Originating from Maharashtra, Mardani Khel is a weapon-based martial art form. It owes its development to the geographic conditions of the state, i.e.hills, caves and valleys. This medieval form of combat emerged during the Maratha dynasty, and was also employed in wars during the religious persecution and conquest of indigenous Indians.

Kolhapur used to be the centre of the Maratha kingdom, and the villages around it had talims (training centres) where skilled elders prepared youngsters for war. After the First War of Independence in 1857, the British banned the use of weapons used by Indians, with  talims subsequently forced to turn Mardani Khel into a folk game to ensure its survival.

The use of weapons such as swords, katyar (dagger), lathi-kathi (bamboo sticks), veeta (darts), bhala (javelin), dand and patta (long-bladed swords) continued but the moves were made more stylised and less lethal.