Quote:
Originally Posted by Richard R.
Concerning the cataloguing, description and verification of old incomplete data of some oriental blades and armours, I would like to ask for your help. I would be grateful for any inputs such as possible dating, origin, translation and interpretation of the inscriptions and markings, etc.
The first chainmail-plate shirt (Nr. 1) has a two-line inscription on the inside of the rear kidney plate. The second line seems to be in a different script than the upper one. Unfortunately, the inscriptions are very blurred and difficult to identify. When trying to photograph the inscription, depending on the incidence of light, a different result or other possible guessed signs emerge. I have tried to digitally trace the writing with red to make it clearer, but have probably reproduced some characters incorrectly. I would be very grateful for any information’s, suggestions for translations or possible additions to the blurred letters.
The second chainmail-plate shirt (Nr. 2) bears punch dot markings on the front of the lower right main plate and a second inscription inside the right lower mainplate in the front.
Thanks
Richard
P.S. I have also started a corresponding help request on “swordforum.com” und der thread: “Inscription identification of two Indian/Mughal chain-plate coats (Zirah Baktar)”.
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Hello Richard
Such chain mail comes to us from the 17th century and was part of the famous armoury at Bikaner, Rajasthan.
More often a Devanagari inscription on the inside of the right ‘breast plate’ mentions the name of Maharajah Anup Singh of Bikaner (1669–98) and records the fact that this shirt entered the Armoury when the Maharajah Anup Singh defeated the Adilshahi Dynasty at the Siege of Adoni in 1689. Exactly the same inscription is on exactly the same chain mail from my collection.
The front of the right breast plate chain mail from the collection of forum member Runjeet Singh has a short, neat inscription in Persian with the words Darwish Sahib—probably a reference to an important man to whom the shirt was presented after it entered the Armoury.