Indian scabbards

[fernando]

Originally Posted by Jens Nordlunde

...Your comment about where some of the scabbards were made is very interesting, as I have never heard about this before....

Well, this was also news to me, until i have submitted the (my)Saif thread where, by courtesy of Teodor (TVV), i have learnt that Elgood, weaving various considerations on subject in his book, goes on to referencing a photograph of a certain warrior from the Aden protectorate with such a sword, and then states that many warriors from Southern Yemen served as mercenaries in Hyderabad and "the swords are certainly made there and locally", there meaning Hyderabad. According to Elgood the motifs on the scabbard are Indian in style, not Yemeni.
...And that Robert Hales, not so expansive as Elgood, besides showing a photo of the Sultan of Lahej and his retinue and three similar swords in their scabbards, simply notes that the design and workmanship resembles jewelry from Hyderabad and points to strong historic links between Yemen and India.
I have also read that F. L. Schwarzlose, when discussing the type of swords available to the Arabs of Arabia, concludes that they themselves preferred Indian blades to blades produced elsewhere. He also points to the fact that this trade in swords was in existence from very early times and subsequent research has confirmed this. Indeed, a strong case can be made that the early Islamic conquests were made by Arabs predominantely armed with Indian swords, the Prophet himself owning a Hindi sword. At the battle of Yamama (12AH/633AD) the Muslim's opponents were armed with Indian swords ...


.