Shamshir or pulvar?

[mahratt]

Originally Posted by ariel

As per Stone's Glossary, it is a Pulwar.

As per Elgood's Glossary ( see his book on Indian weapons), and Oliver Pinchot's book Weapons of the Paladins, Pulwar is a mis-transcribed Tulwar, so it is a figment of European imagination:-)

As per info from my informants from the Western Pakistan ( Pakhtunkhwa, populated by ethnic Afghanis), nobody there knows the word Pulwar: for them it is a Shamshir.

In this particular case, the word Pulwar will convey maximum information for a Westerner, despite a very dubious connection with the true native tradition.

If we want quick and easy lingo, it is, undoubtedly, a Pulwar.
If we are writing a catalog description for a major museum, it may be something like " an Afghani saber with a Persian shamshir blade and a handle stemming from old Deccani examples" This should be followed by a 5-page long dissertation citing multiple references and reconciling conflicting opinions

I apologize for my English. Thank you all for the views expressed.

Gavin, thank you for opinion. I totally agree with you.

Ariel, I did not ask to write the story of the origin of the handles of swords in Afghanistan. I asked a specific question.

And what's the difference, as in Afghanistan called saber? This is interesting from the point of view of ethnography. Nothing more. In modern literature there is a specific term "Pulvar." And those who are associated with oriental weapon it is clear that we are talking about afghan sabre.