Appearance of the Kukri in Classical South Indian Culture

laEspadaAncha · 21st February 2010, 06:21 AM

Pt. II:

Relief Sculptures Featuring Straight-Edged Swords

Flanged Mace in Combat

Close-Quarter Tactics

Hoysala Archer

Nathaniel · 21st February 2010, 07:10 AM

laEspadaAncha, Thanks for sharing...beautiful temple carvings and examples of southern Indian weapons.....I saw the Hoysala temples back in 2000..definitely a must see if you are in the area.

laEspadaAncha · 22nd February 2010, 03:27 AM

Hi Nathaniel,

Glad you like 'em and that you had a chance to experience the beauty of Hoysaleswara temple firsthand... Did you make it over to Belur as well? While commissioned by the same ruler and built within a couple decades of each other, the differences are as remarkable as their similarity. The Dravidian architecture of the south is truly distinctive and different from anything else in the world.

I had always been under the impression the flanged mace evolved as a response to armor, but the relief above clearly shows they were in use at the time. It also intrigues me to see the kukri so far to the south, and makes me wonder just for how long it had been in use before these temples were built...

olikara · 2nd March 2010, 04:33 AM

Hello,

Here is a frieze from a 'Veeragallu' - 'Hero Stone' which is dedicated to a war hero who fell in battle from early Vijaynagara times - (1336 - 1565 A.D.)

Notice the reverse curved sword here. Yes, this type of sword was a predominant type down South. Malabar and Coorgi weapons like the 'Ayda Katthi' and 'Maplah Katthi' are still made with reverse curved edges.

Nidhi

P.S. Notice the horseman, he has a katar at his waist and his horse wears trappings similar to those worn by European knights!

laEspadaAncha · 2nd March 2010, 07:57 AM

Namaste Nidhi,

Where is the frieze in your post located? Can you post a larger copy of the image? I'd really like to see the depiction of that katar in detail...

I have Coorgi friends and my wife's family is coastal Kannada... I've been on the lookout for a nice ayudha katti for almost 13 years, and always make time to take up the search when we're back in India...

I'll also be on the hunt for a good pichangatti on my next trip.

Anyway, to your knowledge, has anyone ever published anything on when the southern kukri evolved into the ayudha katti? Unlike the visible "kukri kink" I found in the 12th C. friezes in Halebidu, the 15th C. example you post seems to more closely resemble the ayudha katti in form...

Thank you for posting that - before coming across these friezes a couple years ago, I had always assumed the ayudha katti to have been a (later) southern adaptation of a northern weapon, and had no idea the Indian kukri in its classical form had preceded it in the kingdoms of the south.

olikara · 2nd March 2010, 10:20 AM

Hello,
This is from the local museum at Shimoga in Southern Karnataka, where I am based. The museum has several more friezes where the reversed blade is depicted. There is also one from the 14th C.A.D. This frieze is actually from Huliyal in Southern Karnataka.

I do not have a larger snap but the zoom option on any photo editor shows the katar very well with it's twin grips too!

As for your question about when the Southern kukri 'evolved' into the Ayudha Katthi', I am not sure if there was any such evolution. The reversed curved blade has been around here since the 13th C.A.D. as can be verified from dated temple architecture and I wouldn't be surprised if it was around several centuries earlier too. The reverse curved form is seen on long and short edged blades - swords, daggers (chillanum blades), ayudha kathi (medium sized blade), etc.

I have an intersting reverse curved piece from the Bikaner armoury. It from it's Southern hilt style and brass construction would most probably have been brought over from the South to the Bikaner armoury after Adoni fell to the Mughals.

Nidhi

Jens Nordlunde · 2nd March 2010, 12:40 PM

Nidhi, thank you for posting the picture, it is the earliest image I have seen of a katar, and it looks as if it is fully developed.

Is a katar shown on the frieze from the 14 C.A.D.?

