an intresting khanda
 

hi all,
i saw an intresting khanda at these probus auction last month.
yesterday i could see these sword with my own eyes. the blade is serated and the tip is from zulfikar shape. these blade is wears two long inscriptions. one at the forte and the othe nearby the tip. intresting is the wraping arround the spike. i don´t know what is the supose for these item. is it that you could better hold the spike than you will make an stroke in the fight ore is ti only for protect the spike. it is easy th remove from the spike.
who could tell me mor eover these sword??

Stefan, I believe it is a presentation or a display piece, but let's see what the specialists will say ;)

M-m-m...
The quality is too good and the construction is not very ostentatious... I would guess it is a 'working" example. The wooden extension is likely to be later and improvised addition. I would discount its significance.
Khanda is usually considered to be a Hindu weapon. To see it with a purely Islamic Dhu-l'-faqar feature is puzzling. Surely, we all saw examples of Khandas with Mughal overtones, but the cloved tip is the most blatant proclamation of Islamic connection. The inscription may provide a clue. Certainly, it is not in Russian; otherwise both Tatiana and myself would be bragging about our linguistic usefulness to the Forum :-)

Interesting sword. My thought was for exhibitions at festivals or displays of some sort.
I've often wondered if the saw toothed Hindu weapons had any specific purpose or advantage? I notice that both of the 'fangs' are pierced, which night indicate hanging points for links and tassles and a possible display use? There is another hanging point on the guard.
The extension to the 'second' hand grip might be for facilitating twirling and exhibition?
Also, I cant see the fangs surviving a hard two handed swing against much in battle.

Regards
Gene

Looks like some numbering at the end of the inscription (although I'm taking some liberties, especially with making that glorified dot a zero.).
http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c5...lantia/kh7.gif

Here's another one, more flamboyant.

Valjhun had snatched a similar one about three years ago.

If the year is 1064, it is hardly VS - so why don't you say so?

Que? :shrug:

(In other words Jens, you've lost me there, can you elaborate?)

Hi all,


Could we have a close up of the script there???

Looks Devanagari and the last word and digits clearly indicate "San 1064" meaning "year 1064"


Thanks,
Bhushan Lawate

It seemed like a solid piece at the auction viewing, but the split tip isn't something I'd be very comfortable about going into battle with, so perhaps a fighting sword converted to a ceremonial one by re-shaping the tip?