Bagh nakh

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A bagh nakh, also known as a tiger claw or a wagh nakh, is an Indian hand-to-hand weapon designed to fit over the knuckles or concealed under and against the palm. Usually made of metal, it features between two and four claws, and is designed to slash through skin and muscle. Many bagh nakhs are designed to create wounds that mimic those inflicted by a wild animal. The bagh nakh is similar to brass knuckles or neko-te. It may or may not be the same thing as a "bakh-nagh."

The weapon was developed in India, primarily for self-defence. Although there are conflicting reports of the time period in which they appeared. The first well-known usage of the weapon was by the first Maratha Emperor Shivaji. He used them in to defeat Afzal Khan, a Bijapur Sardar.

[edit] In popular culture

In Vampire: The Masquerade, a roleplaying game by White Wolf, the Bagh Nakh is one of the favoured weapons of the Assamite clan, where it is said, erroneously, that the weapon originated amongst the Thugee cult.
Weapons similar to the bagh nakh and the bakh nagh are often featured in the Final Fantasy series as "spiked gloves" and "knuckles," and in RuneScape as "claws."
In the game Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin, Jonathan Morris is able to use bagh nakhs.
The bagh nakh, among other similar weapons, is usable by the character Kevin in Seiken Densetsu 3.
The bagh nakh is a weapon in Final Fantasy XI.
Zhang He of the Dynasty Warriors series utilises a pair of exaggerated bagh nakh gloves called the "Phoenix Talons." He considers these weapons to be elegant and graceful for something so crude as hand-to-hand combat.