|
Pata (sword)
The pata () is a sword, originating from the Indian subcontinent, with a gauntlet integrated as a handguard. Often referred to in its native Marathi as a dandpatta, it is commonly called a gauntlet-sword in English. Description The pata has a long straight blade ranging in length from . The blades were locally made by native artisans. The characteristic feature of the pata is its hilt which takes the form of a half-gauntlet, the inside of which is usually padded. The hilt is attached to the blade by decorative arms that extend forward on both sides of the blade. The Mughals developed a variation with matchlock pistols adjoining the handle. The hilt also has a long cuff which is usually decorated and in older examples inlaid and embellished with gold and silver. The swordsman holds the weapon by gripping a crossbar inside the gauntlet. The cuff is held close to the forearm by another bar or chain. History Created in Medieval India, the pata's use in warfare appears to be mostl ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Indian Subcontinent
The Indian subcontinent is a physiographic region of Asia below the Himalayas which projects into the Indian Ocean between the Bay of Bengal to the east and the Arabian Sea to the west. It is now divided between Bangladesh, India, and Pakistan. (subscription required) Although the terms "Indian subcontinent" and "South Asia" are often also used interchangeably to denote a wider region which includes, in addition, Bhutan, the Maldives, Nepal and Sri Lanka, the "Indian subcontinent" is more of a geophysical term, whereas "South Asia" is more geopolitical. "South Asia" frequently also includes Afghanistan, which is not considered part of the subcontinent even in extended usage.Jim Norwine & Alfonso González, ''The Third World: states of mind and being'', pages 209, Taylor & Francis, 1988, Quote: ""The term "South Asia" also signifies the Indian Subcontinent""Raj S. Bhopal, ''Ethnicity, race, and health in multicultural societies'', pages 33, Oxford University Press, 2007, ; Q ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mardani Khel
Mardani Khel and Bothati are armed Indian martial arts from Maharashtra. They are particularly known for their use of the uniquely Indian pata (sword), patta (sword) and ''vita'' (corded lance). The early history of Bothati as a distinct system is difficult to trace prior to the 17th century, but it is said to owe its development to the particular geographic conditions of Maharashtra. A hilly region characterized by valleys and caves, the inhabitants became expert horsemen who favoured light armour and highly mobile cavalry units during war. History Maratha empire Mardani khel began its rise to prominence during the early 1600s when the Deccan sultanates relied on the guerilla tactics of Maratha units led by Shahaji. His son Shivaji, Shivaji Raje Bhosale learned the art of fighting from a young age and by his adolescence was already proficient in the use of various arms. His weapon of choice was a 4-foot sword named Bhawani. At the age of 17, Shivaji took advantage of the chaotic a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Indian Martial Arts
Indian martial arts refers to the fighting systems of the Indian subcontinent. A variety of terms are used for the English phrases "Indian martial arts", deriving from ancient sources. While they may seem to imply specific disciplines (e.g. archery, armed combat), by Classical times they were used generically for all fighting systems. Among the most common terms today, '' śastra-vidyā'', is a compound of the words ' (weapon) and ' (knowledge). ''Dhanurveda'' derives from the words for bow (') and knowledge ('), the "science of archery" in Puranic literature, later applied to martial arts in general. The Vishnu Purana text describes dhanuveda as one of the traditional eighteen branches of "applied knowledge" or upaveda, along with ''shastrashāstra'' or military science. A later term, ''yuddha kalā'', comes from the words ''yuddha'' meaning fight or combat and ''kalā'' meaning art or skill. The related term ''śastra kalā'' (lit. weapon art) usually refers specifically to ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
South Asian Swords
