C. 1526 - 1857 AD. Mughal Empire. An iron Katar dagger or knuckleduster comprising a two-part, bulging grip with guard and leaf-shaped blade with a prominent central midrib. The katar or katara is characterized by its H-shaped horizontal hand grip which results in the blade sitting above the user's knuckles, allowing for maximal force to be applied through the point. The Mughal Empire was an early-modern empire in South Asia stretching from the Indus basin to northern Afghanistan, Kashmir, the highlands of Assam and Bangladesh to the Deccan plateau in south India. During its expansion the Mughal military used a variety of weapons including swords, spears, bows and arrows, cannons, muskets and flintlock blunderbusses as well as knuckledusters like this example. Superb condition; on a custom-made stand. Size: L:460mm / W:72mm ; 320g; Provenance: Obtained from a B.F; previously in a collection formed in the 1990s on the UK art market.