Ayudha katti

Ayudha katti (also written ayda katti or aydha katti or आयुध कटि) is an indigenous weapon of war and tools to the Kodava people of Kodagu, in the state of Karnataka, India. The ayudha katti is developed from an implement used to cut through dense undergrowth. Unlike most blades, the ayudha katti is worn without a sheath.

Ayudha katti
TypeBroad blade
Place of originKodagu
Service history
Used byKodava people
WarsYes
Specifications
Mass2.5 pounds (1.1 kg)
Length50 centimetres (20 in)
Width9 centimetres (3.5 in)
Blade typeSingle edge
Hilt typewood, horn
Scabbard/sheathwood, silver
Head typesteel

Origin

The ayudha katti is the traditional sword of the Kodavas [1] The Kodavas inhabit the region of Kodagu in southwestern India in what is now the state of Karnataka. The Kodavas have resided in the area for over 2 millennia cultivating paddy fields, maintaining cattle herds and carrying arms during war.[2] The invention of the ayudha katti probably started around the 17th-century. It was first invented as an implement used to cut through dense undergrowth.[3] The shape of the blade is similar with the Turkish yatagan and northern Indian sosun pattah, which indicates that it is related to the Ancient Greek kopis blade.[3]

During the colonial period, the British named the region "Coorgi", a corruption of the Kannada word "kodaga" or "kodagu" meaning "hilly, steep". The word refers to the geographical condition of the region.[4]

The Kodavas were known as tough warriors, establishing many wars against the neighboring nations to protect the sovereignty of their land. When the British Empire intervened the region in 1834, a war broke up between the Kodavas and the British. In 1884, a riot broke out near Malappuram. As a result of this incident, the British punished the Kodavas by seizing their weapons, including the pichangatti. It was recorded that "17,295 weapons of which 7,503 were guns" were confiscated by the British colonial administration. Most of these seized weapons were dumped into the sea, while the high-quality examples can still be seen in what is now the Madras Museum.[5][6]

Description
A sketch of the "prestige" ayudha katti with the most common shape of the blade.

The length of the ayudha katti varies greatly. Some ayudha katti can reach up to 50 centimetres (20 in) long. There are two known forms of the ayudha katti. The 'war' form is mainly used for melee combat, and the 'prestige' form is worn for daily use. Unlike the prestige form, the war ayudha katti lacks the egg-shaped pommel plate on the base of the hilt. The ayudha katti is one of the rarest of the edged- weapons.[5]

The blade of the ayudha katti measures about 38 centimetres (15 in) long. The sharpened edge is located on the concave side of the blade. The top (the non-sharpened edge) of the sword is initially concave, then it tapers slightly for about a quarter of the length until it becomes extremely convex, and then it tapers quickly until the point. The widest part of the blade reaches 9 centimetres (3.5 in) wide. The overall shape of ayudha katti is short and quite heavy. The shape somehow resembles the moplah sword used by the Muslim population on the Malabar Coast, although unlike the moplah, the ayudha katti is sharpened only on one side and has no medial ridge.[7] Ayudha katti is mostly a chopping tool, a very common weapon found worldwide. It was used for clearing the forest, as an agricultural tool, as well as melee weapon in war.[5]

The hilt of the ayudha katti can be made of wood or horn (usually of the water buffalo). The pommel is a plate with the shape if an egg and is made of same material as the hilt. The hilt is often decorated with traditional geometric or floral carvings.[3]

Ayudha katti is peculiarly worn without a scabbard. It is typically held in the hand while sitting. Prestige form ayudha katti has a special carrying device consisting of a silver chain that serves as a belt and a large brass ring for hanging the knife in the back of the blade's holder.[5]

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See also

References
  1. Stone 2013, p. 84.
  2. "Coorg (district, India)". Britannica Online Encyclopedia. Retrieved 2012-06-01.
  3. Gahir & Spencer 2006, p. 129.
  4. Ganapathy 1967, p. 28.
  5. Atkinson 2016.
  6. Thurston 1909.
  7. Stone 2013, p. 456.

Cited works
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