Shashka for comments

ariel · 7th January 2014, 09:46 AM

I am on vacation, with only rare access to the Internet ( so happens, I got access by chance this very moment), but far, far away from my sharpies and books. Therefore, forgive me for not posting any examples.

IMHO, this is a typical Afghani blade based on the structure of fullers. I have a couple of Pulwars with exactly the same arrangement. To the best of my recollection, there were also brass inlays polished flush with the blade.
The handle and the scabbard are Caucasian, no doubt, but since shashkas were made also in Turkey ( mainly after Circassian exile ) and (less so) in Persia, these later features do not help much.

Caucasian "ghulams" were integral and very significant part of Iranian armies going all the way back to the reign of Shah Abbas the Great: Georgi Saakadze was one of his commanders against the Ottomans, another Georgian, Allahverdi Undiladze, commanded the entire Ghulam corps in his campains in Afghanistan and was the governor of the Fars province , an Armenian Melik Khan was yet another Caucasian commander ( BTW, the artillery corps was built and commanded by the British brothers Anthony and Robert Sherley), etc. The fighting units were composed mainly from the Georgians, Armenians and Circassians but ethnic Persians themselves were regularly given administrative positions. This tradition continued even with Nader Shah.

Thus, it would not be impossible for one of the veterans to bring back some Afghani souvenirs ( a sword?) the blade of which would be recycled into a traditional shashka. The minimal curvature of tulwar/pulwar blades was ideal for shashkas, as opposed to highly curved Persian shamshirs.

Yu.Miller, in his book Caucasian Weapons ( Hermitage collection) shows even stranger Frankensword: a Khanda blade with a classical Georgian handle. Perhaps, from the same campaign:-)

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7th January 2014, 09:46 AM	#16
ariel Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Ann Arbor, MI Posts: 5,503	I am on vacation, with only rare access to the Internet ( so happens, I got access by chance this very moment), but far, far away from my sharpies and books. Therefore, forgive me for not posting any examples. IMHO, this is a typical Afghani blade based on the structure of fullers. I have a couple of Pulwars with exactly the same arrangement. To the best of my recollection, there were also brass inlays polished flush with the blade. The handle and the scabbard are Caucasian, no doubt, but since shashkas were made also in Turkey ( mainly after Circassian exile ) and (less so) in Persia, these later features do not help much. Caucasian "ghulams" were integral and very significant part of Iranian armies going all the way back to the reign of Shah Abbas the Great: Georgi Saakadze was one of his commanders against the Ottomans, another Georgian, Allahverdi Undiladze, commanded the entire Ghulam corps in his campains in Afghanistan and was the governor of the Fars province , an Armenian Melik Khan was yet another Caucasian commander ( BTW, the artillery corps was built and commanded by the British brothers Anthony and Robert Sherley), etc. The fighting units were composed mainly from the Georgians, Armenians and Circassians but ethnic Persians themselves were regularly given administrative positions. This tradition continued even with Nader Shah. Thus, it would not be impossible for one of the veterans to bring back some Afghani souvenirs ( a sword?) the blade of which would be recycled into a traditional shashka. The minimal curvature of tulwar/pulwar blades was ideal for shashkas, as opposed to highly curved Persian shamshirs. Yu.Miller, in his book Caucasian Weapons ( Hermitage collection) shows even stranger Frankensword: a Khanda blade with a classical Georgian handle. Perhaps, from the same campaign:-)