Dear Herman, 

If besides the epics you are interested in the Puranas and Arthasastra:

Losch, Hans, 1959. Rājadharma: Einsetzung und Aufgabenkreis des Königs im 
Lichte des Purāṇa's. (Bonner Orientalistische Studien, NS 8.) Bonn: 
Selbstverlag des Orientalischen Seminars der Universität Bonn. xi, 397 pp.
B. Die Aufgaben des Königs. 3. Anlage einer Festung und die damit verknüpften 
Aufgaben (pp. 69-76). 

Schilanglauf, Dieter, 1967. Arthaśāstra-Studien II. Die Anlage einer Festung 
(durgavidhAna). Wiener Zeitschrift für die Kunde Süd- und Ostasiens 11: 44-85. 

Schlingloff, Dieter, 2013. Fortified cities in ancient India: A comparative 
study. Anthem.

There are many books on forts in India, but they probably do contain references 
to ancient texts. You might be interested in the works of Jean Deloche, who has 
focused on Tamil and Andhra fortresses:

 Deloche, Jean, 2000. Senji (Ginji): Ville fortifié du pays tamoul*. 
Pondichéry. x, 392 pp. Pb INR 1800. 

 Deloche, Jean, 2005. Senji (Ginji): A fortified city in the Tamil country.

Deloche, Jean, 2007. Studies on fortification in India.

Deloche, Jean, 2009. Four forts of the Deccan. (Collection Indologie, no. 111.) 
Pondichéry: IFP / EFEO. 206 pp., ill. INR 1000. 
This book presents four significant fortifications of South India, each of 
which furnishes evidence of the excellence of the military technology developed 
in the Deccan between the 13th and 18th centuries. They have been selected for 
very specific reasons:
Daulatabad, because the successive periods of building of this most amazing 
fortified town can be observed from the Yadavas to the Nizam Shahis, i.e. from 
the 13th to the 17th century;
Mudugal, because, in this place contested for centuries by Hindu and Muslim 
rulers, we can fully document the manner in which the Adil Shahis of Bijapur 
restored the old fort with innovative defence works between the middle of the 
16th and the end of the 17th century; 
Gandikota, because there are anomalies that have to be explained about this 
wonderfully picturesque site, particularly in the layout of the walls and in 
the form of the flanks built by the Muslims in the second half of the 17th 
century; finally, 
Gutti, because this stronghold, reputed for its perennial water resources and 
renovated with works influenced by European designs in the second half of the 
18th century, represents the last phase in the history of Indian fortification 
before the British period.

Deloche, Jean, 2013. Ancient fortifications of the Tamil country as recorded in 
eighteenth century French plans. (Collection Indologie 120.) Pondicherry: 
Institut Francais de Pondichery. 28 cm, viii, 140 pp., full of col. & bw ill., 
bibl., index. Pb 14 USD. ISBN 978-81-84701937.

With best wishes, Asko

Asko Parpola
Professor emeritus of Indology and South Asian Studies
University of Helsinki, Finland

> On 18. Mar 2022, at 10.35, Tieken, H.J.H. (Herman) via INDOLOGY 
> <[email protected]> wrote:
> 
> Dear List members,
> In an article I am writing I want to refer to descriptions of fortified towns 
> in the epics. The only publication specifically dealing with such 
> descriptions that I know of and have at home is J.K. de Cock, Eene 
> oudindsiche stad volgens het epos (Groningen 1899). .I do not think that a 
> reference to this book is useful in an English publication. Are there other 
> books or articles about descriptions (not archaeological finds) of fortified 
> towns in the epics (Shonaleeka Kaul deals mainly with Kāvya)?
> With kind regards, Herman  
> 
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