all the buildings within the 67-acre city, only one building, the San Agustin Church, survived

16128-440: The original enceinte, were carefully sited so as to make best use of the terrain and to be capable of mutual support with the neighbouring forts. Gone were citadels surrounding towns: forts were to be moved to the outside of the cities some 12 km to keep the enemy at a distance so their artillery could not bombard the city center. From now on a ring of forts were to be built at a spacing that would allow them to effectively cover

16272-711: The outset of colonial rule in the Indian Ocean , Sri Lanka was occupied by several major colonial empires that from time to time became the dominant power in the Indian Ocean. The colonists built several western-style forts, mostly in and around the coast of the island. The first to build colonial forts in Sri Lanka were the Portuguese ; these forts were captured and later expanded by the Dutch . The British occupied these Dutch forts during

16416-711: The palaces in the fort and participated in the mutiny of 1806. In 1805, the new Commander-in-Chief of the Madras Army of the British East India Company , General Sir John Cradock , began an ambitious reform of the army's disciplinary system. New, standardized regulations were approved for the Madras Army, which dictated how sepoys should wear their uniforms and appear on duty. Under these regulations, Hindus were prohibited from wearing religious marks on their foreheads while on duty, and Muslims were required to shave their beards and trim their moustaches. One change that

16560-409: The practice of improving an area's defense with defensive works. City walls are fortifications but are not necessarily called fortresses. The art of setting out a military camp or constructing a fortification traditionally has been called castrametation since the time of the Roman legions . Laying siege to a fortification and of destroying it is commonly called siegecraft or siege warfare and

16704-471: The purpose of a watch tower, to guard certain roads, passes, and borders. Though smaller than a real fortress, they acted as a border guard rather than a real strongpoint to watch and maintain the border. The art of setting out a military camp or constructing a fortification traditionally has been called "castrametation" since the time of the Roman legions . Fortification is usually divided into two branches: permanent fortification and field fortification. There

16848-636: The resistance of the outer wall against battering rams. Originally thought to have been introduced to the region by the Hittites , this has been disproved by the discovery of examples predating their arrival, the earliest being at Ti'inik (Taanach) where such a wall has been dated to the 16th century BC . Casemate walls became a common type of fortification in the Southern Levant between the Middle Bronze Age (MB) and Iron Age II, being more numerous during

16992-550: The rest of the state, April to June are the hottest months and December to January are the mildest. Vellore receives 1,034.1 mm (40.71 in) of rainfall every year. The southwestern monsoon from June to September brings 517.1 millimetres or 20.36 inches of rainfall, with September being the rainiest month. The northeastern monsoon which lasts from October to December brings 388.4 millimetres or 15.29 inches of rainfall. The humidity ranges from 40%–63% during summer and 67%–86% during winter. According to 2011 census , Vellore had

17136-429: The right of fortification soon afterward. The founding of urban centres was an important means of territorial expansion and many cities, especially in eastern Europe , were founded precisely for this purpose during the period of Eastern Colonisation . These cities are easy to recognise due to their regular layout and large market spaces. The fortifications of these settlements were continuously improved to reflect

17280-566: The rival factions of the royal family, with the younger son Rama Deva Raya of the emperor smuggled out from the fort by supporting factions of the emperor. These events led to the Battle of Toppur in 1616, one of the largest Southern Indian wars of the century. In 1639 CE, Francis Day of the East India Company obtained a small strip of land in the Coromandel Coast from the Nayakas of

17424-463: The rural economy and teaching rural women to be self-reliant. Vellore has also seen a period of upward social growth with improvement in literacy and the local economy. Literacy improved in part due to the Arivoli Movement. Vellore is at 12°55′N 79°08′E  /  12.92°N 79.13°E  / 12.92; 79.13 , 220m above sea level. The city has a tropical savanna climate. It

17568-435: The stockades by mounting old-fashioned bayonet charges, after laying down some covering fire. Defensive works were of importance in the tropical African Kingdoms. In the Kingdom of Kongo field fortifications were characterized by trenches and low earthen embankments. Such strongpoints ironically, sometimes held up much better against European cannon than taller, more imposing structures. Roman forts and hill forts were

