Thread: Haladie
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Old 4th April 2016, 05:43 AM   #3
Jim McDougall
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Indeed Brian, these are of considerable interest, and very much worthy of adding to the archived material here. As Estcrh has rightly noted, this particular type of Indian edged weapon is relatively rarely seen offered.

This form of 'haladie' is of course the style regarded as Rajput, and there seem to be variations in the serrations, fullering etc. but the triple blade seems most consistant.
This configuration with the transverse grip, guard with blade and with dagger blades on either side of the guard. The weapon is closely related to the 'saintie' which is an paired blade situation often with shield in the center, sometimes even a spear on one side, or other variations.
Whatever the case, these are considered parrying weapons.

Egerton (1880) and Stone (1934) regarded the haladie as Rajput and likely from Bundelkhand regions (now Uttar Pradesh & Madhya Pradesh) however it is hard to confine these to any particular area of course.

These origins of these paired blade parrying weapons seem likely to have come from the Bhils, aboriginal tribes in the regions of Rajputana, now Rajasthan largely with other states. Like many early Indian weapons such as the bagh nagh ; bichwa; madu (paired horns) and others these probably derived from animal horns.

One image shows that these did not always have the center guard and central spike or blade.
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