Most people are well aware of the edged weapons of Japan, Europe and Turkey. But, for example, Indian weapons remain an unknown mystery for many.
Which is somewhat strange, since India has a large population, a large territory, not to mention an outstanding culture and history.
Among Indian weapons, the katar, khanda, and talwar stand out especially, and it is about the latter that I want to write a few words. We will talk about the “Indian saber”.
The appearance of the talwar is typical for sabers - the blade is of medium width, slightly curved, sharpening can be one and a half, but this is not necessary. There are variants of the talwar both with and without elmanya. There may be a fuller on the blade of the talwar, but most often it is not there. In some cases, the valley may even be end-to-end; movable balls made of various materials are sometimes inserted into it.
The main difference between the talwar and other sabers is, first of all, its disc-shaped pommel of the hilt. Also, this saber must have a “ricasso” (heel), even if it is small. The blade length can be from 60 to 100 cm, width - from 3 to 5 cm in the ricasso area.
The handle of the talwar is straight, with a thickening in the middle, and is designed exclusively for one hand. The disc-shaped pommel prevents the weapon from being lost and gives this saber a unique look. It is often richly decorated, as are the hilt and guard. The latter can have either a straight shape, or an S-shaped or D-shaped one.
The ornaments decorating the talwar usually contain geometric shapes, images of animals and birds. On the weapons of the rich you can see inlay with precious stones or enamel.
The Talwar has been around since the 13th century and was a very popular weapon in northern India. Especially among the Rajputs, representatives of the Kshatriya caste, who used these weapons right up to the 19th century.
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Weapon type: Saber
Talwar, talwar, tulwar (talwar) - edged bladed weapon, Indian saber. This weapon appeared around the 13th century or a little later and was used until the 19th century. The Talwar was most common during the Mughal era in Northern India, and was also a popular weapon among the Rajputs (a people of the Punjabi group living in India and Pakistan).
- In Indian military history, "Talwar" is the most common term to define the word "sword". According to ancient Indian literature, "Talwar" is one of the ten weapons of the gods. According to legends, the gods who personified Good used these tools in the fight against demons who personified Evil.
- Blade of forged patterned steel, pronounced curvature. A clear, beautiful pattern can be traced along the entire length of the blade.
- On the butt there are traces of forging, characteristic of the making of Indian blades.
- The hilt of the talwar deserves special attention. It consists of a handle made together with a crosshair and pommel.
- Steel handle, widened in the middle part.
- The handle goes into a crosshair and ends in a disc-shaped pommel with a protrusion.
- Cross handle with straight ends, ending on the sides with decorative, three-part extensions and flat guides in the center of the blade.
- A protective s-shaped bow extends from the end of the cross.
- Wooden scabbard, covered with leather (old, not restored).
- It is an antique item, a weapon of historical and cultural value.
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- length of the talwar is 86 cm.
- blade length 74 cm.
- blade width 33 mm.
- butt width 8 mm.
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Bladed weapons of the Indo-Iranian region. Sabers
But Hindustan is famous not only for straight and curved swords, some of which we have already examined in the previous article.
Since the Muslim invasions, light sabers have increasingly replaced swords. Western researchers determine the type of saber (and some swords) by the shape of the handle.
This view does not seem entirely correct. It is necessary to consider the object as a whole - the handle and the blade. In some cases, a double name is possible. But more on that later. Now let’s begin our acquaintance with the sabers of the Indo-Iranian region.
Talwar, or “tulwar”, is the most common saber in the Indo-Iranian region, which can be considered typically Indian. According to ancient Indian literature, the talwar was considered one of the ten weapons of the gods. The blade is flat or lenticular in cross-section, often one-and-a-half sharpened, weakly or moderately curved, of medium width, always with a ricasso - that is, its cutting edge of the blade begins 5-7 cm from the handle, and a small unsharpened “platform” remains behind the crosshair. In later talwars, the blade has a pronounced expansion at the tip - elman. The blade can be either with or without fullers. Sometimes the valley was made through, and a number of metal balls or even pearls were placed there, which rolled freely. With the advent of Europeans in the region, combat blades from Europe began to be actively used, the handles of which were simply replaced with a tulvar one. The hilt of the talwar deserves special attention. The handle is barrel-shaped, with a thickening in the center, the pommel is disc-shaped, slightly inclined, with a dome-shaped protrusion in the middle, the cross is straight, short, with widened ends. There is often an s-shaped bow. But there is also a d-shaped one. The scabbard was made of wood and covered with velvet or leather. On the scabbard of “rich” talwars, the mouth and tip were made of metal. Talwar length is 90-120 cm.
