Bladed weapons of the Indo-Iranian region. Sabers

But Hindustan is famous not only for straight and curved swords, some of which we have already examined in the previous article.

Since the Muslim invasions, light sabers have increasingly replaced swords. Western researchers determine the type of saber (and some swords) by the shape of the handle.

This view does not seem entirely correct. It is necessary to consider the object as a whole - the handle and the blade. In some cases, a double name is possible. But more on that later. Now let’s begin our acquaintance with the sabers of the Indo-Iranian region.

Talwar, or “tulwar”, is the most common saber in the Indo-Iranian region, which can be considered typically Indian. According to ancient Indian literature, the talwar was considered one of the ten weapons of the gods. The blade is flat or lenticular in cross-section, often one-and-a-half sharpened, weakly or moderately curved, of medium width, always with a ricasso - that is, its cutting edge of the blade begins 5-7 cm from the handle, and a small unsharpened “platform” remains behind the crosshair. In later talwars, the blade has a pronounced expansion at the tip - elman. The blade can be either with or without fullers. Sometimes the valley was made through, and a number of metal balls or even pearls were placed there, which rolled freely. With the advent of Europeans in the region, combat blades from Europe began to be actively used, the handles of which were simply replaced with a tulvar one. Talwar hilt deserves special attention. The handle is barrel-shaped, with a thickening in the center, the pommel is disc-shaped, slightly inclined, with a dome-shaped protrusion in the middle, the cross is straight, short, with widened ends. There is often an s-shaped bow. But there is also a d-shaped one. The scabbard was made of wood and covered with velvet or leather. On the scabbard of “rich” talwars, the mouth and tip were made of metal. Talwar length is 90-120 cm.

A talwar with a very wide blade is called a tega, or tega. It is not found often, and is generally considered to be an executioner's weapon, although Egerton writes that it was military weapon. In general, talwars were very common among warriors of different incomes. It could be a simple weapon of a warrior, or a richly decorated blade of a rajah.

No less common was a saber of Iranian origin - shamshir, or “shamshir” - “lion’s claw”. The blade of this saber is narrow but thick, usually longer than that of the talwar, and has a greater curvature, which allows for the most effective blows when chopping. In cross-section it is lenticular or flat. Ricasso and Elmani - no. The handle is simple, with a slight bend under the little finger, directed towards the blade, allowing for better grip on the saber. It consists of two bone or, less commonly, horn cheek pieces riveted to the shank. At the bottom, the cheeks are additionally fixed with a steel cap, and at the top with a steel simple straight crosshair with small elegant splints (metal linings that reinforce the blade in the guard area), which give strength to the weapon in the most loaded place. In richly decorated shamshirs, the crosshair, cap and metal parts of the scabbard could be made of precious metals, decorated with niello, enamel, incisions or stones. The scabbard of the shamshir is curved in such a way that it allows you to remove the blade without the need for a slot, which is found on the scabbard of Turkish curved sabers. The scabbard was made of wood and covered with leather, which was often decorated with embossing or embroidery with silk thread. The tip of the scabbard could be metal, but more often it was made of leather or was absent altogether. But two clips were required, by which the shamshir was hung from the belt.

In general, it should be noted that the Indians sought to acquire richly decorated shamshirs of Persian work with damask steel blades, which were considered a status item. Often the head of an animal was depicted on the hilt (for example, a cap was made in the form of it). At the same time, many now believe that according to Muslim customs, the depiction of people and animals anywhere was prohibited, and this could only be done in a stylized manner, for export to another country and for very expensive copies. Allegedly, violation of this rule was considered religious sacrilege and threatened with the loss of one's head. And shamshirs with images of animals on the handle are made exclusively for India. In fact, this is not entirely true. Muslims are divided into two branches: Sunnis and Shiites. Sunnis are indeed forbidden to depict people and animals, therefore, for example, on Turkish weapons we will see only floral patterns, sayings from the Koran and signatures of weapon masters and owners. But the Shiites, which include the Persians, left us a lot of magnificent miniatures on silk and paper, as well as images of people and animals on armor and weapons. So, for example, the “torment scenes” carefully worked out on the blades, when an eagle kills a swan or a leopard kills an antelope, and images of people on the handles are quite typical for Iranian weapons. And on Persian shields you can generally see everyday, hunting, and battle scenes. These same miniatures reveal an interesting fact to us. It turns out that shamshir and talwar were widely used in hunting. The horseman chased the game (and it could be both ungulates and predators) and chopped it down with a saber.

