Ceylon (Sri Lanka) Mahout's knives

[sirupate]

Originally Posted by Anandalal N.

Hi David and others,

The term Piha Kaetta is a term that in a non Sri Lankan context has come to represent a large variety of knives from pointed dagger like knives with a clip point to heavy choppers. In relation to knives, the distinction between Kandyan and non Kandyan became more pronounced since the early regulations of the British Government prohibiting pointed knives to be worn or carried by locals exempted the inhabitants of the Kandyan provinces.

So things are not as straight forward as one would like it to be.

Rgds.

The British Government is often accused of stopping local inhabitants practising their Martial Arts or carrying this or that in the 19th and early 20th century etc. So far I have found the claims made by the people of the region to be a myth. The last one before this being the British stopping the Indian's practising their MA etc.

[Anandalal N.]

Relevant parts of the Regulation of 1816 annexed.

"For prohibiting the use of Pointed Knives amongst the natives Cingalese of the maritime provinces of the Island"

Such claims are not always unfounded mostly un-researched!

[kronckew]

the kamis of Surya Benai, Nepal call their sickle a 'hasiya' terminal H optional.
they also come in fancy.

[sirupate]

Originally Posted by kronckew

the kamis of Surya Benai, Nepal call their sickle a 'hasiya' terminal H optional.
they also come in fancy.

The HI kami, so probably a dialect/regional variance, like khuda is to khunda, the fancy ones were used as a presentation pieces, there is one in the GM in Winchester.

[RobT]

Kronckew,

"the kamis of Surya Benai, Nepal call their sickle a 'hasiya' terminal H optional."

That gives full confirmation that the movie title Hasiya means sickle (also one of the online blurbs for the movie said that hasiya means sickle in English). The heroine of the movie uses a hasiya in some of the combat sequences. It's not too far a stretch to see how another group combined aansi & hasiya to get hansiya (especially if the "h" is sort of silent).

Sincerely,
Till

[Sajen]

Here is such a knife which was listed by ebay.

[Ibrahiim al Balooshi]

On the subject of banned Martial Arts in Sri Lanka ... With the advent of colonialism over the entirety of the island in 1815, Angampora fell into disuse and was very nearly lost as a part of the country's heritage. The British administration prohibited its practice due to the dangers posed by a civilian populace versed in a martial art, burning down any angan madu (practice huts devoted to the martial art) found: flouting of the law was punished by a gunshot to the knee, effectively crippling practitioners; Angampora nevertheless survived within a few families, allowing it to emerge into mainstream Sri Lankan culture post-independence. Something similar happened in India.

[sirupate]

Originally Posted by Anandalal N.

Relevant parts of the Regulation of 1816 annexed.

"For prohibiting the use of Pointed Knives amongst the natives Cingalese of the maritime provinces of the Island"

Such claims are not always unfounded mostly un-researched!

Good find