stables, stood within the bailey. A ditch
called a moat protected the motte and
sometimes the bailey, too.
Later Castles
Over time castles were made stronger.
Beginning in the 1100s builders increasingly
used stone instead of wood. A
typical stone castle was surrounded by a
moat. The main walls of most castles
were very thick—sometimes more than
15 feet (4.6 meters). Special defenses
blocked the entrance. A hinged drawbridge
across the moat could be pulled
up to cover the gateway. In front of the
gateway hung the portcullis, a heavy
grate that slid in stone grooves and
could be dropped into place very
quickly. Farther inside was a large gate.
Within the walls was a central structure
called the keep, or donjon. This replaced
the tower that stood on the motte of the
In India there
are thousands
of different
jatis. This is
because each
city or region
may have its
own set of
castes.
52 Caste BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA
earlier castles. It was the strongest and
most secure part of the castle. Some
keeps consisted of one high building.
Others took the form of a high wall that
enclosed several buildings. In early stone
castles the keep had everything needed
to withstand a long siege. During a
siege, enemies camped outside and prevented
anyone from entering or leaving.
In castles built later, however, the keep
became a place to go for safety after all
other defenses had failed.
Beginning in the late 1200s a new
design began to appear. These had walls
in the shape of a square. Round towers
were spaced along the walls. Inside was
another, larger wall with large towers
The three main types of castles are the motte and bailey castle, the stone castle and keep,
and the concentric castle.
BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA Castle 53
and a gatehouse. These were called concentric
castles. The living quarters and
other buildings were within the inner
walls. There was no need for a keep
because the towers were used for
defense.
Decline of the Castle
Castles lost their usefulness in the late
Middle Ages. Large firearms developed
at that time could hurl cannonballs over
or through a castle’s walls. Beginning in
about 1500 forts replaced castles as military
defenses, and rulers lived in palaces
or mansions. Some castles still stand
today and are popular tourist attractions.
Castries
Population
(2001 census),
city, 10,634
Castries is the capital of Saint Lucia, an
island country in the Caribbean Sea.
Mount Fortune rises high above the
town and its pretty beaches. Castries is
the country’s largest town and chief
port. Tourism and banking are also
important to the town’s economy.
Hundreds of years ago the Carib
Indians lived on the island. French
people settled there in the mid-1600s.
For many years the French and British
battled for control of the harbor at
Castries. The island changed hands
several times. It became a British colony
in the early 1800s. In 1979 Saint Lucia
became an independent country with
Castries as its capital.
#More to explore
Saint Lucia
Castro, Fidel
Fidel Castro ruled the country of Cuba
for many years. He established a form of
government called Communism. This
meant that he had a great deal of control
over the country and its people.
Early Life
Fidel Castro was born on August 13,
1926, in eastern Cuba. His father was a
farmer who grew sugarcane. As a boy
Locally grown produce is sold at a market
in Castries, Saint Lucia.
54 Castries BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA
Fidel worked in the fields. Later he went
to law school. There he became involved
in politics. He graduated in 1950. As a
lawyer Castro defended the poor.
Revolutionary
The leader of Cuba at the time was a
man named Fulgencio Batista. Many
people opposed Batista. He treated his
enemies harshly. He also stole money
from the country.
Castro and his brother Raul formed a
group to oppose Batista. On July 26,
1953, the group attacked a military
post. Most of the attackers died, and the
Castros were imprisoned. After they
were released from prison they continued
to attack the government. On January
1, 1959, Batista left Cuba. Castro
soon took control of the country.
Dictator
As leader of the country, Castro brought
changes to Cuba. He took control of
factories and farms. He permitted no
political opposition. However, he did
make some changes to help the common
people. Many Cubans left the country
when Castro took over. Some of them
later returned to try to overthrow Castro,
but they were not successful.
For many years the Soviet Union supported
Cuba’s economy. After the Soviet
Union broke up in 1991, Cuba’s economy
struggled. Castro then allowed some
economic reforms. In the early 2000s he
began to suffer health problems. When
he had surgery in 2006 he gave his
brother Raul power to rule until he
recovered. In 2008 Fidel Castro officially
stepped down as president of Cuba.
..More to explore
Communism • Cuba
Cat
The domestic cat, or house cat, is a
small mammal that has lived among
people for thousands of years. People
have kept cats as pets, used them as
hunters, and even worshipped them as
gods. Domestic cats belong to the same
animal family as the lion, tiger, jaguar,
Fidel Castro
