Firangi

[Jim McDougall]

Originally Posted by ariel

Jim,
I have interpreted your saying “It is difficult at best to assess a sword blade to determine whether it is European or a native made example by photo” as such. Obviously, it was my mistake. Glad we are in agreement.

Thank you Ariel, I think sometimes (often) my explanations become a bit too detailed, so often misunderstanding my wording is often quite understandable. Ironically, what I was trying to say is that your 'firangi' was VERY much so, and a most handsome and excellent example of the 'form'........a Hindu basket hilt, holding a distinctly European blade.

My comments in assessing the blades by photo meant to point out that the key elements used to ascertain European origin cannot be expected to be achieved unequivocably in these cases. This is because hands on examination can more closely determine the application and character of markings, as well as the flaws and metallurgical elements, weight, spring and demeanor of the blade. Too often being cautious in declaring an opinion as such can be misperceived accordingly.

As noted previously, the 'firangi' term is not by any means a clear definition of a sword 'type', but a qualifying description most commonly used in collectors parlance to describe a 'Hindu basket hilt' form sword carrying as European or 'foreign' blade. It has in cases been attempted to be applied to other forms with such blades, but in my view unsuccessfully.

Here I would agree that the 'firangi' term is indeed used in many references toward describing these Indian swords, as it has become such a standard in collectors parlance. The book by the late Anthony Tirri being mentioned, I would note was as well known not 'academic' by the standards of the larger scholarship of arms literature, but as I have always asserted, it was a great reference guide for the categories of arms typically encountered in the collecting community. The point is that terms need not be 'academically' correct if they are broadly and collectively known in a certain descriptive sense and commonly used as such.

While probably not a collectively used term in local vernacular, I am sure that in degree, the firangi term has found use in many of the diverse languages and regions in India. This would of course account for its place in the literature on Indian arms which led to its more stringent use by collectors as described.