Straight bladed Tulwar

Jens Nordlunde · 6th May 2009, 04:42 PM

Interesting discussion.

Stone. Dhoup. A straight bladed Indian sword. It has a disc pommel with a spike and a broad finger guard. It is much used in Deccan. (Egerton 527). Apparently the same as the khanda.

Robert Elgood in Hindu Arms and Ritual. Dhup (Marathi). Straight, broad-bladed sword from Deccan. The blade was about four feet long and it has a cross hilt. It was considered an emblem of authority and was conferred as a mark of distinction on successful soldiers, nobles and favourites. Irvin. Known to the Mughals as a staff sword – as shamshir (Arabic asa, a staff; using a sword as a staff). Also known as a sakhela due to the common use of this steel for the manufacture of this sword.
Sakhela/Sukhela. Shiny Indian steel with a low carbon contends which renders it flexible. Also used as a description of a type of a sword blade and by extension as the name of the sword. Egerton quotes an Indian proverb: ‘baudde sakhela, ruhe akela’ which he translates as ‘put on a sakhela and you may remain alone’. Jahangir in the Tuzuk refers to a sword which ‘flexed like a real Yemeni or southern blade’.
A few examples exist of swords made from two types of steel with one blade-face of sakhela and the other watered in the Persian style. Aurangzeb possessed one, now in the Delhi museum. For another from Bareilly see Watt 1903, p. 473.
Examples seen by the author appear to date between 1650 and 1750 and are short swords, usually associated with the Deccan where they are called ‘chap’.

There is also the kirach, which is not completely straight, but almost.

Jim McDougall · 6th May 2009, 06:26 PM

Excellent Jens! Thank you for adding these terms and the detail. It seems I've always been focused on the pata and firangi/khanda as straight swords and tulwars were typically curved....completely forgetting about these....and worse, how could I forget that sword of Tipu's!!

I think the old researcher here is slippin', but OK now......got the notes revised accordingly.
Gav, thank you again for posting this, and everybody for the excellent examples and detail.

All the best,
Jim

6th May 2009, 04:42 PM	#1
Jens Nordlunde Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Europe Posts: 2,718	Interesting discussion. Stone. Dhoup. A straight bladed Indian sword. It has a disc pommel with a spike and a broad finger guard. It is much used in Deccan. (Egerton 527). Apparently the same as the khanda. Robert Elgood in Hindu Arms and Ritual. Dhup (Marathi). Straight, broad-bladed sword from Deccan. The blade was about four feet long and it has a cross hilt. It was considered an emblem of authority and was conferred as a mark of distinction on successful soldiers, nobles and favourites. Irvin. Known to the Mughals as a staff sword – as shamshir (Arabic asa, a staff; using a sword as a staff). Also known as a sakhela due to the common use of this steel for the manufacture of this sword. Sakhela/Sukhela. Shiny Indian steel with a low carbon contends which renders it flexible. Also used as a description of a type of a sword blade and by extension as the name of the sword. Egerton quotes an Indian proverb: ‘baudde sakhela, ruhe akela’ which he translates as ‘put on a sakhela and you may remain alone’. Jahangir in the Tuzuk refers to a sword which ‘flexed like a real Yemeni or southern blade’. A few examples exist of swords made from two types of steel with one blade-face of sakhela and the other watered in the Persian style. Aurangzeb possessed one, now in the Delhi museum. For another from Bareilly see Watt 1903, p. 473. Examples seen by the author appear to date between 1650 and 1750 and are short swords, usually associated with the Deccan where they are called ‘chap’. There is also the kirach, which is not completely straight, but almost.

6th May 2009, 06:26 PM	#2
Jim McDougall Arms Historian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Route 66 Posts: 10,192	Excellent Jens! Thank you for adding these terms and the detail. It seems I've always been focused on the pata and firangi/khanda as straight swords and tulwars were typically curved....completely forgetting about these....and worse, how could I forget that sword of Tipu's!! I think the old researcher here is slippin', but OK now......got the notes revised accordingly. Gav, thank you again for posting this, and everybody for the excellent examples and detail. All the best, Jim