A talwar with a very wide blade is called a tega, or tega. It is not found often, and is generally considered to be an executioner's weapon, although Egerton writes that it was a military weapon. In general, talwars were very common among warriors of different incomes. It could be a simple weapon of a warrior, or a richly decorated blade of a rajah.
No less common was a saber of Iranian origin - shamshir, or “shamshir” - “lion’s claw”. The blade of this saber is narrow but thick, usually longer than that of the talwar, and has a greater curvature, which allows for the most effective blows when chopping. In cross-section it is lenticular or flat. Ricasso and Elmani - no. The handle is simple, with a slight bend under the little finger, directed towards the blade, allowing for better grip on the saber. It consists of two bone or, less commonly, horn cheek pieces riveted to the shank. At the bottom, the cheeks are additionally fixed with a steel cap, and at the top with a steel simple straight crosshair with small elegant splints (metal linings that reinforce the blade in the guard area), which give strength to the weapon in the most loaded place. In richly decorated shamshirs, the crosshair, cap and metal parts of the scabbard could be made of precious metals, decorated with niello, enamel, incisions or stones. The scabbard of the shamshir is curved in such a way that it allows you to remove the blade without the need for a slot, which is found on the scabbard of Turkish curved sabers. The scabbard was made of wood and covered with leather, which was often decorated with embossing or embroidery with silk thread. The tip of the scabbard could be metal, but more often it was made of leather or was absent altogether. But two clips were required, by which the shamshir was hung from the belt.
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In general, it should be noted that the Indians sought to acquire richly decorated shamshirs of Persian work with damask steel blades, which were considered a status item. Often the head of an animal was depicted on the hilt (for example, a cap was made in the form of it). At the same time, many now believe that according to Muslim customs, the depiction of people and animals anywhere was prohibited, and this could only be done in a stylized manner, for export to another country and for very expensive copies. Allegedly, violation of this rule was considered religious sacrilege and threatened with the loss of one's head. And shamshirs with images of animals on the handle are made exclusively for India. In fact, this is not entirely true. Muslims are divided into two branches: Sunnis and Shiites. Sunnis are indeed forbidden to depict people and animals, therefore, for example, on Turkish weapons we will see only floral patterns, sayings from the Koran and signatures of weapon masters and owners. But the Shiites, which include the Persians, left us a lot of magnificent miniatures on silk and paper, as well as images of people and animals on armor and weapons. So, for example, the “torment scenes” carefully worked out on the blades, when an eagle kills a swan or a leopard kills an antelope, and images of people on the handles are quite typical for Iranian weapons. And on Persian shields you can generally see everyday, hunting, and battle scenes. These same miniatures reveal an interesting fact to us. It turns out that shamshir and talwar were widely used in hunting. The horseman chased the game (and it could be both ungulates and predators) and chopped it down with a saber.
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V.V. Vereshchagin. Horseman-Warrior at Jeipur (1881). |
But let's return to using shamshir. This is definitely a horseman's weapon. Its curved shape is dictated by functionality, the desire to expand the capabilities of the blade when striking from above when attacking enemy infantrymen. Some authors believe that the shamshir is ideally suited for war on horseback and in shoulder-to-shoulder formations. Although one can argue with the latter. But what is important to note is that the best shamshirs, whose blades are forged from damask steel, are only suitable for combat with an enemy not protected by chain mail or armor. It is impossible to cut chain mail, much less plate armor, with a damask shamshir. Damask shamshir is very sharp, but also very fragile. He is powerless against armor. But cutting down enemy warriors unprotected by armor is another matter, especially if they are running. By the way, when we talk about the properties of damask shamshir, we remember the famous story about how Richard the Lionheart and Sultan Saladin argued about whose blade was better - an English sword or an oriental saber? Richard, according to legend, cut an iron bar with a heavy knight's sword, leaving no jagged marks on the blade. Saladin pulled out a damask saber, turned the blade upward and tossed the handkerchief. The handkerchief touched the blade and was cut into two halves. What kind of saber was in Saladin’s hands - history is silent. But it is likely that it was also a shamshir.
Returning to the problems of the name of sabers, which I mentioned earlier, it must be said that the shamshir blade was often placed on a talvar handle. Many English-language authors call such a saber a talvar. In my opinion, it is more correct to say shamshir with a talwar handle or talwar with a shamshir blade. This defines the subject more accurately.
