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Old 31st July 2018, 01:15 PM   #9
ariel
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Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Ann Arbor, MI
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Yes, it is wider.
The best known ( to me) example is what we now call Russia.
Originally , a hodge-pudge of Ugro- Finnish and Slavic tribes , manufacturing simple cutting and chopping tools without any distinctions. Then, they were controlled by the Vikings, and adopted their weapons. Then, they were conquered by the Mongols and swapped their straight swords and daggers for sabers. Then, with the emergence of a Russian State, they got access to Turkish and Persian weapons , and from there on their weapons acquired “ Islamic” overtones. Peter the Great tried to remake Russia into a semblance of a European society and armed his military with European weapons.

And then, as a cherry on top, Caucasian War radically changed Russian military fashions: shashka and kindjail became a basis for regulation weapons, aristocracy and even Tsars started sporting Caucasian garb. A unique example of the vanquished dictating the fashions to the victors.

The best they could achieve was a production of standard weapons of their era ( whatever it was at the time) with a lot of bling and artistic embellishments.

But the “Russian” pattern of whatever weapons , unlike Indian, Persian or Arab traditions never emerged.
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