Sword Production in Persia?

Jeff Pringle · 4th February 2007, 04:47 PM

The book "Persian Steel, the Tanavoli Collection" by Allen and Gilmour goes into steel production, swordsmithing, manufacturing and trade, and is heavily footnoted to allow tracking back to original sources. If you don't have access to the book, I can locate my copy and get you the original sources and locations/people they refer to.

B.I · 4th February 2007, 06:03 PM

Hi Jeff,
Thanks. I have the book, but am away from home right now. The guy who wrote the paper has presented it to James Allen, and so I assume he has picked through that book. So, I was looking for other sources that he may have missed. I will, of course, check the book when I am home.
Thanks Jens, I will send Ann a mail to prompt her participation.

Jens Nordlunde · 10th February 2007, 02:32 PM

Hi B.I,

Medieval Islamic Swords and Swordmaking, Kindi’s treatise ‘On swords and their kinds’, by Robert G. Hoyland and Brian Gilmour, 2006.

On page 54 I have found this. ‘Kindi now lists the five sub catagories of muwallad or indigenous swords, which are given as the Khurasani (north Iranian), Egyptian, Damascan, Basran, and a group of other less numerous types, including Baghdadi and Kufan. He says that the iron was worked and forged in these places, which in this context must also mean local production of the crucible steel. Kindi’s comments that steel-making and sword production had been carried out in ‘olden times’ at Damascus, suggesting much earlier production here, Possible in the late pre-Islamic and/or early Islamic period. He later states that it had more or less ceased by his time’.

There may be other references to Persian iron production and sword making in the book, which is translations of what Kindi wrote in the 9th AD century. The question is, if you consider Khurasani to be part of Persia in the period you are interested in.

Jens

4th February 2007, 04:47 PM	#1
Jeff Pringle Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Posts: 189	The book "Persian Steel, the Tanavoli Collection" by Allen and Gilmour goes into steel production, swordsmithing, manufacturing and trade, and is heavily footnoted to allow tracking back to original sources. If you don't have access to the book, I can locate my copy and get you the original sources and locations/people they refer to.

4th February 2007, 06:03 PM	#2
B.I Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 485	Hi Jeff, Thanks. I have the book, but am away from home right now. The guy who wrote the paper has presented it to James Allen, and so I assume he has picked through that book. So, I was looking for other sources that he may have missed. I will, of course, check the book when I am home. Thanks Jens, I will send Ann a mail to prompt her participation.

10th February 2007, 02:32 PM	#3
Jens Nordlunde Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Europe Posts: 2,718	Hi B.I, Medieval Islamic Swords and Swordmaking, Kindi’s treatise ‘On swords and their kinds’, by Robert G. Hoyland and Brian Gilmour, 2006. On page 54 I have found this. ‘Kindi now lists the five sub catagories of muwallad or indigenous swords, which are given as the Khurasani (north Iranian), Egyptian, Damascan, Basran, and a group of other less numerous types, including Baghdadi and Kufan. He says that the iron was worked and forged in these places, which in this context must also mean local production of the crucible steel. Kindi’s comments that steel-making and sword production had been carried out in ‘olden times’ at Damascus, suggesting much earlier production here, Possible in the late pre-Islamic and/or early Islamic period. He later states that it had more or less ceased by his time’. There may be other references to Persian iron production and sword making in the book, which is translations of what Kindi wrote in the 9th AD century. The question is, if you consider Khurasani to be part of Persia in the period you are interested in. Jens