Pata (sword)

Description

The pata has a long straight blade, locally made, ranging from 10 to 44 inches. Its hilt is a half-gauntlet, usually padded inside, attached to the blade by decorative arms extending forward. A Mughal variation includes matchlock pistols adjoining the handle. The long cuff is often decorated, and the swordsman grips a crossbar inside the gauntlet, with the cuff secured to the forearm by another bar or chain.

History

The pata, a sword from medieval India, is now known to date back to the 12th century thanks to recently discovered Hero stone inscriptions. Its battlefield use was largely limited to the 17th and 18th centuries, when the Maratha Empire rose to power. Infantry found it highly effective against heavily armored cavalry. Maratha ruler Shivaji I and his general Baji Prabhu Deshpande were reportedly trained with it. At the Battle of Pratapgad, Shivaji’s bodyguard Jiva Mahala used a pata to sever the hand of Mughal Afzal Khan’s bodyguard, Sayyid Banda.

Use

The pata is most often paired with a shield or another pata, and can also be used with a javelin, axe, or belt. Its restrictive handle suits the stiff-wristed style of South Asian swordsmanship. Despite its shape, it is used primarily for cutting rather than thrusting; the extended forearm grip enables powerful slashes but restricts thrusts. This is seen in mardani khel and colonial descriptions of spinning techniques with dual pata, likened to a windmill.

Miniature paintings show it wielded by mounted cavalry, leading some modern collectors to mistakenly think it was used for thrusting from horseback. However, restricted wrist movement would make dislodging the pata from an opponent difficult, and doing so mounted would likely unseat the rider. It was more probably used in cut-and-run tactics characteristic of the Maratha army. Cutting technique was practiced by slicing fruit on the ground without touching it, often with a flexible blade.

Maratha warriors reportedly swung the pata in circular motions like a whirlwind when encircled, maximizing enemy casualties, and it was effective when two soldiers fought as pairs.