As Peter and Kubur have well noted, the so called 'saintie' is effectively in the scope of 'parrying weapons' which have some interesting history.
In Dr. S. Haider, "Islamic Arms and Armor of Muslim India" (Lahore, 1991, p.243):
The term 'saintie' seems to derive from a short throwing spear which was used by Rajputs and carried in pairs to be thrown as spears. In this case these were called BARCHHI and were about 2'7" with about 6" head.
The Mughal version of these were termed KHISHT NEZA (SAINTHI).
These do not have the hand loop or central guard etc. but otherwise look similar......the term is what seems intriguingly key.
These lances/spears were versions of slightly longer 'SANG' and another called SELARAH (Hindu term 'sel' =lance).
It seems these had a hand loop on them in the center, but appears to have become a solid fixture in the parrying weapon derivation. It would appear that this idea derived from such a weapon which appears to have entered Spain via Arabs where the edged ends with a central shield and dagger
(adarga, al daraqa =shield) . This central shield/weapon comes further from an early Chinese parrying weapon (attached from "Weapons", Diagram Group, 1980, p.73).
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