Ethnographic Arms & Armour - View Single Post

Jim McDougall · 6th January 2014, 11:18 PM

Hi Teodor,
Actually the shashka was well established in the Caucusus, but exactly how far back is unclear and seems like the form may be presumed from 18th century, but most known examples date from 19th century. The period after the Murid Wars of the 1850s was I believe when the shashka became adopted into Russian service, naturally with the Cossacks. As many Caucasians entered Russian military service, they often were allowed to retain their heirloom shashas and soon the weapons became popular with Russian officers and military. The Cossacks had been in place long before but their sabres were usually European in form and with various guard styles, though Zaparozhians often favored shamshirs and Ottoman sabres.

From what I have understood, the Uzbek and Afghan forms of these sabres are not considered variants of the shashka, though it is hard to imagine that Russian intervention in those regions did not present influence, but again this was later in the 19th century.

As I noted, this blade is as far as I know remarkably unique as I have not seen such motif nor this type of fullering on one of these swords, and again note that my suggestion is purely speculative. As far as how it ended up in the current mounts must be equally speculative, and given the constant geopolitical flux and diaspora in these regions, any number of possibilities must exist. The presence of Ottoman influenced motif in these mounts is more likely to be the result of artisans from these regions having removed to many regions where these components may have been put together.

It seems that in these turbulent times of the later 19th into the 20th and indeed to this day, most items, especially those which have clearly been refurbished or with incongruent components, we are left to evaluate them almost separately . There are so many possibilities, but the Afghan character of the blade; the Caucasian nature of the hilt and the Kalash nature of the motif in a sword of the early 20th century must be viewed as composite .

I would note that Afghan shashkas invariably have a steel bolster and usually three rivets in the hilt, Caucasian ones do not have the bolster.
The usual Uzbek guardless sabre has five rivets.

6th January 2014, 11:18 PM	#16
Jim McDougall Arms Historian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Route 66 Posts: 9,753	Hi Teodor, Actually the shashka was well established in the Caucusus, but exactly how far back is unclear and seems like the form may be presumed from 18th century, but most known examples date from 19th century. The period after the Murid Wars of the 1850s was I believe when the shashka became adopted into Russian service, naturally with the Cossacks. As many Caucasians entered Russian military service, they often were allowed to retain their heirloom shashas and soon the weapons became popular with Russian officers and military. The Cossacks had been in place long before but their sabres were usually European in form and with various guard styles, though Zaparozhians often favored shamshirs and Ottoman sabres. From what I have understood, the Uzbek and Afghan forms of these sabres are not considered variants of the shashka, though it is hard to imagine that Russian intervention in those regions did not present influence, but again this was later in the 19th century. As I noted, this blade is as far as I know remarkably unique as I have not seen such motif nor this type of fullering on one of these swords, and again note that my suggestion is purely speculative. As far as how it ended up in the current mounts must be equally speculative, and given the constant geopolitical flux and diaspora in these regions, any number of possibilities must exist. The presence of Ottoman influenced motif in these mounts is more likely to be the result of artisans from these regions having removed to many regions where these components may have been put together. It seems that in these turbulent times of the later 19th into the 20th and indeed to this day, most items, especially those which have clearly been refurbished or with incongruent components, we are left to evaluate them almost separately . There are so many possibilities, but the Afghan character of the blade; the Caucasian nature of the hilt and the Kalash nature of the motif in a sword of the early 20th century must be viewed as composite . I would note that Afghan shashkas invariably have a steel bolster and usually three rivets in the hilt, Caucasian ones do not have the bolster. The usual Uzbek guardless sabre has five rivets.