Katar (dagger)
| Katar | |
|---|---|
Ornamented katar
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| Type | Dagger |
| Place of origin | India |
| Specifications | |
| Hilt type | Horizontal |
The katar or kattari, is a type of push dagger from Indian subcontinent The weapon is characterised 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.
Katar is also known as Tamil: கட்டாரி kaţţāri or குத்துவாள் kuttuvāḷ meaning "stabbing blade" (Sanskrit: कट्टार kaţāra or kaţārī, Hindi: कटार or kaṭāri, Punjabi:ਕਟਾਰ kaṭār, Kannada: ಕಠಾರಿ kaṭhāri, Malayalam: കട്ടാരം katāram , Marathi: कट्यार kaṭyāra.
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. Its development may have been related to the pata. 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.
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Wikipedia