Lathi
Also known as: bari
A long, heavy staff of male bamboo, sometimes bound with iron rings; the weapon of Bengali lathi khela and a truncheon of South Asian police.
Quick Facts
About the weapon
The lathi is a long, heavy bamboo staff from South Asia. It is linked to the martial art of lathi khela, which arose in the Bengal region and is practised today in the Indian state of West Bengal and in Bangladesh. We have not been able to establish the dating of the staff itself in the sources. It is traditionally made from so-called male bamboo and is sometimes bound at short intervals with iron rings. The usual length is 6 to 8 feet, that is about 1.8 to 2.4 m. Shorter staves are called bari and can be handled like a truncheon. Groups of lathials performed displays such as baoi jhak (group combat) and nori bari (a staged staff duel), alongside fala khela and dao khela. Training with the lathi was once part of the Bengali educational system Brotochari, and lathi khela contests were also held at Hindu Mela festivals. Wealthy landowners hired lathials as bodyguards and as a mark of their power, and zamindars sent them to collect taxes from villagers by force. In several South Asian languages the saying goes jiski lathi uski bhains — whoever holds the lathi keeps the buffalo. The lathi still serves as a police truncheon in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, and dispersing a crowd is called a lathi charge. Lathi khela is most often shown at festivals and weddings, in West Bengal also during certain pujas. The staff also gave its name to films in Telugu (1992), Bengali (1996) and Tamil (2022).