Bhuj (weapons)

Bhuj.

Bhuj (also kutti , gandasa ) - Indian weapons such as glaive . It consists of a short handle (about 50 cm) connected to a massive blade in the form of a knife or cleaver . Thus, this weapon is similar to short palm or dadao options.

In the classic version, the bhuja blade was quite wide and had a half sharpening, and it had a double bend: it was concave closer to the handle and curved to the point, so that the point was directed upward relative to the handle. In the center of the blade from the tip to the level at which the butt began, there was a stiffener. The handle was made more often from metal (steel, bronze, copper), less often from wood. In some cases, scabbards , usually made of wood and covered with velvet, relied on bhuju.

Thanks to the massive blade, these weapons could deliver powerful chopping blows, so one of its names meant "knife-ax." In addition, the junction of the blade with the handle was sometimes made in the form of a decorative head of an elephant, whence another name comes from - the “elephant knife”. The name "bhuj" is derived from the city ​​of the same name in Gujarat , where this weapon comes from. It was widespread throughout India, especially in the north. There were also rarer variants, for example, having a hilt with a guard, or differing in a different form of the blade. Bhuj is also known, combined with a capsule pistol , the barrel of which is located above the butt of the blade; the stylet is inserted into the end of the handle opposite the blade. In southern India, an analogue of bhuja was used - verchevoral , which was distinguished by a concave blade and was used to cut through thickets.