Separately, I would like to consider a blade typical of Sri Lanka, formerly called Ceylon. This island is inhabited mainly by Sinhalese. The Sinhalese are Indo-Aryans, usually of medium height, “small-boned”, with Caucasian facial features and dark skin. The saber (sword), as in many other cultures, was an important symbol of royal power for the Sinhalese. In the texts describing the reign of Vijayabahu IV (second half of the 13th century), it is mentioned that swords constitute the king’s wealth, however, along with other treasures. The Europeans who colonized the island in the 16th century (first the Portuguese, then the Dutch, and at the end of the 18th century the British) noted an increased attention to weapons, especially at the royal court. They wrote that noble people carried a short sword at their side in their belt. And only the king, when he makes his exit, has a sword with him, which is held by a sling over his shoulder. The hilt and scabbard of the royal sword are made of gold.
Kastane is the same Sinhala sword, or rather a half-saber. It is really short - 50-70 cm. The blade is slightly curved and sharpened on one side, like a regular saber. Moreover, castane blades are usually European, Dutch-made. Closer to the hilt, the blade may have a brass or gold notch in the form of geometric shapes, most often triangles. The hilt is made of dark horn or wood, which can be lined with embossed sheets of silver or gold, if these are sabers of aristocrats. The head of the handle is always shaped like the head of a dragon (or a dragon-like monster). The eyes of this dragon can be made of brass (on horn handles) or precious stones, most often rubies (on gold and silver handles). The guard is complex in shape and made of iron inlaid with brass or coated with valuable metals. One of the iron “mustaches,” the longer one, covers the fingers and ends with a small dragon’s head, the other two, also with dragon heads, are short, curve toward the blade and apparently serve a decorative function. Quite powerful splints that fit onto the blade between the short mustache of the guard additionally strengthen the blade in the handle. The origin of a handle of this shape is not entirely clear. But, most likely, according to Western weapons experts, it is associated with the shape of the hilts of Portuguese swords of the 15th century or Arab sabers of the nimcha type. Both versions are trustworthy. It was the Portuguese who were the first Europeans to land in Sri Lanka, and the Sinhalese had trade relations with the Arabs from about the tenth century. The appearance of dragon-like heads as a decorative element undoubtedly occurred under Hindu influence. Moreover, the “dragons” on the castan are very similar to the South Indian mythical monsters, images of which can be found on weapons and bas-reliefs of temples. The teak scabbard on outstanding examples, like the hilt, is covered with hammered plates of silver and gold. Probably, on simpler castanas the scabbard was without metal covers. This can also explain the fact that almost no scabbards for them have survived.
Concluding a brief overview of bladed weapons of the Indo-Iranian region, I would like to return to the title of the series of articles read by the reader - “Bringers of Death”. Once upon a time, all these blades were really forged in order to shed the blood of the enemies of their owners. Today they are amazing witnesses of the past, peacefully stored in museums and private collections, continuing centuries later not only to delight the eye with the elegance of their lines and decoration, but also helping us to better understand the history of the East.
Talvar - Saber against demons
Talwar became a symbol of the valor of the warrior caste of India
The weapons of the Indian gods impress with their exoticism and destructive power. Here is the mysterious lightning-like vajra with which Indra defeated his enemies.
And chakra, the throwing disc of Vishnu, which only masters could use. It is all the more surprising to see in this row a simple and laconic saber - the talvar.
It is commonly said that the beauty of a weapon lies in its efficiency and the absence of unnecessary elements. This is fully applicable to the talwar, the traditional saber of Indian warriors. Moderately curved blade, handle that fits comfortably in the palm, perfect balance. Only the unusual looking hilt attracts attention. For centuries, both foot and horsemen fought with these weapons. And not only in India, but also in Pakistan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan and even Nepal.
The secret of the hilt
Talwar appeared around the 13th century and belongs to a large family of eastern weapons, which descended from the ancient curved swords with which Turkic tribes conquered Asia. The closest “relatives” of the Indian talwar are the Arabic saif, Persian shamshir and Turkish kilic. It is distinguished by a relatively small and smooth bend, as well as a small blade width.
However, as often happens, the word “talwar” in India is often used to describe any bladed weapon. Therefore, there are talwars of very unconventional shapes. Some of them even belong to the so-called zul-fiqar - curved swords, the blade of which is forked at the end. According to legend, the Prophet Muhammad owned such a sword.
