Quote:
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Originally Posted by mariusgmioc
What is this?
Is it a Nepalese kukri?
Is it an Indian tulwar?
Is it Nepalo-Indian?
Is it Indo-Nepalese?
I simply believe it is a "kukri with a tulwar hilt."
Simple and clear.
And the same logic applies for the "cobra swords" in question.  |
VERY well noted Marius!
The 'name game' has been played for literally decades here in attempts to neatly pigeon hole and concisely categorize weapons which are obviously hybrids of influences and forms. In many if not most cases these are often related to similar uses in published material using 'collectors' terms from early accounts describing weapons, which in turn resulted from various transliterations and misunderstandings of local colloquial terms.
In the very theme of this discussion, the 'cobra' term applied to the distinctive enlarged forte at the root of these blades is a 'western' appellation suggesting a nagan symbolism in the sword type.
We know however that the typically disc shape is most probably representing the chakra, and these originate in the Hindu Pantheon with symbolism regarding Vishnu. That this symbolic feature is just that, and has no pragmatic purpose in the blade function can be seen for example with the khanda pictured with undulating blade and the 'chakra' toward the tip of the serrated blade.
In this case, it might be argued that the position in this case would serve as a weight to add impetus to a slashing blow, such as with the yelman on sabers, but the strong symbolic nature of the feature seems otherwise paramount.
The fact that there was considerable Afghan influence in the Deccan which led to the considerable cultural exchanges between these disparate regions can be explained by the Pathan communities such as Kurnool, Cuddapah and Savanur situated in Deccani areas.
It has often been suggested that the elements of the paluoar hilt are from Deccani influences, but that too is of course contested despite the compelling similarities in comparisons.
The blades on these 'cobra' swords are also a talking point here beyond the 'chakra', with the deeply chiseled channels often seen. Look at the blades on the Afghan military swords of latter 19th c. which have what seems similar deep channels recalling 'atavistically' early Vijayanagara blades.
The hilts of course are interestingly combined features of what recalls British military bayonets in styling, combined with the 'swan neck' type hilts of many northwest guards on tulwars . These open piercing of the bars on the knuckleguard are also seen on paluoar hilts in many cases.
Also the image of the addorsed zoomorphic figures hilt is of course the same as on one of these 'cobra swords'.
Of course hilts and blades were remounted often incongruently as blades were typically mounted with locally favored hilts. So then how do we regard a 'blade' such as this apparently Hindu styled one, fashioned with an Afghan style hilt (paluoar) and situated in Deccani regions?
Do we regard it as a Deccani sword? after all the paluoar is thought to have Deccani origins or is it Afghan, as these hilts are typically regarded as prolifically present in Afghanistan?
In my thinking, the use of descriptive terms is more useful in classification of a weapon, than catchy ethnic hyphenation or arbitrary classification which mat be misleading, and 'collectors terms' should be footnotes. For the sake of discussions however, the use of well worn collectors terms is of course probably most prudent.