File:13th century Vellore Fort Gateway with moat, painted in 1784.jpg

English: This painting by an unknown artist was published in 1784, and is now preserved at the British Library (Item ID: WD644). Given its age and it being a 2-D artwork, Wikimedia Commons PD-Art guidelines apply and this is in public domain.

The Vellore Fort in Tamil Nadu was commissioned by Sinna Bommi Reddi. It is surrounded by a moat and has double walls of blue granite. The fort is punctuated by round towers and huge gateways with Hindu motifs. This is a fine example of a South Indian style Hindu fort.

Historical literature states that the Vellore fort moat was filled with crocodiles to add an extra line of defense against mounted soldiers seeking to mount its walls. It faced numerous attacks during the Sultanate period, then came under Vijayanagara Empire control who added a temple. In the 17th century it fell to the Muslim Adil Shahis of Bijapur. After the fall of the Mughals and Deccan Sultans, the Vellore fort came under the Marathas. Then British took over the fort in 1768. Haider Ali tried to capture it in 1782, but failed. In 1799, the British army held the family of Tipu Sultan here.