17712-438: The stupa mounds of Lauria Nandangarh, which is 1.6 km in perimeter and oval in plan and encloses a habitation area. Mundigak ( c.  2500 BC ) in present-day south-east Afghanistan has defensive walls and square bastions of sun dried bricks. India currently has over 180 forts, with the state of Maharashtra alone having over 70 forts, which are also known as durg , many of them built by Shivaji , founder of

17856-525: The sultanate was subdued and a majority of kotas dismantled or destroyed. kotas were not only used by the Muslims as defense against Spaniards and other foreigners, renegades and rebels also built fortifications in defiance of other chiefs in the area. During the American occupation, rebels built strongholds and the datus, rajahs, or sultans often built and reinforced their kotas in a desperate bid to maintain rule over their subjects and their land. Many of these forts were also destroyed by American expeditions, as

18000-474: The two sides in a stalemate. Hoping to make several attacks at once, the confederates persuaded the Medina-allied Banu Qurayza to attack the city from the south. However, Muhammad's diplomacy derailed the negotiations, and broke up the confederacy against him. The well-organized defenders, the sinking of confederate morale, and poor weather conditions caused the siege to end in a fiasco. During

18144-499: The walls were sunk into ditches fronted by earth slopes to improve protection. The arrival of explosive shells in the 19th century led to another stage in the evolution of fortification. Star forts did not fare well against the effects of high explosives, and the intricate arrangements of bastions, flanking batteries and the carefully constructed lines of fire for the defending cannon could be rapidly disrupted by explosive shells. Steel -and- concrete fortifications were common during

18288-559: The war. Partial listing of Spanish forts: The Ivatan people of the northern islands of Batanes built their so-called idjang on hills and elevated areas to protect themselves during times of war. These fortifications were likened to European castles because of their purpose. Usually, the only entrance to the castles would be via a rope ladder that would only be lowered for the villagers and could be kept away when invaders arrived. The Igorots built forts made of stone walls that averaged several meters in width and about two to three times

18432-410: The width in height around 2000 BC. The Muslim Filipinos of the south built strong fortresses called kota or moong to protect their communities. Usually, many of the occupants of these kotas are entire families rather than just warriors. Lords often had their own kotas to assert their right to rule, it served not only as a military installation but as a palace for the local Lord. It is said that at

18576-627: The world's second longest man-made structure, as well as the most extensive earthwork in the world, by the Guinness Book of Records, 1974 . The walls may have been constructed between the thirteenth and mid-fifteenth century CE or, during the first millennium CE. Strong citadels were also built other in areas of Africa. Yorubaland for example had several sites surrounded by the full range of earthworks and ramparts seen elsewhere, and sited on ground. This improved defensive potential—such as hills and ridges. Yoruba fortifications were often protected with

18720-430: Was a large Celtic proto-urban or city-like settlement at modern-day Manching (near Ingolstadt), Bavaria (Germany). The settlement was founded in the 3rd century BC and existed until c.  50–30 BC . It reached its largest extent during the late La Tène period (late 2nd century BC), when it had a size of 380 hectares. At that time, 5,000 to 10,000 people lived within its 7.2 km long walls. The oppidum of Bibracte

18864-543: Was built around 1566 CE by the chieftains of Sadashiv Raya of the Vijayanagara Empire. In the mid-17th century the fort was owned by various parties. The Aravidus, the last dynasty that ruled Vijayanagara lost Vellore to the Bijapur Sultan before being captured by the Marathas after a siege that lasted four and a half months in 1676. The fort came under the charge of Dost Ali, the Nawab of Carnatic, before passing on to

19008-415: Was built by Chinna Bommi Reddi and Thimma Nayak, subordinate chieftains under emperor Sadasiva Raya of the Vijayanagara Empire in the year 1566 CE. The Fort gained strategic prominence following the re-establishment of Vijayanagara rule with Chandragiri as their 4th capital after the Battle of Talikota . The Aravidu Dynasty that held the title of Rayas in 17th century resided in this fort, using it as

19152-470: Was constructed during the early British period (Robert Clive, East Indian Company). Muthu Mandapam is a memorial built around the tombstone of Sri Vikrama Rajasinha , the last ruler of Sri Lanka . St. John's Church, Vellore located inside the Vellore Fort was raised in 1846 by the Government of Madras for the officers and men of the East India Company military station. The church is named after St. John

