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.

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.