The spike or spine on the khanda pommel

[ariel]

Originally Posted by Jim McDougall

In other discussions the question has come up about methods of holding certain Indian edged weapons in use, and whether certain features make allowances for use in a two hand hold in striking.
Clearly, the weapon that comes to mind is the khanda (sometimes 'firangi' if with foreign blade), which often have an extension out of the pommel which may be regarded as a spike or spine.

In Pant, "Indian Arms and Armor" (1980, p.48) it is noted about the khanda, "...there is very often a spike on the pommel which acts as a guard for the arm, and for a grip when making a two handed stroke. It is also used as a hand rest when the sword is sheathed".

My question is just how reliable is this suggestion in the use of the khanda? Was the two hand stroke really necessary, and if a warrior was also holding a shield, or for that matter, if a horseman was holding reins in the other hand, how would this be feasible?

It seems that vestigial element of a stem much smaller occurs on some tulwars and is known as 'dungarpuri' (Pant, p.108) named for the place in Rajasthan where this feature was 'invented' (?) and is said to be a 17th c. affectation. Clearly this element is not intended for such 'second hand' application on the tulwar, but perhaps suggests some symbolic meaning.
Could the 'spike' or perhaps 'stem' on the khanda also carry some symbolism rather than the two hand hold idea?

Attached plate from Pant on khandas with 'spikes' and a tulwar with an unusual perpendicularly angled spike discussed here in 2016.

I think it was Elgood who casually mentioned that crooked spike of Tulwar handles was fashionable around 17th century.

[Jim McDougall]

Originally Posted by ariel

I think it was Elgood who casually mentioned that crooked spike of Tulwar handles was fashionable around 17th century.

Elgood (2004, p.123) does refer to the influence of imported Deccani designs in early 17th c. so as the khanda was essentially Deccani (Maratha) possibly the spike may have in some degree inspired these on talwar hilts.

Elgood also notes (p.90) that the talwar 'disc pommel' appears first seen in records in the A'in-i-Akbari (completed 1589) but in earlier references of 16th c. ( Nujum ul Alam; Hamzanama, both 1560s+) the talwar pommels are globular or small cup shaped.

Since the 'Hindu basket hilt' seems to have become popular in the early 17th c. as well, the spike seems to have possibly come along with that development, at least in accord with examples I have seen. The earlier khanda seems loosely of similar design, but with cup shaped pommels and a full guard plate under quillons of a kind.
It was mostly the addition of the knuckleguard plate in a kind of extension of the guard plate that gave the hilt the 'basket' appellation.

Perhaps the 'spike' on these khanda is simply presumed a feature for second hand grip, but in actuality is a symbolic element representing a bud.

In "Arts of the Muslim Knight" (2008, p.102, #66) a khanda (basket hilt) is shown and the 'spike' described as "..a long and slightly tilted 'bud' arising from an inverted dome set into the pommel bowl".
None of the khandas with spike from pommel elsewhere have this or any other notation toward them in this reference, nor is any mention of the feature intended for use as a secondary hand grip.

Is it possible that this seemingly consistent feature on these 'basket hilt' khandas was a symbolic element representing a 'bud' perhaps lotus? as emanating from a cup in a floral type theme?
On the Dungarpuri type talwar hilt (Pant.op. cit. p.108) the smaller stem seems more like a bud.