Malla-yuddha such a wrestling match against a visiting champion in Singapore. Traditional Indian wrestling first began to decline in the north after the medieval Muslim invasions when influences from Persian wrestling were incorporated into native malla-yuddha. Under Mughal rule, courtly fashion favoured the Persianate pehlwani style. Traditional malla-yuddha remained popular in the south, however, and was particularly common in the Vijayanagara Empire. The 16th-century Jaina classic "Bharatesa Vaibhava" describes wrestlers challenging their opponents with grunts and traditional signs of patting the shoulders. Sculptures at Bhatkal depict wrestling matches, including female wrestlers. As part of his daily routine, the king Krishna Deva
Mardani khel The art never died out, however, as British colonists of the 18th century recognized the military qualities of the Maratha people. Sir G Malet wrote that even after the introduction of guns, few Maratha soldiers carried any weapons other than two swords. In 1768 the Maratha Light Infantry regiment was formed to protect the British East India Company's possessions in Bombay. Existing even to the present day, it is the oldest and most renowned regiment in the Indian army, and formerly included aspects of mardani khel in its training regimen. Their battle cry has remained unchanged since the time of