Its been a great history lesson for me as well, Actually when I write here, its after researching and compiling notes, so its learning for me as well, and Im just sharing what I just learned.
As I continued researching, I found that the article on Shazadas and Talpurs was actually toward two separate areas, and that shazada was a term, not a specific group, and used in Persian and Mughal parlance as more a title or reference for sons of rulers etc. This applied to the Mughal specific, in which the Empire by the 18th century was situated mostly in Delhi, and Agra.
What is important regarding the significant yelman which is featured on these blades is this was an affectation which derives traditionally from the Timurids, which of course were the nomadic Turkic tribes moving westward. These tribes carried further to establish the Ottoman Empire, where as we know, the yelman became more pronounced in the pala and kilic.
These tribes branched southward into India and the origins of the Mughal empire, so the yelman on blades was essentially a traditional element which seems to have been carried forward into the 18th century with these blades.
It does not seem the yelman feature prevailed largely into the 19th c.aside from incidental cases.
The Persian shamshir is of course a curved blade which radiuses directly to a sharp point, and there is no yelman whatsoever. This is notable as the Persian influence in Mughal courts was profound, just as in Afghanistan and Sind.
So the yelman was more a traditional carry over recognizing the Timurid ancestry of the Mughals.
The fact that Sind, and its ruling Talpur dynasty, were also with these influences from Persia (Shia Faith) and Mughals, and factoring in the influences from the Durrani (Afghan) Empire, were all elements that position sabers of this type there as well.
The bottom line I suppose is that these tulwars with distinct yelman blade seem to have been prevalent in the 18th century in the Delhi regions with the 'open' hilt such as yours. Those with knuckleguard such as my example may have also been in the same areas including Sind and much of the northwest frontiers. Hyderabad was a key trade entrepot in Sind, so as noted incoming blades from Europe from varied sources likely influenced blades made in neighboring blade production, hence the copied markings especially these Italian marks.
I know, more history lesson, but for me thats what these weapons are about.
On that note, I would say no to embellishment of course. My weapons tend to be rough, exactly as they were last found, in situ. It is to personal preference, but to do other than stabilize corrosion etc. is to contaminate the historic value of the weapon. Many collectors prefer aesthetics, and that is their call. To me its a wonderfully attractive tulwar as is
