Barcha

A barcha, barsha or brchha 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.

Soldier with a barsha

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 actual Ballam, a throwing spear effectively used to bring down infantry and cavalrymen at a distance.

The barcha is also considered a magical weapon used in a shaman's education. Along with purbe, a wooden ritual knife, and thudung, a drum, the lance was taught to the guru's student through participation in rituals.[1] Variations of the barcha include the snake-like Nagini Barcha and the hand-shaped Karpa Barcha.[2] Nagini Barcha was identified as the weapon used by the Sikh warrior Bachittar Singh during the siege of Lohgarh.[3]

See also

References
  1. Egli, Werner M. (2014). The Sunuwar of Nepal and their Sense of Communication: A Study in the Culture, Psychology and Shamanism of a Himalayan People. Munster: LIT Verlag Münster. p. 221. ISBN 978-3-643-80189-0.
  2. Menon, Sreelata (2011). Guru Nanak: The Enlightened Master. Penguin UK. ISBN 978-81-8475-562-6.
  3. VSM, D. S. Saggu (2018). Battle Tactics And War Manoeuvres of the Sikhs. Chennai: Notion Press. ISBN 978-1-64249-006-0.

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.


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