Royal Armouries Acquisitions 2013

Abstract

The katar, as we know it today, has undergone very little change in form during many centuries. This can be seen by studying the old paintings, miniatures, hero stones and friezes on the old temples. It is well known, that Ibn Battuta, an Algerian travelling in India in the 14th century, described an attack with a katar, but so far, the roots and the age of the katar have not been researched further back. In this article, the author has traced it back to Orissa in the 10th century, showing a form very similar to how it looks today.