Category

Weapons of India

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thumb|335x335px|Indra bearing a Lotus and Vedic form of a Vajra thumb|upright|A Tibetan Bell and Dorje (Vajra) are inseparable ritual tools thumb|upright|A Double Vajra appears in the national emblem of Bhutan.

thumb|Statue of Shiva holding a trishula. The trishula () is a trident, a divine symbol, commonly used as one of the principal symbols in Hinduism. It is most commonly associated with the deity Shiva and widely employed in his iconography.

The chakram (; ) is a throwing weapon from the Indian subcontinent. It is circular with a sharpened outer edge and a diameter of . It is also known as chalikar meaning "circle", and was sometimes referred to in English writings as a "war-quoit". The chakram is primarily a throwing weapon, but can also be used hand-to-hand. A smaller variant called chakri is worn on the wrist. A related weapon is the chakri dong, a bamboo staff with a chakri attached at one end.

The katar is a type of push dagger from the 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 the Indian subcontinent, it is the most famous and characteristic of Indian daggers. Ceremonial katars were also used in worship.

The kirpan (; pronunciation: [kɪɾpaːn]) is a blade that Khalsa Sikhs are required to wear as part of their religious uniform, as prescribed by the Sikh Code of Conduct. Traditionally, the kirpan was a full-sized talwar at around 76 cm (30 inches) long; however, British colonial policies and laws introduced in the 19th century reduced the length of the blade, and in the modern day, the kirpan is typically a dagger between 5 to 12 inches. According to the Sikh Code of Conduct, "The length of the sword to be worn is not prescribed", but must be curved and single edged (as its original sword form

The talwar (), also spelled talwaar and tulwar, is a type of curved sword or sabre from the Indian subcontinent.

blunt mace or club from India

thumb|170px|Urumi usage in Kalaripayattu demonstrated by Gangadharan Gurukkal in Perambra, [[Kozhikode.]]

type of sword common in Indian martial arts

claw-like weapon from India

The Maduvu, also known as a maru or madu, is a weapon from India. It is one of the many weapons used in the Tamil martial art Silambam.

Vel () is a divine spear associated with Murugan, the Hindu god of war.

The bichuwa or bichawa (pl. bichuwe) (, ) is a dagger, originating from the Indian subcontinent, with a loop hilt and a narrow undulating sharp blade. It is named for its resemblance to the sting of a scorpion, for which the Hindi name is bichuwa. The weapon was based on the maduvu, or horn dagger created in South India, and many bichuwa have blades which retain the shape of buffalo horns. Early examples of the bichuwa come from the medieval southern Karnataka empire of Vijayanagara. Being relatively easy to make, the bichuwa has persisted into the 20th century as a decorative dagger.

Dagger originating from Gujarat

Parashu () is the Sanskrit word for a battle-axe, which can be wielded with one or both hands.

thumb|right|Modern pesh-kabz with scabbard made in [[India. Blade: steel; hilt: buffalo horn and brass.]] thumb|right|Pesh-kabz, 18th century. Blade: gilt steel; hilt: gilt ivory or bone, Louvre Museum, Paris France. The pesh-kabz or peshkabz (, ) is a type of Indo-Persian knife designed to penetrate mail armour and other types of armour. The word is also spelled pesh-qabz or pish-ghabz and means "fore-grip" in the Persian language; it was borrowed into the Hindustani language. Originally created during Safavid Persia, it became widespread in Central Asia and the Indian subcontinent during the

A gupti is a traditional swordstick dagger from India that can be completely concealed in a wooden case and resembles a walking cane or short stick.

thumb|Soldier with a barsha A barcha, barsha or brchha is a type of lance with a wooden handle, once common in South Asia (the word itself is Hindi). They were common in the 16th century. ==Use in combat== The weapon found itself very handy with the emerging Marathas in the early seventeenth century. It was lighter to carry in the mountainous terrain and easier to manufacture. A skilled spearman (bhalaeet) could keep a heavily armed foot soldier at bay. With his slashing and thrusting motions, he could inflict much damage while surrounded by a number of swordsmen. The illustrious use of this w

The aruval (ISO: ) is a type of billhook machete from southern India, particularly common in the Tamil Nadu and Kerala. It is also known as the koḍuvāḷ, the kodavali, the machchu longu or the koita. It is a type of long sickle with a knife-like scythe-handle, and is used both as a tool and a weapon. Tamils revere the weapon as a symbol of Karupannar. In popular culture, it is sometimes associated with gangsters, especially in the Rayalaseema region. In Kerala, its primary use is for agriculture, mainly in coconut cutting, clearing pathways, cutting wood and other uses.

The haladie is a double-edged dagger from ancient India, consisting of two curved blades, each approximately in length, attached to a single hilt.

Vajra-musti (Sanskrit:, "thunder fist" or "diamond fist") refers to a fist-load, knuckleduster-like weapon and also a form of Indian wrestling in which the weapon is employed. The weapon is sometimes called Indra-musti, meaning "Indra's fist".

weaponry of the Mughal Empire

also see Korean sword, Japanese sword