The development of the Indian katar

[Ibrahiim al Balooshi]

Salaams All, I have certainly often wondered how this weapon began and observing the number of obviously recycled sword blades ...possibly spoils of war... how these fragments were transformed into useful daggers.

The whats in a word scenario is rather clear...Wikepedia notes at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katar_(dagger); Quote'' The katar or katara (Sanskrit: कट्टार kaţāra or kaţārī, Malayalam: കട്ടാരം katāram, Hindi: कटार kaṭāra or kaṭāri, Kannada: ಕಠಾರಿ kaṭhāri Marathi: कट्यार kaṭyāra, Tamil: கட்டாரி kaţţāri or குத்துவாள் kuttuvāḷ meaning "fist blade") is a type of push dagger from India. The weapon is characterized by its H-shaped horizontal hand grip which results in the blade sitting above the user's knuckles. Unique to South Asia, it is the most famous and characteristic of Indian daggers. Ceremonial katar were also used in worship.


History
The katar originated in southern India where its original name was kattari before being altered to katara (romanized as "katar" by the British) in the north. The earliest forms occur in the medieval Vijayanagara Empire. Katar dating back to this period often had a leaf- or shell-like knuckle-guard to protect the back of the hand, but this was discarded by the later half of the 17th century.

The gauntlet-sword or pata was developed from the katar, according to Middle Ages researcher Tobias Capewell. As the weapon spread throughout the region it became something of a status symbol, much like the Southeast Asian kris or the Japanese katana.

Princes and nobles were often portrayed wearing a katar at their side. This was not only a precaution for self-defense, but it was also meant to show their wealth and position. Upper-class Rajputs and Mughals would even hunt tigers with a pair of katar. For a hunter to kill a tiger with such a short-range weapon was considered the surest sign of bravery and martial skill.

From the 16th century onwards, katar were often made from broken sword-blades. Even old imported European blades were used, especially by the Maratha Empire, and were riveted to projections from the hilt.

After India was colonised by the British, numerous katar were made for the European collectors' market which placed little value on functionality. Among these were the scissors katar with two or three blades that folded together, appearing to be one, until the handle bars were pressed together, when they opened out. These novelty weapons were popular among foreigners but were impractical in actual combat. For example, the blades couldn't be opened after they are thrust into an opponent's body. More importantly, if they were wielded with the blades opened, all the force of the blow would have to be absorbed by the hinge-pins at the root of the blades.

In another modern katar design, single-shot pistols are built into either side of the weapon. In the 18th century, some traditional katar were refurbished with this innovation. The pistols are meant to deal the killing blow after the weapon has been thrust into the enemy. Like most combination weapons, the effectiveness of the pistol-katar is doubtful.

The katar ceased to be in common use by the 19th century, though they were still forged for decorative purposes. During the 18th and 19th century, a distinctive group of katar were produced at Bundi in Rajasthan. They were ornately crafted and their hilts were covered in gold foil. These katar were shown at the Great Exhibition of 1851 in Crystal Palace, London. Since then, the weapon has sometimes been mistakenly referred to in English as a "Bundi dagger".Unquote.

I looked at http://mys.yoursearch.me/images/?cat...rd+blade+katar and extracted some interesting exhibits below some which I have noted above.

Regards,
Ibrahiim al Balooshi.

[Emanuel]

Hello,

Attached are illustrations originally posted by Brian (B.I), dated as 16th and 17th centuries.

http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/attach...tid=5314&stc=1
http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/attach...tid=5315&stc=1
http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/attach...tid=5316&stc=1
http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/attach...id=10404&stc=1
http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/attach...id=10406&stc=1

Elgood had shown some very early sculptures depicting warriors using jamadhar/katar: http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?p=82814


Emanuel

[Ibrahiim al Balooshi]

From the Met Museum~See http://www.metmuseum.org/collection/...e/search/24306

Daggers of this type, called katars, were designed to be held by the cross bars in a clenched fist. This is one of the few that retains its embossed leather scabbard. Elaborately decorated examples worn thrust through a waist sash, can be seen in many Indian paintings of this period.

