Pata
दांडपट्टा · dandpatta
Also known as: dandpatta, patta
An Indian sword with a half-gauntlet hilt covering hand and forearm; a Maratha infantry weapon meant chiefly for cutting, not thrusting.
Quick Facts
IndiaAbout the weapon
The pata, in Marathi dandpatta, is a sword from the Indian subcontinent whose hilt forms a gauntlet serving as a hand guard. It arose in medieval India; recently discovered hero-stone inscriptions have pushed its age back as far as the 12th century. In war, however, it was used mainly in the 17th and 18th centuries, as the power of the Maratha Empire grew. The hilt forms a half-gauntlet, usually padded on the inside, with ornamental arms projecting forward on both sides of the blade. The fighter grips a bar inside the gauntlet, and a further bar or chain holds the cuff at the forearm. The blade is straight and double-edged, 25 to 112 cm long; it was made by local craftsmen. The pata was considered a highly effective infantry weapon against heavily armoured cavalry. It served chiefly for cutting, not thrusting, because the extended grip over the forearm allowed powerful cuts. Cuts were practised on fruit placed on the ground, such as lemons or limes, and accounts of combat mention spinning techniques with two patas, resembling a windmill. In the Maratha martial art mardani khel, the pata is a sword with a hollow hilt that protects the hand. The Maratha ruler Shivaji I and his general Baji Prabhu Deshpande are traditionally said to have trained in combat with the pata. At the Battle of Pratapgarh, Shivaji's bodyguard Jiva Mahala fatally struck Sayyid Banda and cut off one of his arms with a pata.