Export of iron from SE Asia

Jens Nordlunde · 30th March 2005, 04:09 PM

So far the discussion has mostly been on export of ingots from south of India and Sri Lanka, I have lately learned from Ann Feuerbach that the caravans travelling on the Silk Road also brought ingots to Arabia. I have been reading about it in several books, one being ‘Persian Steel’ by James Allan and Brian Gilmour, and latest, in a newly acquired book, The Arms and Armour of Arabia, in the 18th-19th and 20th Centuries by Robert Elgood, in Appendix II, ‘Damascus sword manufacture’ he discus the importance if Damascus as a centre for sword making. Arguing that Damascus was rather known for being a centre of sword trade than for sword making, not that there were no sword smith’s in Damascus, but not enough to make it a centre for sword making – he also mentions many other places, known for their quality swords. On page 104 he writes, ‘Contemporary references to weapons in Syria reinforce the view that Indian swords dominated the market’.

I have, in other places, seen hints and references to export of blades from India, but I have never before seen reference to, that the Indian’s should have exported so many blades that they dominated a market as big as the Syrian, which must have been big at the time. When was ‘at the time’? Robert Elgood does not specify it, but from the text I gather, it is from before the Europeans settled in India

So now we have an export of blades and ingots to the west, but what about to the east? We know, from stone sculptures, that kerises were used in the south of India; did they also export keris blades to the east?

The export of blades to the west alone means, that the blade production in south and west India must have been intensive, as they, not only could equip their own armies with blades, but they also had a very big export of them, if they could dominate the Arabian market. This also means, that many of the blades we normally consider being Persian, may very well be made in India, and on arrival decorated in Persia – if that too was not made in India.

30th March 2005, 04:09 PM	#18
Jens Nordlunde Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Europe Posts: 2,718	So far the discussion has mostly been on export of ingots from south of India and Sri Lanka, I have lately learned from Ann Feuerbach that the caravans travelling on the Silk Road also brought ingots to Arabia. I have been reading about it in several books, one being ‘Persian Steel’ by James Allan and Brian Gilmour, and latest, in a newly acquired book, The Arms and Armour of Arabia, in the 18th-19th and 20th Centuries by Robert Elgood, in Appendix II, ‘Damascus sword manufacture’ he discus the importance if Damascus as a centre for sword making. Arguing that Damascus was rather known for being a centre of sword trade than for sword making, not that there were no sword smith’s in Damascus, but not enough to make it a centre for sword making – he also mentions many other places, known for their quality swords. On page 104 he writes, ‘Contemporary references to weapons in Syria reinforce the view that Indian swords dominated the market’. I have, in other places, seen hints and references to export of blades from India, but I have never before seen reference to, that the Indian’s should have exported so many blades that they dominated a market as big as the Syrian, which must have been big at the time. When was ‘at the time’? Robert Elgood does not specify it, but from the text I gather, it is from before the Europeans settled in India So now we have an export of blades and ingots to the west, but what about to the east? We know, from stone sculptures, that kerises were used in the south of India; did they also export keris blades to the east? The export of blades to the west alone means, that the blade production in south and west India must have been intensive, as they, not only could equip their own armies with blades, but they also had a very big export of them, if they could dominate the Arabian market. This also means, that many of the blades we normally consider being Persian, may very well be made in India, and on arrival decorated in Persia – if that too was not made in India.