The gauntlet sword, known as the IndianPattasword, is popularly associated with the Maratha warriors of the 17th and 18th centuries. But a new KannadaVeeragallu(hero-stone) inscription from the 12th century pushes back the antiquity of this weapon by about 500 years. The Veeragallu has an image of two warriors on horseback, both wielding what are clearly the Patta swords.
The Patta sword is basically a double-edged sword which has a gauntlet built into it. This protects the hand and arm of the person wielding it. This weapon is popularly depicted in Maratha and Rajput images of the 17th and 18th centuries, so much so that it is believed to have been invented during this period.