The Indian PATA and the mysterious MANOPLE

[Jim McDougall]

This pata example I acquired over 40 years ago, in circumstances which are somewhat intriguing, but irrelevant. In those days of my collecting, naturally I saw this as a fascinating ancient Indian sword.

Today, it is clear that while it in indeed a 'pata', it is likely a fabrication from Victorian times at best, and likely intended for use in Mahratta festivities and martial arts exhibitions. These demonstrations are using these in pairs and in the windmill style slashing in which they were most typically used in warfare in the 17th-18th centuries by Mahratta warriors. These were apparently termed 'dandpatta' in the Mahrathi language.

While it is known that these pata evolved in Mahratta regions in Central India in about those times, the origins of this form of transverse grip gauntlet sword may be of far earlier antiquity. In iconographic sources as early as 12th century there are ambiguous suggestions of these forms of weapon, as seen on the 'hero' stones (viragal) which are monuments to fallen warriors.

Naturally we cannot look into the 'pata' without considering its dagger counterpart, the katar. These push daggers seem to have evolved likely in the Tamil regions of S. India during Vijayanagara Empire and evidenced to about 14th c., again iconographically.
These examples were of the 'hooded' form which like the pata, had a gauntlet covering the hand over the transverse grip.

Having introduced both these 'gauntlet' transverse grip weapons, in the Museo de la Armeria Real de Madrid (also shown in Calvert "Spanish Arms & Armor" 1907), in a panoply of weapons, there is a bizarre weapon remarkably like the pata, with transverse grip.

It is captioned (#1562) as a MOORISH BOARDING SWORD 14-15TH C MANOPLE"

It must be remembered that in the 19th century, the term Moorish was collectively used to describe Muslims, but most bizarre is where did this weapon actually come from? was the period suggested simply optimistic or with any foundation?

So the image of the MANOPLE, in center of photo is the mysterious weapon. What is worse is this was the only example known of this weapon (it appears in Stone, 1934 with this reference) and any references to it in accounts or literature aside from that noted in Calvert are non existent. Taking it yet another step.....in 1884 a fire in the museum resulted in loss of many holdings, including this single example of the mysterious weapon.

While wanting to open some thoughts and discussion on this MANOPLE conundrum, the pata itself has its own mysteries, in how it was used.
Though regarded originally a Mahratta weapon, which extended into profound use by the Rajputs (one of the most comprehensive collections in Shiva Nivas Palace, Udaipur, Rajasthan), there is some evidence of Mughal use, however it seems these were mostly 'curiosa' with firearm additions to gauntlet.

Returning to my example , the blade, well worn, has the central triple fullers resembling those found on kaskaras, and with the astral symbols (sun, moon etc) and as noted has clearly been sharpened down over many years. The metalwork resembles such work in India in items of Victorian period, thus use of very old blade, European, mounted into a likely traditional ceremonial item.