Jens

2nd March 2010, 04:33 AM	#4
olikara Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: India Posts: 101	A Vijaynagar Frieze Hello, Here is a frieze from a 'Veeragallu' - 'Hero Stone' which is dedicated to a war hero who fell in battle from early Vijaynagara times - (1336 - 1565 A.D.) Notice the reverse curved sword here. Yes, this type of sword was a predominant type down South. Malabar and Coorgi weapons like the 'Ayda Katthi' and 'Maplah Katthi' are still made with reverse curved edges. Nidhi P.S. Notice the horseman, he has a katar at his waist and his horse wears trappings similar to those worn by European knights! Attached Images Last edited by olikara; 2nd March 2010 at 03:31 PM. Reason: Added dates

2nd March 2010, 10:20 AM	#6
olikara Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: India Posts: 101	The frieze Hello, This is from the local museum at Shimoga in Southern Karnataka, where I am based. The museum has several more friezes where the reversed blade is depicted. There is also one from the 14th C.A.D. This frieze is actually from Huliyal in Southern Karnataka. I do not have a larger snap but the zoom option on any photo editor shows the katar very well with it's twin grips too! As for your question about when the Southern kukri 'evolved' into the Ayudha Katthi', I am not sure if there was any such evolution. The reversed curved blade has been around here since the 13th C.A.D. as can be verified from dated temple architecture and I wouldn't be surprised if it was around several centuries earlier too. The reverse curved form is seen on long and short edged blades - swords, daggers (chillanum blades), ayudha kathi (medium sized blade), etc. I have an intersting reverse curved piece from the Bikaner armoury. It from it's Southern hilt style and brass construction would most probably have been brought over from the South to the Bikaner armoury after Adoni fell to the Mughals. Nidhi Attached Images Last edited by olikara; 2nd March 2010 at 10:23 AM. Reason: Cleaning Typo

21st February 2010, 06:21 AM	#1
laEspadaAncha Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Posts: 608	Pt. II: Relief Sculptures Featuring Straight-Edged Swords Flanged Mace in Combat Close-Quarter Tactics Hoysala Archer

21st February 2010, 07:10 AM	#2
Nathaniel Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Posts: 865	laEspadaAncha, Thanks for sharing...beautiful temple carvings and examples of southern Indian weapons.....I saw the Hoysala temples back in 2000..definitely a must see if you are in the area.

22nd February 2010, 03:27 AM	#3
laEspadaAncha Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Posts: 608	Hi Nathaniel, Glad you like 'em and that you had a chance to experience the beauty of Hoysaleswara temple firsthand... Did you make it over to Belur as well? While commissioned by the same ruler and built within a couple decades of each other, the differences are as remarkable as their similarity. The Dravidian architecture of the south is truly distinctive and different from anything else in the world. I had always been under the impression the flanged mace evolved as a response to armor, but the relief above clearly shows they were in use at the time. It also intrigues me to see the kukri so far to the south, and makes me wonder just for how long it had been in use before these temples were built...

2nd March 2010, 07:57 AM	#5
laEspadaAncha Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Posts: 608	Namaste Nidhi, Where is the frieze in your post located? Can you post a larger copy of the image? I'd really like to see the depiction of that katar in detail... I have Coorgi friends and my wife's family is coastal Kannada... I've been on the lookout for a nice ayudha katti for almost 13 years, and always make time to take up the search when we're back in India... I'll also be on the hunt for a good pichangatti on my next trip. Anyway, to your knowledge, has anyone ever published anything on when the southern kukri evolved into the ayudha katti? Unlike the visible "kukri kink" I found in the 12th C. friezes in Halebidu, the 15th C. example you post seems to more closely resemble the ayudha katti in form... Thank you for posting that - before coming across these friezes a couple years ago, I had always assumed the ayudha katti to have been a (later) southern adaptation of a northern weapon, and had no idea the Indian kukri in its classical form had preceded it in the kingdoms of the south.

2nd March 2010, 12:40 PM	#7
Jens Nordlunde Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Europe Posts: 2,718	Nidhi, thank you for posting the picture, it is the earliest image I have seen of a katar, and it looks as if it is fully developed. Is a katar shown on the frieze from the 14 C.A.D.? Jens