A Strange Discussion on Indian Weapons

[Jens Nordlunde]

Hi Aqtai,

For Indian two hand swords, see Elgood’s ‘Hindu Arms and Ritual’ pages 94 and 95, read also the text on page 211. On page 97 you can see two tappash, or sword hilted spears. In the Glossary on page 264 Elgood writes, “Tappash. The author of the ‘Nujum al-Ulum’ (1570) describes it as having a covered grip and a spear (barchi) and says that in common language it is a pata and that it is a weapon ‘suited to the man whose hand is defective or injured’. There are examples of this rare weapon in Bikaner.”

What he means by writing ‘suited to the man whose hand is defective or injured’, I don’t know, by maybe he means someone who can’t swing a sword, but who can still stab.