Ahah! Just found this item of interest in the files, from:
"A Late 15th Century Italian Sword" by Anthony North ("The Connoisseur, Dec. 1975, p.239):
Discussing Moroccan swords described in "Les Poignards et les Sabres Marocains" ( Hesperis, Tome XXVI, 1939, p.1), by Charles Buttin, Mr. North notes that "...the placing of the index finger around the base of the blade when holding the sword was a technique shown on a number of Spanish and Italian paintings. A striking feature of the sword which forms the subject of this article is the comparitively short grip. It can only be held satisfactorily if the grip is held by three fingers and a thumb, the last three fingers fitting into the recesses provided, the thumb supporting the top of the grip, and the forefinger placed around the base of the blade, a section being cut away from the edge to allow for this, hence the need for the ring guard to prevent the opponents blade injuring the exposed finger. The advantage of using the sword this way is that the point can be used as well as the edge".
I think this reference is interesting because as previously noted there were considerable contacts between these spheres via trade, particularly with the Portuguese as well as with Venice. Since the European weapons clearly had such impact on Indian weaponry , it would seem that fencing techniques would have been equally observed. Since the tulwar is used as mentioned primarily as a slashing weapon and parries were the business of the shield, the quillons on the tulwar are essentially vestigial. Therefore, it would seem that a gauntleted finger wrapped around the quillon would be quite likely.
The sword described in the North article is actually an Italian sabre that appears essentially identical in many ways, especially the hilt structure, to the nimcha of Morocco.
Possibly this information may be useful in further consideration on the hilt size of these Indian swords. It would be interesting also to consider whether the khanda with developed 'basket hilt' had equally small grips or hilt size, as this hilt typically carried straight European trade blades and its use was obviously entirely different than that employed with the tulwar. The example I have I can hold quite comfortably.
Best regards,
Jim
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