An immense Khyber sword

[Stasa Katz]

A quick note on the sword we have been discussing. The handle is a bit loose. I am not yet knowledgeable enough to guess what was used for the handle. Elements in handle are a bit loose but not to point of falling apart.

Am a rank amateur so am not going to try and tamper with this myself.

As an illustration of how fluid the entire region is, here is a snap shot of one man's career that matches how these blades can travel.

I am sure my blade is not as old as the First Afghan War. I did think it interesting to offer a description of one Afghan noble who chose to assist the British in a variety of capacities. He and his family and many of their soldiers went into exile and lived on British ruled territory far from their home territory in Afghanistan.

There must have been a great and complex array of blades in their hands. And in India, if they needed to take their weapons for repair to Indian smithies, this would have added yet further to the complexity--and left questions for collectors.

There was an Afghan noble who lived in Paghman, near Kabul, and chose to support Shah Shuja , who was placed on the throne by the British and the Army of the Indus, during the First Afghan War. (1841)

Later, this Afghan noble threw in his lot with the British and followed Sales back to EIO controlled territory and later settled near Meerut.

Lady Sales, in Kabul ('Cabul') mentions him.

I observe I have mentioned the Laird of Pughman (aka Paghman), a sobriquet applied to a good man, and a true one to the Shah and us. His proper name was the Syud Mahommed Khan, and for the good service he did in the Kohistan with Sale's force (Lady Sales husband), he obtained the honorary title of Jan Fishan Khan, or the nobleman who is the exterminator of his sovereign's enemies. It is a difficult sentence to render into English. Jan means life; Fishan, heedless of the life of your enemies, Khan, a lord or a nobleman...(quoted from A Journal of the Disasterss in Afghanistan by Lady Florentia Sales, page 29-30, Tantalion Press)

Jan Fishan Khan gave assistance to Robert Sales' forces. The British granted him lands and an income in an area near Meerut in what is now Northern India. Later he and his troops assisted the British in 1857

Imperial Gazetteer of India

http://books.google.com/books?id=xnd...ed=0CBkQ6AEwAQ

Wikipedia

http://webcache.googleusercontent.co...&hl=en&ct=clnk

There must have been a vast variety of blades in the hands of this clan chief and his retainers. Khan's career would have spanned territory held by the Afghans near Kabul, his flight would have taken place through either the Bolan or Khyber Pass, through Sikh held turf, and then south into what is now Northern India...and all these areas with different weapons and forges.

All interesting for collectors. Thank you all again for your time.