Delve into the history of the earliest weapon known to man. Lathi Khel or game of sticks was the first weapon based Martial Art. Once a pupil became an expert in Lathi Khel they would graduate to other weapons. A lathi is a 5 to 6 feet long bamboo stick tipped with a metal blunt and used by swinging it like a sword. A single person well versed in the Martial art of Lathi Khel can successfully fight with many at the same time. Lathi Khel was practiced all over India but particularly in Rajasthan. Known to be the land of the valiant Rajputs, Rajasthan had fierce swordsmen whose dexterity of swordsmanship lay in the ancient Martial Art form, Lathi Khel. In 17th Century the Zamindars responsible for collections raised Lathaits for forceful tax collections. At the same time, Lathi Khel had also evolved as a sport. The British introduced Lathis as a weapon for the Indian Police in the 19th Century. This gave birth to the lathi charge used to disperse crowds. The British after 1857 discouraged the village self-defense technique but Nationalist groups revived the concept and imparted Lathi Khel training to young men and women organizing secret clubs in order to be able to stand up against the British atrocities. Lathi Khel remains the favorite weapon of the common man even today.