page_title: Mughal weapons
section_title: Ceremonial Mace
hierarchical_section_title: Mughal weapons / Arms / Ceremonial Mace
caption_attribution_description: Ceremonial Mace (chob) Wood overlaid with mother-of-pearl; copper handle and finial Mughal c.1600 Museum no. IM.228-1927 Bequeathed by the Marquess Curzon of Kedleston This imposing mace would have been made for ceremonial use rather than as a weapon. Similar maces are shown in Mughal paintings, carried by court attendants as badges of office and also used to control people's access to the emperor. This one, however, is so large and heavy that it would probably have been carried on the shoulder of an attendant and not used. Mother-of-pearl decoration was the speciality of Gujarati craftsmen, who used it both in inlay and as plaques over a wooden base. Wikipedia Loves Art at the Victoria and Albert Museum This photo of item # [1] at the Victoria and Albert Museum was contributed under the team name "va_va_val" as part of the Wikipedia Loves Art project in February 2009. Victoria and Albert Museum The original photograph on Flickr was taken by Val_McG—please add a comment to the original Flickr page whenever a use has been made on Wikipedia or another project. Project galleries on Flickr: this institution, this team
context_page_description: Mughal weapons significantly evolved during the ruling periods of Babur, Akbar, Aurangzeb and Tipu Sultan. During its conquests throughout the centuries, the military of the Mughal Empire used a variety of weapons including swords, bows and arrows, horses, camels, elephants, some of the world's largest cannons, muskets and flintlock blunderbusses.
context_section_description: The mace (gurj), a short-handled club with three large round balls at the end, usually formed part of the weaponry of any Mughul warrior of considerable rank.
  Another variety, the shashbur, or "lung-tearer", had a single round-shaped head while similar weapons included the dhara, gargaj and khandli phansi.
  The 2 feet (0.61 m) long dhara had a six-bladed head and octagonal steel shaft and came from Kolhapur.
  The garguz had eight-bladed heads and basket hilts or was seven-bladed with a basket hilt. Its length varied from 2.4 to 2.10 inches (61 to 53 mm).
  The khundli phansi was 1 inch (25 mm) long and had a head of open scroll work.
  The flail was a weapon that may be classed as a mace, along with the pusht-khar, or "back-scratcher", made of steel in the shape of a hand.
  The khar-i-mahi, or "fish backbone", had steel spikes projecting from each side of a straight head.
  The weapon called the gujbag was the common elephant goad or ankus.
caption: Ceremonial Mace chob
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