You are most welcome Hara! and this is a most interesting sabre, as is your thought that it might be Afghan.
The parrot hilt, virtually identical but with variations in the floral motif, and with similar curled back knuckleguard are known from Gujerat (Pant, 1980, CXX) and classified as 17th century (probably later). These style hilts however had pretty much the standard tulwar hilt elements in their quillons and langet.
This one is quite unusual in apparently corresponding to European hilt style with the quillon terminal disc and the langet which both seem to reflect elements of the British M1796 light cavalry sabres. During the 19th century there was a great deal of hybridization of British and Indian swords.
Possibly this example may have been one of these. I have seen tulwar hilts with British blades (quite common) and other combinations.
As Ariel has noted, these Persian traded blades (many spuriously associated with Assad Adullah the famed maker) were indeed often duplicated in Ataghi (in Chechnya) and I believe other some other Caucasian locations. The channeled blade and the 'key hole' like device in the blade resembles some of these blades of c 1830s.
I think a very nice example, and a good example of these type blades in unusual variant form probably of around mid to late 19th century. I would suspect possibly some interesting connections to the British Raj in India.
Best regards,
Jim
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