[Jens Nordlunde]

Ian,
Thank you very much for showing the hero stones(?) from your friends family. They are very interesting, and even more so should someone, with half an hour of free time :-) decide to start translating the texts.
The third one from the top, the one with the katar could be 16th century (but I am guessing). Compare the katar base to the on from Hamza shown in post 10. You will see that the 'V' on the base is very clear.
A century later the 'V' on the base flattened and sometimes almost dissapeared.
If you look through The Hamza book you will notice that of all the daggers/knives shown more than half are 'normal' daggers, and under half are katars. If you then have a look at King of the World, made about a century later, you will see that the picture has changed, and there are more katars than daggers.
Other katar bases developed in the later centuries, likely due to a new fashion, but the ones shown in Hamza and in King of the World continued to be used for centuries.

Jim and Fernando,
Thank you for your mails. I am not too happy, when you say that the origin of the katar was Rajput. I would be far happier if you said Hindu, as I untill further, believe that the katars origin is south af India.
The warrior Jaiwant Paul shows in his book would likely be a prince or a nobleman, but it is hard to say from which time, maybe late 17th to 18th century. The drawing is new, but it may have been copied from an old miniature.

Ibrahim,
The piece from Wikepedia is interesting reading, but I would not put my name under it.
It is true that the katars with the time got more and more fantastic, like the ones with two pistols attached, but I doubt how practical it was in combat.

[Ian]

Originally Posted by Jens Nordlunde

Ian,
Thank you very much for showing the hero stones(?) from your friends family. They are very interesting, and even more so should someone, with half an hour of free time decide to start translating the texts.
The third one from the top, the one with the katar could be 16th century (but I am guessing). Compare the katar base to the one from Hamza shown in post 10. You will see that the 'V' on the base is very clear.
A century later the 'V' on the base flattened and sometimes almost disappeared.
If you look through The Hamza book you will notice that of all the daggers/knives shown more than half are 'normal' daggers, and under half are katars. If you then have a look at King of the World, made about a century later, you will see that the picture has changed, and there are more katars than daggers.
Other katar bases developed in the later centuries, likely due to a new fashion, but the ones shown in Hamza and in King of the World continued to be used for centuries. ...

Jens:

Thank you for this very specific information. So it seems that information from the memorial stones of a powerful ruling Rajput clan fits with the other historical evidence that you have collected. And your piece of information about the inverted V-shape at the base of the blade seems to add authenticity to the claim that this monument dates from the 16th or 17th C. I always think it is very neat when different data come to the same conclusions.

Please remember that my dating is approximate only, which is why I said that the use of the katar by this group was probably no earlier than the 16th C. Finding somebody to translate the archaic text has proven challenging (apparently it is neither Sanskrit nor Hindi nor modern Gujarati). And persuading an expert to visit the site to translate the text is another matter (I have been told that my pictures of the text are not very clear for translation purposes).

More to be revealed.

Ian.

[Emanuel]

Additional illustrations of Mughals and potentially Rajputs wearing the katar are shown in the Akbarama from 1568.

So we know that by the 16th century this weapon was known and used north and south by Hindus and Mughals alike.

Emanuel

[Jens Nordlunde]

Ian,

I am by no way a specialist when it comes to stone pieces, but the one you showed could be 16th or 17th century - I am sure the text will show.
Wh have however come a stem further as we now know taht the stone is from Gujarat and likely to be quite old. To this comes that a katar of the same kind as shown in the Hanza is shown.
This katar base was used for centuries, but the earliest I have seen is in the Hamza, and I think it is safe to say, that the stone must be older than 18th century, so 16th to 17th century would not surprice me.
Photographing text on an old worn stone is at best very difficult, and to get someone why knows many if the different languages to go and have a look may be even more difficult.

Emanuel,
Thank you for the pictures they are quite interesting.
Yes we know that the katar was used in Deccan, south India, Rajasthan and maybe even more to the north in the 16th century. It does howeven seem as if it was used less in Rajasthan than to the south - although there is very little evidence to prove this.
It would be fantastic if proof could be found of how the katar developed from the drawing Rajendralala Mitra shows to the fully developed katar shown in the Hamza and other miniatures from the time.

[Emanuel]

One last picture Jens, for posterity. Egerton's plate of the arms of Akbar, from the Ain-i-Akbari.

As for Rajasthan, I had seen a great many jamadhars in Bikaner but sadly they were not dated.

Hopefully Elgood's books on the Jodhpur and Jaipur armouries will shine more light into the matter.