help me to identify this sword

Jim McDougall · 30th May 2025, 03:05 PM

Richard,
You seem to have acquired a tulwar with significant inherent history!
This is likely a Rajput tulwar from NW India, Rajasthan, and these punch dot markings are from the BIKANER arsenal in that state. This is a kind of shorthand for the DEVANAGARI script which evolved in Gujerat in the 16th c.

The expanded distal end of the blade is called the 'yelman' and this feature was used on Turkic blades in the early evolution of the saber, and prevailed on the swords which became familiar as the Ottoman kilij/pala.
In India, the Turkic traditions kept this feature on blades through the 18th century.

The script on the spine of the blade would be I presume devanagari, though it is always tempting to think it might be gurmukhi, the script used by Sikhs, more research needed.

In cleaning...RESTRAINT!! plzzzzz!
use light oil WD40 with the finest steel wool only. This is a historic item, and need conservation rather than restoration. Patina is incarnate history and ots character is important.

30th May 2025, 03:05 PM	#4
Jim McDougall Arms Historian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Route 66 Posts: 10,442	Richard, You seem to have acquired a tulwar with significant inherent history! This is likely a Rajput tulwar from NW India, Rajasthan, and these punch dot markings are from the BIKANER arsenal in that state. This is a kind of shorthand for the DEVANAGARI script which evolved in Gujerat in the 16th c. The expanded distal end of the blade is called the 'yelman' and this feature was used on Turkic blades in the early evolution of the saber, and prevailed on the swords which became familiar as the Ottoman kilij/pala. In India, the Turkic traditions kept this feature on blades through the 18th century. The script on the spine of the blade would be I presume devanagari, though it is always tempting to think it might be gurmukhi, the script used by Sikhs, more research needed. In cleaning...RESTRAINT!! plzzzzz! use light oil WD40 with the finest steel wool only. This is a historic item, and need conservation rather than restoration. Patina is incarnate history and ots character is important.