But let's return to using shamshir. This is definitely a horseman's weapon. Its curved shape is dictated by functionality, the desire to expand the capabilities of the blade when striking from above when attacking enemy infantrymen. Some authors believe that the shamshir is ideally suited for war on horseback and in shoulder-to-shoulder formations. Although one can argue with the latter. But what is important to note is that the best shamshirs, whose blades are forged from damask steel, are only suitable for combat with an enemy not protected by chain mail or armor. It is impossible to cut chain mail, much less plate armor, with a damask shamshir. Damask shamshir is very sharp, but also very fragile. He is powerless against armor. But cutting down enemy warriors unprotected by armor is another matter, especially if they are running. By the way, when they talk about the properties of damask shamshir, I remember famous story about how Richard the Lionheart and Sultan Saladin argued about whose blade was better - the English sword or the eastern saber? Richard, according to legend, cut an iron bar with a heavy knight's sword, leaving no jagged marks on the blade. Saladin pulled out a damask saber, turned the blade upward and tossed the handkerchief. The handkerchief touched the blade and was cut into two halves. What kind of saber was in Saladin’s hands - history is silent. But it is likely that it was also a shamshir.

Returning to the problems of the name of sabers, which I mentioned earlier, it must be said that the shamshir blade was often placed on a talvar handle. Many English-language authors call such a saber a talwar. In my opinion, it is more correct to say shamshir with a talwar handle or talwar with a shamshir blade. This defines the subject more accurately.

Separately, I would like to consider a blade typical of Sri Lanka, formerly called Ceylon. This island is inhabited mainly by Sinhalese. The Sinhalese are Indo-Aryans, usually of medium height, “small-boned”, with Caucasian facial features and dark skin. The saber (sword), as in many other cultures, was an important symbol of royal power for the Sinhalese. In the texts describing the reign of Vijayabahu IV (second half of the 13th century), it is mentioned that swords constitute the king’s wealth, however, along with other treasures. The Europeans who colonized the island in the 16th century (first the Portuguese, then the Dutch, and at the end of the 18th century the British) noted an increased attention to weapons, especially at the royal court. They wrote that noble people carried a short sword at their side in their belt. And only the king, when he makes his exit, has a sword with him, which is held by a sling over his shoulder. The hilt and scabbard of the royal sword are made of gold.

Kastane is the same Sinhala sword, or rather a half-saber. It is really short - 50-70 cm. The blade is slightly curved and sharpened on one side, like a regular saber. Moreover, castane blades are usually European, Dutch-made. Closer to the hilt, the blade may have a brass or gold notch in the form of geometric shapes, most often triangles. The hilt is made of dark horn or wood, which can be lined with embossed sheets of silver or gold, if these are sabers of aristocrats. The head of the handle is always shaped like the head of a dragon (or a dragon-like monster). The eyes of this dragon can be made of brass (on horn handles) or precious stones, most often rubies (on gold and silver handles). The guard is complex in shape and made of iron inlaid with brass or coated with valuable metals. One of the iron “mustaches,” the longer one, covers the fingers and ends with a small dragon’s head, the other two, also with dragon heads, are short, curve toward the blade and apparently serve a decorative function. Quite powerful splints that fit onto the blade between the short mustache of the guard additionally strengthen the blade in the handle. The origin of a handle of this shape is not entirely clear. But, most likely, according to Western weapons experts, it is associated with the shape of the hilts of Portuguese swords of the 15th century or Arab sabers of the nimcha type. Both versions are trustworthy. It was the Portuguese who were the first Europeans to land in Sri Lanka, and the Sinhalese had trade relations with the Arabs from about the tenth century. The appearance of dragon-like heads as a decorative element undoubtedly occurred under Hindu influence. Moreover, the “dragons” in kastan are very similar to the South Indian ones mythical monsters, images of which can be found on weapons and bas-reliefs of temples. The teak scabbard on outstanding examples, like the hilt, is covered with hammered plates of silver and gold. Probably, on simpler castanas the scabbard was without metal covers. This can also explain the fact that almost no scabbards for them have survived.

Concluding a brief overview of bladed weapons of the Indo-Iranian region, I would like to return to the title of the series of articles read by the reader - “ Bringing death" Once upon a time, all these blades were really forged in order to shed the blood of the enemies of their owners. Today they are amazing witnesses of the past, peacefully stored in museums and private collections, continuing centuries later not only to delight the eye with the elegance of their lines and decoration, but also helping us to better understand the history of the East.

Among collectors of ancient weapons, India is famous not only for the widest variety of curved and straight swords, but also for such unique weapon, like a talwar. Tulwars or Talwars are the most common type of ancient saber found in the Indo-Iranian region. Such in most literary sources it is rightfully considered a typically Indian weapon. IN ancient books the talwar was spoken of as one of the ten divine weapons that appeared in the thirteenth century.

