Bhelhetah
 

I used to think that subj is wooden sword for fencing practices. But now I am confused...

I think you should have told the members, that the first picture you show is from Egerton's Indian and Oriental Armour plate I. From where is the second picture, and is there more text to it than can be seen in the picture?
Egerton says it is a sword, but does not specify what kind of sword. I have not yet looked in Ain-I-Akbari to see what is written there.
Maybe some of the mebmers can give a hint.
Jens

Jens, million thanks. I used to think that Indian weaponry and warfare are the most important and interesting things on the Earth and that everyone thinks the same ))
Of course the picture from Ain-i-Akbary show the piece that very similar to some wooden training swords. But in museum in Kota (as I remember) the piece called the same is steel sword. Unfortunately I could not understand if it have sheath and what kind of blade is inside.

You are very welcome :-).
Yes you are right, the Indian weapons are the most important to discuss :-).
From the drawing in Egerton it is hard to say if it is a wooden or a steel 'sword'. However, had it been a wooden one, I feel sure that he would have mentioned it - as he speaks about weapons - and not training weapons.
The second picture you show is a strange one. Egerton calls it a sword, but it seems to have a round 'blade' - more like a kind of maze.
I will have a look what I can find in my books.
Jens

I have been looking in my books but not found any other Bhelhetahs.
The hilt shown in Egerton's book, and the hilt on the one you show from the museum in Kota seems to be the same. Egerton does, however, write that it is a sword, and I cant imagine he would write so if the 'blade' was like a haft.
I cant explain this to you, and I have never seen such a weapon. Let's hope some of the members can help.
Jens

Many thanks.
Meanwhile I have translated "bhelhetah" as far as I can and I can explain that the blade of this "sword" is for stab as the koncerz (estoc)... And in the photo it is clearly seen.

It starts to get quite interesting.
The one which you saw in Kota - what would you say the measurers were?
I have a funny idea of what it could be - but every time I think of it I dismiss it.
About forty years ago I was in Istanbul at the army museum, and saw a special sword, but if these kind of swords were used at Akbar's time in India is more than questionalable.
Jens

For a moment I thought it could be a weapon like the attached on, which also have a round 'blade', but a very pointed tip.
It was used for stapping enemies laying on the ground, and is supposed to be able to penetrade mail armour.
The bhelhetah has a much shorter 'blade', and I dont know what kind of weapon it is.
The attached picture is from Anthony C. Tirri's book Islamic Weapons. Maghrib to Moghul.

In G.N. Pant's book Indian Arms and Armour vol. II such a sword is shown and commended - see below. However, somewhere else in the book he mentions, that he had never seen such a sword, sso he was obviously not aware of the one you saw at the museum in Kota.

Thanks Jens!
But...
I appreciate the books of Dr.Pant but unfortunatly they are secondary to by Lord Egerton one. It is like as all Indians historians of 20-th century who have studeid history of Rajasthan simply repeated J.Tod which in turn recorded court tales of rajas ((

Yes you are right - I too take Pal with a grain of salt :-).
Jens