South is one of the cardinal directions or compass points. The direction is the opposite of north and is perpendicular to both west and east. Etymology The word ''south'' comes from Old English ''sūþ'', from earlier Proto-Germanic ''*sunþaz'' ("south"), possibly related to the same Proto-Indo-European root that the word ''sun'' derived from. Some languages describe south in the same way, from the fact that it is the direction of the sun at noon (in the Northern Hemisphere), like Latin meridies 'noon, south' (from medius 'middle' + dies 'day', ), while others describe south as the right-hand side of the rising sun, like Biblical Hebrew תֵּימָן teiman 'south' from יָמִין yamin 'right', Aramaic תַּימנַא taymna from יָמִין yamin 'right' and Syriac ܬܰܝܡܢܳܐ taymna from ܝܰܡܝܺܢܳܐ yamina (hence the name of Yemen, the land to the south/right of the Levant). South is sometimes abbreviated as S. Navigation By convention, the ''bottom or down-f ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Indian Swords
Indian or Indians may refer to: Associated with India * of or related to India ** Indian people ** Indian diaspora ** Languages of India ** Indian English, a dialect of the English language ** Indian cuisine Associated with indigenous peoples of the Americas * Indigenous peoples of the Americas ** First Nations in Canada ** Native Americans in the United States ** Indigenous peoples of the Caribbean ** Indigenous languages of the Americas Places * Indian, West Virginia, U.S. * The Indians, an archipelago of islets in the British Virgin Islands Arts and entertainment Film * ''Indian'' (film series), a Tamil-language film series ** ''Indian'' (1996 film) * ''Indian'' (2001 film), a Hindi-language film Music * Indians (musician), Danish singer Søren Løkke Juul * "The Indian", an unreleased song by Basshunter * "Indian" (song), by Sturm und Drang, 2007 * "Indians" (song), by Anthrax, 1987 * Indians, a song by Gojira from the 2003 album '' The Link'' Other uses ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Edged And Bladed Weapons
An edged weapon, or bladed weapon, is a hand-to-hand combat weapon with a cutting edge. Bladed weapons include swords, daggers, knives, and bayonets. Edged weapons are used to cut, hack, or slash; some edged weapons (such as many kinds of swords) may also permit thrusting and stabbing. Edged weapons contrast with blunt weapons such as maces, and with pointed weapons such as spears. Many edged agricultural tools such as machetes, hatchets, axes, sickles, sling blades, and scythes, have been used as improvised weapons by peasantry, militia, or irregular forces – particularly as an expedient for defence. Edged weapons and blades, as well as other cold weapons, are associated with the premodern age but continue to be used in modern armies. Combat knives and knife bayonets are used for close combat or stealth operations and are issued as a secondary or sidearm. Modern bayonets are often intended to be used in a dual role as both a combat knife and knife bayonet. Improvised ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Scissor (gladiator)
The scissor (pl. scissores) was a List of Roman gladiator types, type of Ancient Rome, Roman gladiator. Very little is known about them and they were not mentioned after the first century BCE. The name, from the verb ''scindere'' ("to cut") means cleaver, carver, or slasher. Historian Marcus Junkelmann identified what he termed a scissor in a relief in the late 1980s. The figure, however, has also been identified as an ''arbelas'' by other historians. It is possible that the scissores went extinct or were later reclassed as ''Arbelas, arbelai''. The scissores may have evolved from the ''secutor'' due to the similarity in armor, helmet, and ''gladius'', as well as being "anti-retiarius." Scissores wore a full-face helmet similar to that of the ''hoplomachi'' or the ''secutores'', and wore heavy armor. They held a ''gladius'' in one hand and a "single-edged curved blade," similar to a mezzaluna or an ''arbelas'' blade, on his forearm. This semicircular blade was attached to a steel t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Katar (dagger)
The katar is a type of push dagger from the Indian subcontinent. The weapon is characterized by its H-shaped horizontal hand grip which results in the blade sitting above the user's knuckles. Unique to the Indian subcontinent, it is the most famous and characteristic of Indian daggers. Ceremonial katars were also used in worship. Etymology Having originated in South India, the weapon's earliest name-form was likely the Tamil language, Tamil (). It is alternatively known in Tamil as () which means "stabbing blade". This was adapted into Sanskrit as () or . The name however is of Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan origin, which means Tamil loaned the word from them. Other regional names for the weapon include () in Kannada, () in Telugu language, Telugu, () in Malayalam, () in Marathi language, Marathi, , () in Punjabi language, Panjabi, and kirat Dewan language, (chhuiket) in Nepal () or in Hindi. History The katar was created in South India, Southern India, its earlies ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gatka
