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General Knowledge · Class 7 · History and people

Forts and castles

Why would a king build a fort with huge water tanks inside its walls?

Small test at the end: scroll down to the end of this page for five short questions that check what you have learnt. Tap an answer, then press Check answer. Go to the questions ↓

Jump to: Read first · Try it away from the screen · Check it yourself · Check yourself · For teachers

Read first

6 facts. The questions below make you use them, not just remember them.

  1. Forts protected rulers, soldiers and townspeople. Big forts stored food and water so they could hold out during a siege that might last months.
  2. Six hill forts of Rajasthan, including Chittorgarh, Kumbhalgarh, Amber and Jaisalmer, are a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Kumbhalgarh's wall runs for about 36 km.
  3. Jaisalmer Fort is a "living fort": thousands of people still live and work inside its walls.
  4. Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj built and strengthened many hill and sea forts. Sindhudurg, built in the 1660s on an island off the Konkan coast, guarded the sea.
  5. The Red Fort in Delhi was completed in 1648 for Emperor Shah Jahan. Every Independence Day, the Prime Minister raises the flag there.
  6. In Europe, stone castles had moats (ditches of water) and drawbridges that could be raised to keep attackers out.

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Try it away from the screen

Build a small fort from sand, mud or blocks. Where would you keep water? Where would guards stand? Where is the weakest spot? Ask someone to "attack" it and see.

Make it on paper. Keep it with you. Nothing to upload.

Check it yourself

Forts have many legends, such as secret tunnels. Ask a guide or check the Archaeological Survey of India: which stories are proven and which are only told?

Check yourself

Five questions about what this page teaches. Choose an answer and press Check answer, or open "See the answer and why". Nothing is saved or sent: your choices stay on this screen and disappear when you leave or reload the page.

  1. Question 1 of 5Where does the Prime Minister raise the flag every Independence Day?

    See the answer and why
    • A. At Rashtrapati Bhavan Not this one. The President lives there; the Independence Day flag is raised at the Red Fort.
    • B. At Amber Fort in Jaipur, in Rajasthan Not this one. Amber is a famous fort, but the national ceremony is at the Red Fort.
    • C. At India Gate Not this one. India Gate is a war memorial, nearby on Kartavya Path.
    • D. At the Red Fort in Delhi Correct. Yes. The tradition began on 15 August 1947.
  2. Question 2 of 5The Red Fort was completed in 1648. How many years later did India become independent, in 1947?

    See the answer and why
    • A. 289 Not this one. Check the tens: 1648 + 289 is 1937.
    • B. 309 Not this one. Check the tens: 1648 + 309 is 1957.
    • C. 399 Not this one. Check the hundreds: 1648 + 399 is 2047.
    • D. 299 Correct. Yes. 1947 − 1648 = 299 years.
  3. Question 3 of 5Why did forts have big water tanks inside them?

    See the answer and why
    • A. To last through a long siege Correct. Yes. Enemies would surround a fort and cut off supplies.
    • B. To make the fort heavier so it could not be pushed Not this one. Stone walls are heavy enough. Water was stored to drink.
    • C. To put out fires from fireworks Not this one. Water helped with fires, but mainly it kept people alive in a siege.
    • D. For swimming and for keeping the king's pet fish Not this one. Some palaces had pools, but the tanks were for survival.
  4. Question 4 of 5Why was Sindhudurg built on an island in the sea?

    See the answer and why
    • A. So that sailors could find it on the map Not this one. It was built for defence, not as a sign for sailors.
    • B. Because the king liked the view of the waves Not this one. A good view helped spot enemy ships, but defence was the reason.
    • C. To guard the coast, with the sea as protection Correct. Yes. Ships and soldiers could not reach its walls easily.
    • D. Because land on the coast was too costly to buy Not this one. Rulers chose fort sites for defence, not for price.
  5. Question 5 of 5What makes Jaisalmer Fort different from most old forts?

    See the answer and why
    • A. It was built only fifty years ago Not this one. It was founded in the 1100s.
    • B. It is made entirely of white marble Not this one. It is built of yellow sandstone, which glows golden.
    • C. People still live inside it Correct. Yes. It is one of the few "living forts" in the world.
    • D. It floats on a lake Not this one. It stands on a hill in the Thar Desert.

For teachers and grown-upsWhere the facts come from, and how to use this round.

Sources and notes
  • Hill Forts of Rajasthan: UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2013 (Chittorgarh, Kumbhalgarh, Ranthambore, Gagron, Amber, Jaisalmer).
  • Red Fort: also a UNESCO site (2007). Sindhudurg: built 1664 to 1667.
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