It had a lens-shaped or flat blade in cross-section. As a rule, it was moderately or slightly curved, distinguished by medium width and one-and-a-half sharpening. Talwars necessarily had a ricosso - the so-called cutting edge of the blade, starting five to seven centimeters from the handle. The craftsmen left a small, unsharpened “platform” behind the crosshairs. Later models of talwars were characterized by the presence of elmani - an extension at the tip of the blade.

The blades of such weapons were made with or without fullers. In some ancient talwars, the valley was end-to-end, which made it possible to place a number of pearls or freely rolling metal balls into it. When the first Europeans began to appear in the region, local craftsmen began to actively produce combat blades of the European type, in which the handle was replaced with a talvar one.

A particularly interesting part of such a weapon was undoubtedly considered the hilt, which had various forms and sizes. Often the talwar had an s-shaped or d-shaped bow, and the wooden scabbard was covered with leather or velvet. Ancient talwars, which belonged to noble and wealthy people, had a metal tip and mouth. Such sabers had different blades in bending, workmanship and size. As a rule, the blade of the talwar was not very wide, but there were weapons with several sharp fullers and a wide blade.

The traditional handle of the talwar was straight with a characteristic thickening in the middle part. Talwars were usually worn in a sheath or slung over the shoulder. They were often richly decorated with geometric or floral patterns applied to the hilt. In addition, the blade was decorated with images of animals and gods using gilding or carving. Talwars, made for noble people and local rulers, were richly inlaid precious stones and were decorated with delightful enamel compositions.

Most people are well aware of the edged weapons of Japan, Europe and Turkey. But, for example, Indian weapons remain an unknown mystery for many.

Which is somewhat strange, since India has a large population, a large territory, not to mention an outstanding culture and history.

Among Indian weapons, the katar, khanda, and talwar stand out especially, and it is about the latter that I want to write a few words. We will talk about the “Indian saber”.

The appearance of the talwar is typical for sabers - the blade is of medium width, slightly curved, sharpening can be one and a half, but this is not necessary. There are variants of the talwar both with and without elmanya. There may be a fuller on the blade of the talwar, but most often it is not there. In some cases, the valley may even be end-to-end; movable balls made of various materials are sometimes inserted into it.

The main difference between the talwar and other sabers is, first of all, its disc-shaped pommel of the hilt. Also, this saber necessarily has a “ricasso” (heel), even if small size. The blade length can be from 60 to 100 cm, width - from 3 to 5 cm in the ricasso area.

The handle of the talwar is straight, with a thickening in the middle, and is designed exclusively for one hand. The disc-shaped pommel prevents the weapon from being lost and gives this saber a unique look. It is often richly decorated, as are the hilt and guard. The latter can have either a straight shape, or an S-shaped or D-shaped one.

The ornaments decorating the talwar usually contain geometric figures, images of animals and birds. On the weapons of the rich you can see inlay with precious stones or enamel.

The Talwar has been around since the 13th century and was a very popular weapon in northern India. Especially among the Rajputs, representatives of the Kshatriya caste, who used these weapons right up to the 19th century.

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Weapon type: Saber

Talwar, talwar, tulwar (talwar) - edged bladed weapon, Indian saber. This weapon appeared around the 13th century or a little later and was used until the 19th century. The Talwar was most common during the Mughal era in Northern India, and was also a popular weapon among the Rajputs (a people of the Punjabi group living in India and Pakistan).
- IN military history India "Talwar" is the most common term to define the word "sword". According to ancient Indian literature, "Talwar" is one of the ten weapons of the gods. According to legends, the gods who personified Good used these tools in the fight against demons who personified Evil.
- Blade of forged patterned steel, pronounced curvature. A clear, beautiful pattern can be traced along the entire length of the blade.
- On the butt there are traces of forging, characteristic of the making of Indian blades.
- The hilt of the talwar deserves special attention. It consists of a handle made together with a crosshair and pommel.
- Steel handle, widened in the middle part.
- The handle goes into a crosshair and ends in a disc-shaped pommel with a protrusion.
- Cross handle with straight ends, ending on the sides with decorative, three-part extensions and flat guides in the center of the blade.
- A protective s-shaped bow extends from the end of the cross.
- Wooden scabbard, covered with leather (old, not restored).
- It is an antique item, a weapon of historical and cultural value.
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- length of the talwar is 86 cm.
- blade length 74 cm.
- blade width 33 mm.
- butt width 8 mm.

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