Chakkar or Bladed Quoit

This chakkar was presented to Lord Roberts at a farewell banquet in Calcutta in March 1893 to mark his retirement as Commander-in-Chief of the British Army in India. The gift, which also included a khanda (a double-edged sword), was given by the Khalsa Diwan, a group of reformist Sikhs founded in 1886.

A chakkar is an ancient Indian bladed weapon that was adopted by the Sikh military as part of their standard battle gear. A razor-sharp outer edge and a rounded inner rim allowed it to be thrown at high speed like a frisbee — but it was not for sport. With a potential range of 100 metres, a skilled user could expect to kill outright or cause severe injury to an enemy. Sikhs carried several of these in varying diameters, either around their necks or in their turbans.

By the mid-19th century, chakkars had become largely ceremonial and were often owned by royal rulers as a sign of status or affluence.

Lord Roberts of Kandahar (1832–1914) was one of the most successful British military commanders of his time, serving for many years with the Bengal Artillery and the Bengal Horse Artillery during the 1850s. He was awarded the Victoria Cross in 1858 for gallantry during the Indian Mutiny.

The inscription reads:

“THESE CHAKKAR AND KHANDA WERE PRESENTED BY THE KHALSA DIWAN TO THEIR PATRON HIS EXCELLENCY GENERAL THE RIGHT HON[OURA]BLE FREDERICK SLEIGH BARON ROBERTS OF KANDAHAR AND WATERFORD G.C.B. G.C.I.E. RA COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF IN INDIA LAHORE MARCH 1893.”