ankus
The hooked goad that is used in India to control elephants.
At last he found something really fascinating laid on the front of a howdah half buried in the coins. It was a three-foot ankus, or elephant-goad—something like a small boathook. The top was one round, shining ruby, and eight inches of the handle below it were studded with rough turquoises close together, giving a most satisfactory grip.
Where it comes from
From Hindi अंकुस (aṅkus)/अंकुश (aṅkuś), from Sanskrit अङ्कुश (aṅkuśa).
Adapted from the Wiktionary entry ankus (CC BY-SA 4.0).