Barcha
Barsha is a type of lance with a wooden handle, once common in South Asia (the word itself is Hindi). They were common in the 16th century.
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The weapon found itself very handy with the emerging Marathas in early seventeenth century. It was lighter to carry in the mountainous terrain and easier to manufacture. A skilled spearman (bhalaeet) could keep a heavily armed foot soldier at bay. With his slashing and thrusting motions, he could inflict much damage while surrounded by a number of swordsmen. The illustrious use of this weapon is recorded in the last stages of third battle of Panipat by the Maratha general Sadashivrao Bhau.(See : Third battle of Panipat) . Another version of this weapon is the Ballam, a throwing spear effectively used to bring down infantry and cavalrymen at a distance.
Bibliography
- Balfour, Edward (1885). The Cyclopædia of India and of Eastern and Southern Asia. London: Bernard Quaritch.
- Mayaram, Shail (2003). Against History, Against State: Counterperspectives from the Margins. New York: Columbia University Press.