Yes...another Tulwar but with strange marking?

katana · 1st July 2007, 01:50 PM

Hi everyone,
can anyone tell me what this marking on the blade of this Tulwar means or any other comments would be appreciated..

All steel hilt and blade, scabbard missing.
Blade is 31 inches long, overall length 35 inches

olikara · 1st July 2007, 02:13 PM

Katana,

The script is in Devnagri.
Has to be a Hindu Tulwar, probably Rajput.

katana · 1st July 2007, 04:25 PM

Thankyou Olikara

have you any idea what the translation could be ?

Jens Nordlunde · 1st July 2007, 05:02 PM

Katana, maybe it would be easier to see the different letters if you could make a drawing of them.

katana · 1st July 2007, 07:16 PM

Hi Jens,
thank you, I am waiting for the sword to be delivered.....I'll draw the letters when the Tulwar arrives.

Regards David

katana · 4th July 2007, 10:27 PM

Hi Jens,
I hope this makes it clearer...

Regards David

Emanuel · 4th July 2007, 11:52 PM

Hi David, check out this site called Omniglot for a transliteration into our alphabet.
Regards,
Emanuel

Jim McDougall · 5th July 2007, 05:38 AM

Jens,
Doesn't this dotted script suggest a weapon associated with the armoury at Bikaner?

Best,
Jim

olikara · 5th July 2007, 10:06 AM

Katana,

The characters from the sword translate into:

po=ra=n.2880

Katana, you wrote the 'po' as 'pa' in your note though. Maybe you can see the characters better.

Members who know more about armoury marks can help here.

katana · 5th July 2007, 12:29 PM

Thanks Emanuel for the link

Hi Jim, nice to hear from you

Thank you very much Olikara for the translation,

I think you are right, I think the marking is closer to 'po' than 'pa' ( after looking at other websites with the Devanagari script.)

Hopefully, someone will know whether this is an armoury mark, manufacturer mark or..........

Jens Nordlunde · 5th July 2007, 02:35 PM

Katana,

First you should know that the Indian numerals can look quite differently, according to if it is Sanskrit, Bengali, Kutch, Gujarati or maybe Devavnagri. Secondly you must keep in mind, that the numerals written were sometimes a mixture of more than one dialect, and last remember, that my knowledge on this subject is very limited. I don’t think the first signs are letters, but I would prefer not to start guessing. The number could be 2880, in which case it is likely to be a number, but it could also be 1880 if you use numerals from another dialect. This could be a number, but with some luck, it could also be a year. If it is a year it is likely to be SV 1880 = 1823/1824 AD. This is of course pure guessing, and we have far too many if’s and good luck to have come any closer to the answer.

Jim, I don’t know if it is from Bikaner. Maybe it is, but it does not have the typical Bikaner marking.

beoram · 7th July 2007, 11:18 AM

The first signs must almost certainly be 'letters' rather than numerals, the shapes are too distinctive (esp. with the vowel-matras). The first 'letter' could be perhaps either 'po' or 'pii'.

The letters may be an abbreviation for something, or themselves part of a catalogueing scheme, rather than spelling out a word.

1st July 2007, 01:50 PM	#1
katana Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Kent Posts: 2,653	Yes...another Tulwar but with strange marking? Hi everyone, can anyone tell me what this marking on the blade of this Tulwar means or any other comments would be appreciated.. All steel hilt and blade, scabbard missing. Blade is 31 inches long, overall length 35 inches Attached Images

4th July 2007, 10:27 PM	#6
katana Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Kent Posts: 2,653	Hi Jens, I hope this makes it clearer... Regards David Attached Images

1st July 2007, 02:13 PM	#2
olikara Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: India Posts: 100	Katana, The script is in Devnagri. Has to be a Hindu Tulwar, probably Rajput.

1st July 2007, 04:25 PM	#3
katana Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Kent Posts: 2,653	Thankyou Olikara have you any idea what the translation could be ?

1st July 2007, 05:02 PM	#4
Jens Nordlunde Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Europe Posts: 2,718	Katana, maybe it would be easier to see the different letters if you could make a drawing of them.

1st July 2007, 07:16 PM	#5
katana Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Kent Posts: 2,653	Hi Jens, thank you, I am waiting for the sword to be delivered.....I'll draw the letters when the Tulwar arrives. Regards David

4th July 2007, 11:52 PM	#7
Emanuel Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Toronto, Canada Posts: 1,242	Hi David, check out this site called Omniglot for a transliteration into our alphabet. Regards, Emanuel

5th July 2007, 05:38 AM	#8
Jim McDougall Arms Historian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Route 66 Posts: 9,940	Jens, Doesn't this dotted script suggest a weapon associated with the armoury at Bikaner? Best, Jim

5th July 2007, 10:06 AM	#9
olikara Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: India Posts: 100	Katana, The characters from the sword translate into: po=ra=n.2880 Katana, you wrote the 'po' as 'pa' in your note though. Maybe you can see the characters better. Members who know more about armoury marks can help here.

5th July 2007, 12:29 PM	#10
katana Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Kent Posts: 2,653	Thanks Emanuel for the link Hi Jim, nice to hear from you Thank you very much Olikara for the translation, I think you are right, I think the marking is closer to 'po' than 'pa' ( after looking at other websites with the Devanagari script.) Hopefully, someone will know whether this is an armoury mark, manufacturer mark or..........

5th July 2007, 02:35 PM	#11
Jens Nordlunde Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Europe Posts: 2,718	Katana, First you should know that the Indian numerals can look quite differently, according to if it is Sanskrit, Bengali, Kutch, Gujarati or maybe Devavnagri. Secondly you must keep in mind, that the numerals written were sometimes a mixture of more than one dialect, and last remember, that my knowledge on this subject is very limited. I don’t think the first signs are letters, but I would prefer not to start guessing. The number could be 2880, in which case it is likely to be a number, but it could also be 1880 if you use numerals from another dialect. This could be a number, but with some luck, it could also be a year. If it is a year it is likely to be SV 1880 = 1823/1824 AD. This is of course pure guessing, and we have far too many if’s and good luck to have come any closer to the answer. Jim, I don’t know if it is from Bikaner. Maybe it is, but it does not have the typical Bikaner marking.

7th July 2007, 11:18 AM	#12
beoram Member Join Date: May 2007 Posts: 5	The first signs must almost certainly be 'letters' rather than numerals, the shapes are too distinctive (esp. with the vowel-matras). The first 'letter' could be perhaps either 'po' or 'pii'. The letters may be an abbreviation for something, or themselves part of a catalogueing scheme, rather than spelling out a word.