19296-526: Was constructed during the period of Kings Bommi & Timmi Nayaks. Do you know that this fort still stands strong because of the blessings of Sri Sathyadhiraja Tirtha Swamiji..? Yes, it is because of HIS holiness Sri Sathyadhiraja Tirtha Swamiji powers. When the Kings initially constructed the Fort the stones/ bricks did not stand properly due to the erosion in the soil. The Kings called up those days Architects and proceeded

19440-526: Was constructed in granite from the nearby quarries in Arcot and Chittoor districts. It spreads over an area of 133 acres (0.54 km) and is located at an altitude of 220 m (720 ft) within a broken mountain range. The fort is surrounded by a moat which was once used as an additional line of defence in the case of an invasion. It was supposed to have included an escape tunnel leading to Virinjipuram about 12 km (7.5 mi) away, which could be used by

19584-549: Was employed in later wars against the British to block British advances. Some of these fortifications were over a hundred yards long, with heavy parallel tree trunks. They were impervious to destruction by artillery fire. Behind these stockades, numerous Ashanti soldiers were mobilized to check enemy movement. While formidable in construction, many of these strongpoints failed because Ashanti guns, gunpowder and bullets were poor, and provided little sustained killing power in defense. Time and time again British troops overcame or bypassed

19728-517: Was encircled by a fortified wall. The huge walls around the settlement, which were built very tall and with stone blocks which are 6 feet (1.8 m) high and 4.5 feet (1.4 m) thick, make it one of the earliest walled settlements in Europe but it is younger than the walled town of Sesklo in Greece from 6800 BC. Uruk in ancient Sumer ( Mesopotamia ) is one of the world's oldest known walled cities . The Ancient Egyptians also built fortresses on

19872-556: Was especially problematic was a new headdress associated with Indian converts to Christianity, which included a leather cockade . This caused an uproar, as leather was a cultural taboo for the upper caste sepoys of the Madras Army. As a result, many sepoys believed that their British officers were conspiring to convert them to Christianity. In May 1806, a few soldiers protested against these changes and were sent to Fort St. George in Chennai, where they were publicly lashed and discharged from

20016-509: Was established in Vellore in December 2005. The central government's biotechnology department selected the Christian Medical College (CMC) as the first in a series of centers as it already had world-class clinical hematology and biochemistry departments. The college made a breakthrough which attracted the attention of the country's medical and scientific community: the Centre for Stem Cell Research at

20160-400: Was first recognized as a third-grade municipality in 1866, promoted to first-grade in 1947, to selection-grade in 1970, and to a municipal corporation on 1st August 2008. The functions of the Vellore Municipal Corporation are divided into six departments: General Administration/Personnel, Engineering, Revenue, Public Health, Planning, and Information Technology (IT). These departments are under

20304-435: Was found. Exceptions were few—notably, ancient Sparta and ancient Rome did not have walls for a long time, choosing to rely on their militaries for defence instead. Initially, these fortifications were simple constructions of wood and earth, which were later replaced by mixed constructions of stones piled on top of each other without mortar . In ancient Greece , large stone walls had been built in Mycenaean Greece , such as

20448-478: Was published by Giovanni Battista Zanchi in 1554. Fortifications also extended in depth, with protected batteries for defensive cannonry, to allow them to engage attacking cannons to keep them at a distance and prevent them from bearing directly on the vulnerable walls. The result was star shaped fortifications with tier upon tier of hornworks and bastions , of which Fort Bourtange is an excellent example. There are also extensive fortifications from this era in

20592-409: Was put down by reinforcements under the command of Sir Hugh Robert Rollo Gillespie ; many of the mutineers were captured and summarily executed or court-martialed. As a result of the uprising, the dress codes were retracted, and Cradock was dismissed. Although the mutiny took place before larger revolts in the 1850s, it was indicative of the simmering dissent in the Indian soldiery. The Vellore mutiny

20736-586: Was the wife of Hyder Ali ), was detained in the fort. After the 1806 Sepoy Mutiny , the British transferred Tipu's sons and daughters to Calcutta . The tombs of Bakshi Begum (died 1806), widow of Hyder Ali and Padshah Begum, Tipu's wife & sons, who died in 1834 are located within a kilometer of the eastern side of the fort. Vellore Fort also became the final destination for the last ruling monarch of Sri Lanka , Sri Vikrama Rajasinha (1798–1815). The king and his family were kept as prisoners of war at this fort for 17 years with his family. His grave can be found in

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