Tulwar, help with dating and translation

Jim McDougall · 3rd April 2016, 06:47 PM

Hi Gernot,
Welcome to our forum and thank you bringing in such an interesting example of tulwar. As Ariel and Jens have observed, this does seem to be a composite, however that is far from being of concern with these weapons.
Actually that is quite a usual circumstance and I would note here that apparently 'gifting' of swords is a pretty standard practice in Talpur regions.

These Baluchi clans were well situated in the Sind territories in which the ruling houses (three), and according to narratives in the 1830s the Talpurs were most fond of fine swords, apparently with their age and fine steel and often embellished in inscriptions in gold. It would seem of course that these instances were with the courts and royal families and officials. While often the inscriptions were short prayers to Hazrut Ali for protection and aid, often also were inscriptions from the Koran or appropriate Persian couplets.

It is further noted that they were at times inscribed with the names of the owners or the name of those who were to receive these swords as gifts.

There is an outstanding article "Swords of the Shazadas and Talpurs" by Peter Hayes ("Connoisseur" magazine Nov. 1971, Vol. 178, #717, p.177) which describes much of this.

It would seem this blade, which has a most interesting deeper curvature than most tulwars and heavier tip, almost approximating a yelman, does seem to be earlier in the century.
As Jens has well noted, though the hilt is not necessarily Talpur or of these regions, it is known that similar forms were sometimes among the often wide variation of hilts, often coming from regions to the south.

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3rd April 2016, 06:47 PM	#8
Jim McDougall Arms Historian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Route 66 Posts: 10,504	Hi Gernot, Welcome to our forum and thank you bringing in such an interesting example of tulwar. As Ariel and Jens have observed, this does seem to be a composite, however that is far from being of concern with these weapons. Actually that is quite a usual circumstance and I would note here that apparently 'gifting' of swords is a pretty standard practice in Talpur regions. These Baluchi clans were well situated in the Sind territories in which the ruling houses (three), and according to narratives in the 1830s the Talpurs were most fond of fine swords, apparently with their age and fine steel and often embellished in inscriptions in gold. It would seem of course that these instances were with the courts and royal families and officials. While often the inscriptions were short prayers to Hazrut Ali for protection and aid, often also were inscriptions from the Koran or appropriate Persian couplets. It is further noted that they were at times inscribed with the names of the owners or the name of those who were to receive these swords as gifts. There is an outstanding article "Swords of the Shazadas and Talpurs" by Peter Hayes ("Connoisseur" magazine Nov. 1971, Vol. 178, #717, p.177) which describes much of this. It would seem this blade, which has a most interesting deeper curvature than most tulwars and heavier tip, almost approximating a yelman, does seem to be earlier in the century. As Jens has well noted, though the hilt is not necessarily Talpur or of these regions, it is known that similar forms were sometimes among the often wide variation of hilts, often coming from regions to the south.