Katar
Also known as: kaṭṭāri, kuttuvāḷ, kaṭāra, kaṭyāra, katyara
A South Indian push dagger with a horizontal H-shaped grip that keeps the blade above the knuckles, thrust like a punch of the fist.
Quick Facts
IndiaAbout the weapon
The katar is a push dagger that arose in southern India; its earliest forms are closely tied to the Vijayanagara Empire of the 14th century. Famous early pieces come from the Nayak kingdom of Thanjavur in the 17th century. The oldest form of the name is probably the Tamil kattari, also called kuttuval, meaning stabbing blade; related forms such as kathari, katara or katyara are used in other Indian languages. The katar is recognised by its horizontal H-shaped grip, which keeps the blade above the knuckles. The grip is usually all steel and may be gilded or otherwise decorated. The blade measures 30 to 90 cm. Early katars had a leaf- or shell-shaped guard curving up from the blade to protect the back of the hand; by the second half of the 17th century it had been abandoned entirely. The basic attack is a direct thrust, identical to a punch, though the katar could also cut. Already in the 16th century, at least one fighting style focused on a pair of katars existed. In the Maratha martial art mardani khel, the katyara figures as a push dagger with an H-shaped grip. Princes and nobles were often depicted with a katar at their side as a mark of status, and ceremonial katars were also used in worship. In the 19th century the katar fell out of common use but continued to be forged for ornament.