[sirupate]

Hello Gav,

I cannot claim full credit for observation, I had noticed it and thought it odd when initially reading this posting but through conversations with another collector about this thread, it reinforced my views.

Is this collector not part of this Forum?

Could you please elaborate on this history of the possible kukri origins and that of the Kora if it is also from this point in time?

We are currentley working on the origins of the kukri, so no real info yet, as for the khuda its not something I have been overly concerned with, but my interest has ben aroused with this thread.

Hello Jim,

'khuda' easily was transliterated into 'kora'

I doubt it, I have been in contact with three top Nepalese historians since this thread started, and one of them has come back with the spelling 'khunda' as the correct spelling, and yet in the National museum its spelt as khuda!

I would like to know about the shape of the kora blade tip and its dual concave curves, and what it might represent.

According to two of the historians, no religious signifigance at all to the khunda, its shape simply owes itself to its effective cutting power.

Brian Farwell (author of "The Gurkhas") mentioned that there were instances of these tough warriors using 'khuda' despite the kukri being the weapon of standard use and issue.

I believe in Byron Farwell's book he only refers the Khunda when used in the Dashian festival 'The man selected to do the deed was armed with a razor-sharp, outsized kukri called a khanra' which seems to be an almost a phonetic spelling.
Certainley in the old days Gorkha troops used the khunda, but in referance to Gurkhas using it in the early days before regulation, I asked a Gurkha historian who said that he had not heard of it, but that it might have happened, this was also the thoughts of another historian as well.

Hello Jonathan,

In my expierience of the Nepal national museam, collecters

You didn't speak to any collectors in Nepal

The kukri & the Kora are both regarded as Nepali national weapons in Nepal

The khunda is certainley recognised as a weapon that was used a lot in olden times, but as a National weapon per say, I don't think so, however I have asked about this and I will pass on the views of the Historians when I recieve their replies. Its certainley not the National weapon of Nepal, the kukri is.

Many soldiers , civil servants, entrenapurs & indeed Officers brought back tourist pieces of many types for wall decoration even up to & after ww2.

That is certainley not my experience of Officers and Soldiers that fought in wars, the ones I know and have spoken only had the real thing, for example David Harland (died a month ago) a friend of my fathers, who was with the Gurkhas as a Captain in WWII, only brought back the Japanese sword he had surrendered to him, my Uncle Charlie from WWI had a dagger that he took of a dead German that he had killed etc. However entrepreneurs might be a whole different thing!

Hello Gonzalo'

For above all the diversity of the ethnic groups existing in actual Nepal since long time ago, no one seems to have developed the khukri before the arrival of the indians. Or is it?

Might well be

In the other hand, Alexander only arrived to the Indus, or not far from there, and its passing seems ephimeral.

It is certainley not uncommon that armies copy and then produce weapons from other armies, like the AK47 on the flag!

Tulwar handled khukris are, or the result of nepali influence over indian population, or the influence of the indian culture over the nepali weapons, isn't it?

Other cultures could be just as important

but the original weapon the gorkhas carried at the beginning of the nepali state was the kora, and not the khukri, which is a latter weapon

Says who?

You will notice the absolute lack of khunda in these historical paintings from a Nepalese museum
This is a scene from a famous battle in the unification of Nepal

And this is a scene from the Anglo Nepali war;

So perhaps some western collectors are more hung up on the khunda than the Nepalese?
But as mentioned before I am in contact with three top Nepalese historians, and whatever their view is I will pass it on.

Cheers Simon