Frontier Arithmetic: The Afghan Jezail

[Jim McDougall]

Ricky, I cannot possibly thank you enough for the wonderfully positive and detailed assessment of my jezail. As I have noted, this was purely serendipity, and actually I was visiting a very prominent and well known gun dealer in Albuquerque. While I ceased collecting years ago, I have always had a little bucket list, and I was looking for an authentic well used Winchester saddle ring carbine.
He had so many guns it was hard to describe, many had come in from estates and collection purchases, and there were countless items not yet cataloged or listed. He was tight on the price for the carbine I chose, and I saw this jezail among a literal pile of them brought back from Afghanistan. For some reason I liked this one and negotiated a package deal.......somehow not only did I get my saddle ring....but this jezail, which I have wanted since the wistful readings I described of some 50 years ago!

I would not dare disassemble it, but have optimistically held the same views you have, that it is likely far to elaborate for a tourist item. Still, that even the guns of tribesmen authentically used end up in the bazarres in Kabul, so this may be one. The touch hole, and other necessary features seem notably functional, and it is indeed smooth bore, .58 cal. according to the dealer.

It is pretty exciting to have luckily found a good example, never really expecting I would ever get one, and the great responses here from you and the guys as I try to learn more about these is great.
Thank you so much again.....and REALLY looking forward to your pics

[kahnjar1]

As promised the lock detail not yet posted of the two other jezails.
The one with MOP decoration similar to yours does not have the RAMPANT lion but has a lion standing on all four feet. The date, if in fact it is one, is in Hindi I think. No doubt someone here will be able to confirm or deny that.
The other (percussion) jezail has no EIC or any other marks, but a string of I.I.I.I.etc. Not sure what that signifies, or maybe it is just part of the decoration. The lock itself looks to me to be a civilian type rather than military.
Stu

[Kubur]

Originally Posted by kahnjar1

The one with MOP decoration similar to yours does not have the RAMPANT lion but has a lion standing on all four feet. The date, if in fact it is one, is in Hindi I think.

Hi Stu
I can see 1272, 1856 and a Persian lion or a copy i don't know...

[kahnjar1]

Originally Posted by Kubur

Hi Stu
I can see 1272, 1856 and a Persian lion or a copy i don't know...

Thanks Kubur.
Are the numerals Hindi? The particular lion is familiar to me but I could not place it. Certainly not EIC though.
Stu

[Kubur]

Originally Posted by kahnjar1

Thanks Kubur.
Are the numerals Hindi? The particular lion is familiar to me but I could not place it. Certainly not EIC though.
Stu

It's Farsi, Persian numbers (in fact Arabic), the persian calendar is a bit different
so +/-10 years...

[Jim McDougall]

Stu, thank you!!! These are excellent images, and I think what I like most about these guns is their inherently rugged charm, so appropriate for the tribal warriors of the Khyber and its environs.

The 'standing' lion is of course Persian, and while officially the Lion and Sun of the Pahlavi dynasty of late in Iran, it was of course prevalent in the Qajar dynasty preceding. In Afghanistan, as has been noted, the influences of Persia are profoundly present much as throughout India with the Mughals.
This is an amazing lock, and honestly the first I have seen with the Persian lion. With the previously noted presence of England in Persia and the use of the EIC markings on locks produced there, this is fascinating.

The 'date' on this is in characters I do not recognize, but clearly in imitation of EIC configuration, and it is tempting to consider the Persian Lion and Sun were deliberately placed in lieu of the EIC rampant lion as well.

The percussion lock example is also fascinating and unusual. It will be interesting to find what these 'I' characters added in such a grouping with periods mean. From the obsessive research I have been involved in the past weeks, it seems the percussion locks (of c. 1830s+) were not particularly favored by the tribesmen as obviously, the caps were hard to come by while flints and powder were not.

[Jim McDougall]

In continuing the research on the lock on my jezail of the OP, I wanted to find more on the EIC rampant lion and date on the lock. I was greatly encouraged by Ricky's supportive observations on it likely being authentically original EIC.

While it has certain minor flaws, it does seem more consistent with such which might occur in work of the numerous contractors supplying materials to the EIC rather than the more crude and often misaligned elements of native Afghan examples.

Clearly it has been reworked, probably numerous times in its very long working life, as is common with these long circulating gun locks in these regions.
As has been noted, the use of pins instead or screws, and the working seems to have defaced the head of the lion as well as the position where the company inspection stamp was. The date 1811 seems one of notable production as I have found numerous notations noting it.

One thing I noticed is the hammer on my example, which seems consistent with the earlier Windus examples, while about 1813, the ring in the hammer appeared.
As the rampant lion superceded the familiar quartered heart mark in about 1808 (used until 1830s) it may presume the lock itself could be in accord with the 1811 date.

Photos:
1) an original EIC lock with rampant lion and date 1811
2) Another with rampant lion but date is not visible
3) One of the earlier EIC locks with quartered heart EIC initials/date
4) An EIC heart with curious 'flaunched' separation with initials
According to R.E. Brooker in "British Military Pistols" (1978) this design
was a 'storekeepers mark', however it seems unusual that it would be
seen on a gun lock. This design seems to have been more prevalent in
Bengal regions and on some coins, but I have yet to find notes on that
from research some years ago.

Most of this study was from in the mid 1990s when I was trying to discover if EIC markings such as on gun locks were ever placed on sword blades. According to communications with David Harding who was then compiling his master work, "Small Arms of the East India Company" (4 vol. 1997) they were not. However I do have a bayonet with EIC heart, so that was the exception.

The next photo is the lock on my jezail from OP for comparison,

[kahnjar1]

Originally Posted by Jim McDougall

Stu, thank you!!! These are excellent images, and I think what I like most about these guns is their inherently rugged charm, so appropriate for the tribal warriors of the Khyber and its environs.

The 'standing' lion is of course Persian, and while officially the Lion and Sun of the Pahlavi dynasty of late in Iran, it was of course prevalent in the Qajar dynasty preceding. In Afghanistan, as has been noted, the influences of Persia are profoundly present much as throughout India with the Mughals.
This is an amazing lock, and honestly the first I have seen with the Persian lion. With the previously noted presence of England in Persia and the use of the EIC markings on locks produced there, this is fascinating.

The 'date' on this is in characters I do not recognize, but clearly in imitation of EIC configuration, and it is tempting to consider the Persian Lion and Sun were deliberately placed in lieu of the EIC rampant lion as well.

The percussion lock example is also fascinating and unusual. It will be interesting to find what these 'I' characters added in such a grouping with periods mean. From the obsessive research I have been involved in the past weeks, it seems the percussion locks (of c. 1830s+) were not particularly favored by the tribesmen as obviously, the caps were hard to come by while flints and powder were not.

Hi Jim,
That's the one!! Thank you for posting . The sun??? behind the lion shows clearly on my lock, so at least we now know that it is a Persian lock, or at least a copy of one, and the date is shown in Farsi.
Quality of workmanship of the inside is poor IMHO so one assumes that this is a backyard made lock. I suppose it is possible that the lock plate itself could be original, with the working parts added in a backyard assembly. I guess we will never know for sure.......
Stu.

[kahnjar1]

Originally Posted by Kubur

It's Farsi, Persian numbers (in fact Arabic), the persian calendar is a bit different
so +/-10 years...

Thanks very much.
Stu