Another Mandara short sword

TVV · 24th January 2012, 01:51 AM

Iain, thank you for the answer on the tribal attribution of this really nice piece. I guess, referring to these swords as Mandara, despite their diversity, is the safest way to approach this for now. I wonder if any of these forms were also popular with the armies of Adamawa, or if these were confined to the non-Muslim groups resisting the conquest attempts of the latter.
Regards,
Teodor

Iain · 24th January 2012, 10:22 AM

Hi Teodor,

These should have more or less be used by non Islamic groups. The takouba seems to have started to seen more use in Mandara after the Fulani launched several incursions in the early 1800s and the region became somewhat more Islamic with a couple small emirates in place.

In emirates like Adamawa you probably would have found irregulars with a variety of weapon forms.

There were very few standing troops usually and village/town rulers were responsible for providing levies. Up until the Fulani Jihads, it is probably fair to say most of these areas were nominally Muslim but even the ruling class were not particularly strict. While household troops, like the heavily armoured cavalry, were usually also the bodyguards of the emir, the majority of troops were on foot and would supply some of their own equipment.

Still, so far it has seemed to me, in my admittedly cursory attempts to research these areas, that the takouba fairly quickly supplanted native sword forms.

Cheers,

Iain

24th January 2012, 01:51 AM	#1
TVV Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Bay Area Posts: 1,725	Iain, thank you for the answer on the tribal attribution of this really nice piece. I guess, referring to these swords as Mandara, despite their diversity, is the safest way to approach this for now. I wonder if any of these forms were also popular with the armies of Adamawa, or if these were confined to the non-Muslim groups resisting the conquest attempts of the latter. Regards, Teodor

24th January 2012, 10:22 AM	#2
Iain Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Olomouc Posts: 1,719	Hi Teodor, These should have more or less be used by non Islamic groups. The takouba seems to have started to seen more use in Mandara after the Fulani launched several incursions in the early 1800s and the region became somewhat more Islamic with a couple small emirates in place. In emirates like Adamawa you probably would have found irregulars with a variety of weapon forms. There were very few standing troops usually and village/town rulers were responsible for providing levies. Up until the Fulani Jihads, it is probably fair to say most of these areas were nominally Muslim but even the ruling class were not particularly strict. While household troops, like the heavily armoured cavalry, were usually also the bodyguards of the emir, the majority of troops were on foot and would supply some of their own equipment. Still, so far it has seemed to me, in my admittedly cursory attempts to research these areas, that the takouba fairly quickly supplanted native sword forms. Cheers, Iain