Сlassification of Indian swords. - Page 2

Mercenary · 9th January 2024, 02:41 PM

The main problem is that in the Indian subcontinent, proper names, unlike European languages, were used only for significant things. For everything else, general generic concepts or derivatives from form, material, etc. were used. That is why most types of weapons have a name that is derived from the words "cut", "damage" and so. And, for example, "jamdhar" is simply “two edges.” I’ll write about “talwar” later, it’s very interesting, but long.
It is also need to take into account that the weapon although was of the same type, but the Mughals and Indians called it differently. But from these different names, it is necessary to highlight the names common to both the Mughals and the Indians, which are fixed in Urdu.
A complex example - "khapwa". This word was used by the Mughals, although it is Indian word. Babur called such daggers “kattara”. By the way, “kattara” and “chilana” (chilanum-parabellum

) come from “to cut.” But “khapwa” means "to kill".

Mercenary · 12th April 2025, 05:10 PM

I suspect that most of the swords commonly called as "patissa" and the like, known as "South Indian" swords of the 16th-17th centuries, came into collections as a result of the suppression of the Paika rebellion in Odisha (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paika_Rebellion) and their disarmament. The Paikas called these swords "khanda" (ଖଣ୍ଡା). Accordingly, these are khanda-swords from Odisha, 18th-19th centuries.

9th January 2024, 02:41 PM	#31
Mercenary Member Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Moscow, Russia Posts: 426	The main problem is that in the Indian subcontinent, proper names, unlike European languages, were used only for significant things. For everything else, general generic concepts or derivatives from form, material, etc. were used. That is why most types of weapons have a name that is derived from the words "cut", "damage" and so. And, for example, "jamdhar" is simply “two edges.” I’ll write about “talwar” later, it’s very interesting, but long. It is also need to take into account that the weapon although was of the same type, but the Mughals and Indians called it differently. But from these different names, it is necessary to highlight the names common to both the Mughals and the Indians, which are fixed in Urdu. A complex example - "khapwa". This word was used by the Mughals, although it is Indian word. Babur called such daggers “kattara”. By the way, “kattara” and “chilana” (chilanum-parabellum ) come from “to cut.” But “khapwa” means "to kill". Last edited by Mercenary; 9th January 2024 at 02:59 PM.

12th April 2025, 05:10 PM	#32
Mercenary Member Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Moscow, Russia Posts: 426	I suspect that most of the swords commonly called as "patissa" and the like, known as "South Indian" swords of the 16th-17th centuries, came into collections as a result of the suppression of the Paika rebellion in Odisha (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paika_Rebellion) and their disarmament. The Paikas called these swords "khanda" (ଖଣ୍ଡା). Accordingly, these are khanda-swords from Odisha, 18th-19th centuries. Attached Images Last edited by Mercenary; 12th April 2025 at 05:39 PM.