Attribution of Indian (?) handle: Hyderabad?

[Ibrahiim al Balooshi]

Originally Posted by Jim McDougall

Well put, the hilts are profoundly reflections of the cultures and regional affectations where the spectrum and varieties of blades are mounted.
The term 'Arabic' is far too collectively used to be effective in trying to properly classify a sword in response to its overall features. Even swords that are known to be from Arabia itself were carried far and wide in the vast geography included in their trade.

It is localized nuances that typically give us the denominators necessary in more precisely classifying a weapon, and these of course are most often in the hilt.

I would say Baloch, Sind or Hyderabadi would be quite logically placed here.

I had overlooked that ring emplaced in the pommel on the hilt of this sword, and do agree this seems to be an affectation from India's northern regions. If I recall correctly many, if not most, Afghan oriented edged weapons typically have a ring attached to the pommels.
I have always thought of these as a lanyard attachment but may be used as a festoon link likely as well.
The rings on the Omani khanjhar scabbards are purely decorative links in the belting configuration on the scabbards, in which the number of these rings seems to be significant either regionally or otherwise.

Eric, thank you for the kind return note, and as for learning here....emphatically I say.......me too!!!!

As Ariel has said, that's what this forum is all about

Dear Jim, As usual excellent support, and a great subject. Actually none of the Omani Shamshir swords in the Omani Museums have this odd ring in the Pommel. Nor do they appear in the Richardson and Dorr. I conclude that Omani Shamshir don't have them They look like they would snag the long outfit worn by dignitaries...and whereas in the Sindh they look like fighting weapons ...worn by a VIP here they function as a badge of office.

I am not entirely convinced that these weapons were brought or offered to Omani dignitaries since so far as I can see the bulk of Mercenaries came from the Western part of Baluchistan...however, I think the great sea traders largely emanating from Hyderabad(Sindh) may be the people responsible ... The Khojas. I am however trying to find out... It is certainly plausible that it could have been transmitted by both ... and hats off to Ariel and everyone here...that this is the weapon which people often term Arabian Shamshir... or in the case of Oman ... The Omani Shamshir. (also identical is the VIP sword in the Comoros)

For any newcomers interested in Hyderabad please note that there are two. One in India in the South and another in Pakistan on the eastern edge of what we call Baluchistan in the area known as Sindh and the latter being the one we are currently interested in.