Lathi Khela-The Martial Art Form of Bengal that created terror among the British Rulers
The ancient martial art of Lathi Khela involves using a stick, the foundation of all weaponry techniques. In the ancient world, when swords and spears were the dominant weapons of battle, stick art was universally practiced throughout the world for training warriors before the advent of guns and other weapons.
As a game and sport, Lathi Khela is a typical stick art still inherited from the British colonial era, barely surviving after the guns and cannons of the British and being rapidly modernized today. This type of martial art was practiced by individuals known as Lathiyals.
What is Lathi Khela?
Lathi Khela could be described as traditional Martial arts of Bengal, where individuals train in various stick fighting techniques. ‘Khela’ is the Bengali word for game or sport, while ‘lathi’ means stick. In other words, lathi khela literally means “sticks game”.
Sangam Institute of Indian Martial Arts | YouTube
In this martial arts practice, one uses lathis, usually made from male bamboo and sometimes ringed with iron at regular intervals. An average lathi measures between 2 and 2.4 meters long. Bari, also known as batons or bludgeons, are usually shorter blades. It is still possible to see nori bari (mock stick fight) demonstrations in which sticks are held up to shields.
The tough driving force of the early colonial era in India
When the British colonial state was in its early stages, and the government patronized the zamindars during British rule, lathiyals served as the official law enforcers. They were frequently summoned by powerful, ruling classes in society to flex their muscles while settling disputes or punish unruly raiyats for being abrasive.
They were even used as an escort guard in peacetime as well as throughout the colonial period. Other times, a landlord class is known as Zamindars often hired Lathiyals to intimidate farmers.
For landholders and other prominent land owners’ interests, ‘salishi’ (mediation) was customary to settle disputes. Lathiyals were often sent only after unsuccessful negotiations. Taking the matter to court was normally the last option. Indigo planters also maintained lathiyals to compel unwilling raiyats to pay rent.
Unlike other traditional Martial arts of Bengal, which often were violently oppressed as a symbol of resistance against British authority, they were the main force employed by the British colonial government because they facilitated tax collection.
How did the Lathiyals render their services?
There is a clear distinction between the Lathiyal and barkanduz. Traditionally, the barkanduz were local authorities’ appointed lathiyals. One could consider them local law enforcement personnel employed to oversee locals' dissent over civil matters. The lathiyals, on the other hand, were independent contractors selling their skills to landholders and others in exchange for compensation in the form of cash or kind. The Lathiyals were highly mobile and were willing to hire themselves out anywhere in Bengal.
Jamadars were usually remunerated in exchange for their services, usually in
the form of service tenure. Additionally, landholders were required to maintain ordinary lathiyals. Bakarganj and Faridpur lathiyals were renowned for their extraordinarily skilled work, and their services were extremely expensive. These men were, therefore, only employed by wealthy landlords.
In the modern era, this form of martial art is fast becoming obsolete as more modern weaponry and self-defense systems have been devised. Yet in India Indraneel Bandopadhyay tries to keep the tradition of Lathi Khela alive in Bengal.
Contributed by Esther Violet Gonsalves, Freelance Content Writer