Gatka (; ; ; ) is a form of martial art associated primarily with the Sikhs of the Punjab and other related ethnic groups, such as Hindkowans and Pahari-Pothwari. It is a style of stick-fighting, with wooden sticks intended to simulate swords. The Punjabi name, , refers to the wooden stick used and this term might have originated as a diminutive of a Sanskrit word, , meaning "mace". The stick used in Gatka is made of wood and is usually long, with a thickness of around . It comes with a fitted leather hilt, and is often decorated with Punjabi-style multi-coloured threads. The other weapon used in the sport is a shield, natively known as . It is round in shape, measuring , and is made of dry leather. It is filled with either cotton or dry grass to protect the hand of player in case of full contact hit by an opponent. Gatka originated in the Punjab in the 15th century. There has been a revival during the later 20th century, with an International Gatka Federation was fo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Chakram
The chakram (; ) is a throwing weapon from the Indian subcontinent. It is circular with a sharpened outer edge and a diameter of . It is also known as ''chalikar'' meaning "circle", and was sometimes referred to in English writings as a "war- quoit". The chakram is primarily a throwing weapon, but can also be used hand-to-hand. A smaller variant called ''chakri'' is worn on the wrist. A related weapon is the ''chakri dong'', a bamboo staff with a ''chakri'' attached at one end. History The earliest references to the chakram come from the fifth century BC Indian epics ''Mahabharata'' and ''Ramayana'', where the Sudarshana Chakra is the weapon of the god Vishnu. Contemporaneous Tamil poems from the second century BC record it as ''thikiri'' (திகிரி). ''Chakra-dhāri'' ("chakram-wielder" or "disc-bearer") is a name for Krishna. The chakram was later used extensively by the Sikhs at least until the days of Ranjit Singh. Even in present days, the Nihangs wear chakkar on ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Basket-hilted Sword
The basket-hilted sword is a sword type of the early modern era characterised by a basket-shaped Hilt#Guard, guard that protects the hand. The basket hilt is a development of the quillons added to swords' crossguards since the Late Middle Ages. This variety of sword is also sometimes referred to as the broadsword, though this term may also be applied loosely and imprecisely to other swords. The basket-hilted sword was generally in use as a military sword. A true broadsword possesses a double-edged blade, while similar wide-bladed swords with a single sharpened edge and a thickened back are called backswords. Various forms of basket-hilt were mounted on both broadsword and backsword blades. One of the weapon types in the modern German dueling sport of ("academic fencing") is the basket-hilted . Nomenclature The designation "broadsword" is ambiguous, and can refer to many different types of sword. Though attestations of "broad swords" date from the 11th century, these simply ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hero Stone
A hero stone (Vīragallu in Kannada, Naṭukal in Tamil) is a memorial commemorating the honorable death of a hero in battle. Erected between the second half of the first millennium BCE and the 18th century CE, hero stones are found all over India. They often carry inscriptions and a variety of ornaments, including bas relief panels, frieze, and figures in carved stone. Usually they are in the form of a stone monument and may have an inscription at the bottom with a narrative of the battle. The earliest and oldest of such memorial hero stones is found in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu is more than 2400 years old that is 4th century BCE. According to the historian Upinder Singh, the largest concentration of such memorial stones is found in the Indian state of Karnataka. About two thousand six hundred and fifty hero stones, the earliest in Karnataka is dated to the 5th century CE.Chapter "Memorializing death in stone", Singh (2009), p48 The custom of erecting memorial stones date ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
