guardless nimcha

[Ibrahiim al Balooshi]

Salaams ...and as a continuation of the Baluch clue... I Quote"

The East African Baloch.

In 1821, the Sultan and Imam of Oman, Seyyid Said bin Sultan Al Busaidi, hired an Iranian fleet to invade the islands and ports of East Africa. The Iranian fleet leased by the Sultan of Oman consisted mostly of Baluchi and Sindhi/Cutchi mercenaries, with a few Arab, Persian, and Pathan officers from India. Almost all of these, after their families had arrived from Iran and India, settled in the coastal towns in or around the forts and the newly built camps (e.g., Saa-teeni north of Zanzibar City and Fort Jesus in Mombasa – the largest fortification in East Africa), with the Baluchi cavalry settling in Zanzibar City at the site of the present Haile Selassie School."Unquote. and recommend the article from which this came at

http://www.chapatimystery.com/archiv...an_baloch.html

Regards,
Ibrahiim al Balooshi.

[estcrh]

Originally Posted by Ibrahiim al Balooshi

Salaams ...and as a continuation of the Baluch clue... I Quote"

The East African Baloch.

In 1821, the Sultan and Imam of Oman, Seyyid Said bin Sultan Al Busaidi, hired an Iranian fleet to invade the islands and ports of East Africa. The Iranian fleet leased by the Sultan of Oman consisted mostly of Baluchi and Sindhi/Cutchi mercenaries, with a few Arab, Persian, and Pathan officers from India. Almost all of these, after their families had arrived from Iran and India, settled in the coastal towns in or around the forts and the newly built camps (e.g., Saa-teeni north of Zanzibar City and Fort Jesus in Mombasa – the largest fortification in East Africa), with the Baluchi cavalry settling in Zanzibar City at the site of the present Haile Selassie School."Unquote. and recommend the article from which this came at

http://www.chapatimystery.com/archiv...an_baloch.html

Regards,
Ibrahiim al Balooshi.

Very interesting historical information.

[Jim McDougall]

Ibrahim, this is some most intriguing perspective on the seemingly most misunderstood term 'nimcha', which has long been included in the assembled glossary of classifying terms among arms collectors.
While Robert Elgood rightly noted the often misapplied use of the term in describing the sabres better described as Maghrebi sa'if (often Algerian also) as these typically had ful size blades, not 'half' or small/short as implied.

This is interesting investigative work in tracing the probable etymology of the term 'nim' and the variously interpreted suffix 'cha', in the use of this term collectively in describing many types of Arab sabres in this group.

It seems quite likely for the diffusion of the Baluch/ Iranian version of the word into Arab parlance and into a vernacular description used more collectively as you suggest.

[Ibrahiim al Balooshi]

Originally Posted by Jim McDougall

Ibrahim, this is some most intriguing perspective on the seemingly most misunderstood term 'nimcha', which has long been included in the assembled glossary of classifying terms among arms collectors.
While Robert Elgood rightly noted the often misapplied use of the term in describing the sabres better described as Maghrebi sa'if (often Algerian also) as these typically had ful size blades, not 'half' or small/short as implied.

This is interesting investigative work in tracing the probable etymology of the term 'nim' and the variously interpreted suffix 'cha', in the use of this term collectively in describing many types of Arab sabres in this group.

It seems quite likely for the diffusion of the Baluch/ Iranian version of the word into Arab parlance and into a vernacular description used more collectively as you suggest.

