dao (Naga sword)

The dao broadsword can be found in Nagaland, Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram and Assam in the northeastern region of India and Kachin, Saigaing region of Myanmar. The dao has a thick and heavy form, which varies in length from 45 centimetres (18 in) to 65 centimetres (26 in). The unique design of this long backsword is that, instead of a point, the tip of the sword is a bevel which creates the appearance of a squarish shape. This form is also found in the Burmese dha, which is derived from the dao. The form of the dao was first adopted by the Kachin people. From here the form would evolve to the more elongated dha. The blade of the dao is almost straight, with a very minimal curve that can only be discerned upon close examination. The blade is heavy and chisel-edged. It has a unique form in that it is narrowest at the hilt and the gradually broaden to the endpoint. The wooden hilt has a very simple shape, without a guard or without a distinguished pommel. Bamboo root is considered to be the best material for the hilt. The grip of the handle is sometimes wrapped with basketry. Sometimes the hilt is decorated with a bronze cap at the bottom. The hilt may also be made of ivory, and occasionally can be well-carved. A dao is usually carried in an open-sided wooden scabbard which is fastened to a rattan belt hoop. The scabbard is centrally hollowed out on one face.

The dao is a tool common in all tribes of North East India. It is used for many purposes e.g. for building houses, to clear the forest, to dig the earth, to make the women's weaving tools, for hunting and for creating any kind of wooden objects. The dao was also used as a weapon in historical warfare.It is also used by the Indian Army's Naga Regiment as a military utility knife and was used by Naga troops for beheading Pakistani soldiers during the 1999 Kargil War.