Splendid silver Tulwar for translation and comments

Jim McDougall · 25th June 2025, 02:58 PM

Robin thank you so much for the very kind words which mean a lot. I do tend to get very involved with researching, and coincidentally have recently been studying English silver hilt swords and the artisans producing them in what is termed the Regency Period (late George III and George IV).

These were important times in the British Raj in India with the fall of Tipu Sultan in 1799 ending the 4th Anglo Mysore war, and the advent of British power, occupation and diplomacy in administrating India.

Rather than this intriguing example being a direct tulwar form, in my opinion it reflects a combining of both elements of Mughal weapons and the subtle but elegant rococo decoration taken from Regency Period silverwork.

It would seem logical that this sword would have been likely to have been involved in the diplomatic settings of the durbar type assemblies in India in the years after Seringapatam (1799) as the British organized the administration of the British Raj in the princely states of the Mughal Empire.

With high grade weapons like this, wootz blade, silver, filagree etc. they are likely to have been kept in safe locations and specifically cared for, so it is diffficult to assess age. The actual wording in the cartouches are copied it seems from the well known Assad Allah trade blade motif, so are probably non specific as far as useful as far as further identification.

These are simply my opinions and as always I look forward to observations of others here, especially in seeing other high quality examples like this which may have such potential diplomatic orientation.

25th June 2025, 02:58 PM	#12
Jim McDougall Arms Historian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Route 66 Posts: 10,336	Robin thank you so much for the very kind words which mean a lot. I do tend to get very involved with researching, and coincidentally have recently been studying English silver hilt swords and the artisans producing them in what is termed the Regency Period (late George III and George IV). These were important times in the British Raj in India with the fall of Tipu Sultan in 1799 ending the 4th Anglo Mysore war, and the advent of British power, occupation and diplomacy in administrating India. Rather than this intriguing example being a direct tulwar form, in my opinion it reflects a combining of both elements of Mughal weapons and the subtle but elegant rococo decoration taken from Regency Period silverwork. It would seem logical that this sword would have been likely to have been involved in the diplomatic settings of the durbar type assemblies in India in the years after Seringapatam (1799) as the British organized the administration of the British Raj in the princely states of the Mughal Empire. With high grade weapons like this, wootz blade, silver, filagree etc. they are likely to have been kept in safe locations and specifically cared for, so it is diffficult to assess age. The actual wording in the cartouches are copied it seems from the well known Assad Allah trade blade motif, so are probably non specific as far as useful as far as further identification. These are simply my opinions and as always I look forward to observations of others here, especially in seeing other high quality examples like this which may have such potential diplomatic orientation.