Salaams Jim, What the map does not show is the other areas that Baluch mercenaries flowed into ... From our perspective there are two important omissions ...One is the Zanj where they were called into service after 1830 by Said the Great against Fort Jesus and the Portuguese enemy at the time. This was something of a pushover as it was disease that weakened the Portuguese but I earmark this as part of the conundrum addressed in the next paragraph. To the North is the region that is part of Afghanistan. To the West Persian controlled Baluchistan... The entire area of what we call Baluchistan may be thought of as more straddling these countries in an amorphous blob...but administered and owned by the countries of which they are painted upon. The other area was The Punjab South and East of Baluchistan. Said the Great favoured these tough tribal fighters and many remained in place until today as well as in Oman. The Sultan continues to recruit from Baluchistan in the Pakistani controlled region of Mekran. (Oman owned Gwadur port until 1950). ..though among those recruits it was often found soldiers from other areas were in the group. In the Zanj they were often found in the 19thC inland working with Tipu Tib and at Zanzibar. They also worked with Burton on his journeys to and from the African interior.

A couple of things struck me as interesting while I was thinking this through...The sword Nimcha as we know it can not have developed from scratch in Zanzibar waters... it must have come from North Africa either by desert or Sea or both. The first Europeans into the Indian Ocean were the Portuguese.

After the Portuguese left Bahrain, Musandam, Muscat(1650) and Zanzibar (1652) there was still a lot of activity and fighting as they struggled to hold parts of the Zanj etc... Said the Great attacked them at Fort Jesus in 1831? with his Mercenaries from Baluchistan... after that there was a general retreat and reformation built around Mozambique ...but insofar as the Zanj etc they were more or less absent. My question is this...

Was it not the Portuguese who brought the weapon from North Africa... and was it not also they who took the name Nimcha back to North African shores ...Nimcha..from the Baluch on the Zanj as their (the Portuguese) possessions in the Indian Ocean disintegrated ?

Regards,
Ibrahiim al Balooshi.

[Ibrahiim al Balooshi]

Salaams All ...To visualize how far the Nimcha spreads ...The Type Zanzibari (I suggest) here is something of a brain teaser... For this I illustrate the Comores situation... an island grouping not dissimilar to Zanzibar ...another slavery and spice islands grouping closer to Madagascar and seized by the French in the late 18oos...on research you will discover the Algerian connection in the Indian Ocean which will give you hours of fascinating study.

Not least among the conundrum encountered will be ..Was the Nimcha the result of Spanish, Portuguese, English, French sea going trade/war and did it enter the Indian Ocean around the Cape of Good Hope or via the Spanish via Accupulco and the Philipines or was this via an overland route ...Spanish Sahara perhaps or by ship down the Red Sea?...For certain it didn't just happen in Zanzibar...Someone brought the concept although it may have Morphed..What then was the influence of the Baluch mercenaries employed by Said the Great in Zanzibar and on the Zanj? To add a little spice to the problem we are dealing with two things...The actual weapon and the peculiar name... and how did it backwash to mean swords from here and from the North African coast?

Please also observe the formal almost exact engineering of a sword with quite marked disciplined design which to my eye is almost military in style and appears similar to Afghan blades. Hyderabad and Hadramaut seem invisibly linked with Yemeni(from Hadramaut ) mercenaries in Hyderabad dominant...and with the group name Jawsh ...Jeysh (ar. army)

~and I have to add research indicates blades entering the Indian Ocean from The West Indian region ..Bombay.

Your comments appreciated please.

Regards,
Ibrahiim al Balooshi.

[blue lander]

Here's my only Nimcha. One of the quillons is missing. The blade's very thin - you can see where they had to put a shunt in the hilt to make it fit. I assume the blade's european?

[Ibrahiim al Balooshi]

Salaams All...As part of a multi layered puzzle with this weapon viz;

On the Zanzibari sword hilt there are three dots often with their gold decoration removed. Does this signify something Talismanic?

The entire hilt takes on an animal outlook... Is it a Lion or Horse designed geometrically?

On top of the pommel are two projections possibly ears?

Over the top of the pommel is what I have previously suggested is a Turtle?

Incorporated with the three dots is an INVERTED V . Is this meant to signify a mouth?

What are the R figures on all the quillons and on the upper hand Guard.?

Regards,
Ibrahiim al Balooshi.