However, there is a feature by which a Talwar can be unmistakably recognized and distinguished. This is the shape of the hilt. The straight handle with a noticeable thickening in the middle was crowned with a large disk, on which the fighter’s hand seemed to rest. Such a system, on the one hand, limited the freedom of movement of the hand, preventing it from freely twisting the saber and performing complex feints. But on the other hand, it increased control over the blade and strengthened the blow.
Talwar hilts were often equipped with an arch to protect the fingers.
But it was never a mandatory element and could take on a variety of forms. The traditional material for making hilts was iron, sometimes brass and silver.
Another feature is the position of the hilt relative to the blade. Among the North Indian Talwars, the handle was simply placed in line with the blade, which facilitated piercing blows. In the south, the handle was tilted. This small angle enhanced the chopping blow and allowed the saber to be pulled a little further during cutting and secting movements.
Insidious blow
The variety of forms also affected the blade. Almost all of them have a length within 100 centimeters, but can vary greatly in width. As a rule, the blade of the talwar is decorated with one or more dols.
The most original decoration, which only the most expensive specimens made for members of the highest nobility have, was the so-called mochi-dawati. This is a through groove that runs along the blade. Several freely rolling metal balls were placed in it. And sometimes they were not balls, but pearls! Contrary to numerous legends, such decoration was purely decorative in nature and rather reduced the fighting qualities of the saber rather than giving it any special lethality. Talwars with moti-dawati were more likely to wear full dress than to go into battle.
There are no strict rules for sharpening a talwar. Most often, the blade had only one side of the blade, but one-and-a-half sharpening was also common. Often there is an expansion in the last third of the blade - elman - to enhance the chopping blow.
The shape of the talwar allowed it to be used by both horsemen and infantrymen. The methods used could be very varied. The Talwar could be used to chop, cut and stab with equal efficiency, which distinguished it favorably from most competing weapons. It is known that skilled fighters could inflict blows of such terrible force with relatively light talwars that they cut off a limb or even the head of an enemy.
A completely unique technique, which only the best masters mastered, was a blow at an extremely close range, delivered by a long spike located on the very disk crowning the hilt. However, not all talwars had such a spike. Very often there was simply a small protrusion with a through hole through which a lanyard was threaded and put on the wrist.
FOR EUROPEANS
In 1796, a new type of saber was introduced into service with the British light cavalry. The initiator of its development was Captain John Le Marchant, who noticed that previously standard army sabers were too long and heavy. The new blade was much lighter, had a stronger bend and a more pronounced edge. In his notes, Captain Marchand noted that he considered the sabers of the Turks, Mamluks, Hungarians and Moroccans to be the best cavalry bladed weapons. However, according to many weapons experts, he took the Indian talwar as a model for the new army saber. It is known that the Hindus themselves noted this similarity. Some Indian gunsmiths even converted the English sabers that came to them into real talwars, replacing the European hilt with a traditional one, with a flat pommel. It was with sabers of the 1796 model that the English cavalry fought through all the battles of the Napoleonic Wars.
The best of the best
The talwars were most glorified by the Indian Rajputs. This is not only a people, but at the same time a caste of kshatriya warriors. Since the 9th century, they have played a huge role in both domestic and foreign policy. The Rajputs, who valued honor and military prowess above all else, repeatedly claimed to unite the disparate Indian states under their rule. However, they managed to gain a foothold only in the north-west. This territory was called Raj-putana. Currently, the largest Indian state is located there - Rajasthan, with its capital in Jaipur.
The Rajputs, who kept the faith of their ancestors sacred, became a serious problem for the Islamic conquerors who invaded India in the 11th century. The Rajputs waged endless and sometimes very successful wars against the Delhi Sultanate. Their military skill and complete contempt for danger inspired respect and fear in their enemies. In a hopeless situation, the Rajputs never surrendered, but fought to the last drop of blood. Or they committed collective suicide along with their wives and children.
Most likely, it was at this time that the talwar began to be depicted as one of the attributes of the Hindu gods. After all, it was the talwar who was the faithful friend and companion of the main defenders of Hinduism for centuries.
However, the valor of the Rajputs still could not prevent the conquest of India by the troops of Babur, who founded the Mughal Empire here. The Rajputs were forced to recognize the power of the Muslim rulers, but retained the right to autonomy. And they continued to resolutely resist any attempts at Islamization, raising uprising after uprising.
The unwavering resilience of the Rajputs is legendary. And their legendary weapons became a symbol of military spirit and art. Muslims also valued talwars extremely highly; moreover, it was this saber that began to be used in rituals by representatives of one of the main branches of the LESSON My world
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