Dha - traditional weapon-tool

Exhibit of the month 2 / 2023

Dha - traditional weapon/tool of the Naga people (India - Assam) and Kachin (Burma/Myanmar) from Southeast Asia.

The exhibit of February 2023 is Dha/Dao, a traditional tool and weapon of the Kachin people living in the autonomous Kachin State (Kachin: inghpaw Mungdaw) in the northern regions of present-day Myanmar (formerly Burma), or in the Yuanjiang Prefecture in the Chinese province of Yunnan. Besides the northern areas of Myanmar and the Chinese province of Yuanjiang, dha was also used in northeastern India in the Assam region by the Naga and Mizo peoples, who are ethnically related to the Kachin and belong to the same Tibetan language group, Naga. The very name dha comes from the Chinese term for saber – dao. The Chinese term dao is commonly used for dha by Kachin living in the Chinese province of Yuanjiang.

Dha is used for many purposes. It serves not only as a machete for clearing forests but is also utilized as a versatile carpentry and woodworking tool, for example, for building houses or making traditional looms. Dao, however, has been and is a traditional weapon of most peoples of the Naga language group and has served in numerous tribal wars and conflicts.

The massive shape of the Kachin dha also inspired the British Army, which produced machetes in this traditional Kachin shape for its special units known as the Chindits, fighting in Burma during World War II against Japan. These British Army machetes are still valued as sought-after collector's items.

The dha from the sub-collection of Militaria in OMGM (inv. number HZM 56) comes from the old Most collection and was likely donated to the museum before World War I. Based on its shape, it originates from the northern areas of Kachin State or
from the Chinese prefecture of Yuanjiang. According to its massive blade (1.03 kg) and overall craftsmanship, it likely dates from the second half of the 19th century. Unfortunately, the handle is missing its rattan wrapping. The dha also lacks the traditional sheath made of buffalo leather.

Text and photo: Jiří Šlajsna