On the Use of Indian Terms for Identification of Weapon Types

Mercenary · 28th November 2015, 05:06 PM

I do not think that it is could be "phul-katara" as "flower+blade". Just "jeweled dagger with some (?) blade". Not "jeweled dagger with jeweled flawored hilt with blade" ))

Jens Nordlunde · 28th November 2015, 09:39 PM

There are likely many names/things which are known, but which are rather diffuce to collectors.
Take kundan, many know what kundan is, but it seems as if few knows how it was made - as there are several theories.
The same goes for Phul-katara, many seem to have an idea of what it could be, but very few know what it is - when I say very few - I do mean very few - if any at all
Could be that when old Sanskrit manuscripts are translated, it will bring us closer to what it meant at the time.
Few collectors take an interest in the manuscripts translated, but there are 'tons' of them, not translated and there are 'tons' of them translated, but not yet known.
This is a lifetime study - and you will never finish.

ariel · 28th November 2015, 10:55 PM

Presented are several pictures of high-class daggers worn by Mughal gentlemen. However, we have no idea which of them, if any, were gifts from the Emperor.

One of the elementary rules of logic is: Absence of the evidence is not the same as the evidence of absence.

Regretfully, I agree with Jens ("This is a lifetime study - and you will never finish."} and with Jim ("phulishness"}

While it could be nice to know the truth, none of us here know Sanskrit or even Hindi and have wherewithals to crack this trivial and unanswerable question.

28th November 2015, 05:06 PM	#1
Mercenary Member Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Moscow, Russia Posts: 428	I do not think that it is could be "phul-katara" as "flower+blade". Just "jeweled dagger with some (?) blade". Not "jeweled dagger with jeweled flawored hilt with blade" )) Attached Images Last edited by Mercenary; 28th November 2015 at 05:40 PM.

28th November 2015, 09:39 PM	#2
Jens Nordlunde Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Europe Posts: 2,718	There are likely many names/things which are known, but which are rather diffuce to collectors. Take kundan, many know what kundan is, but it seems as if few knows how it was made - as there are several theories. The same goes for Phul-katara, many seem to have an idea of what it could be, but very few know what it is - when I say very few - I do mean very few - if any at all Could be that when old Sanskrit manuscripts are translated, it will bring us closer to what it meant at the time. Few collectors take an interest in the manuscripts translated, but there are 'tons' of them, not translated and there are 'tons' of them translated, but not yet known. This is a lifetime study - and you will never finish.

28th November 2015, 10:55 PM	#3
ariel Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Ann Arbor, MI Posts: 5,503	Presented are several pictures of high-class daggers worn by Mughal gentlemen. However, we have no idea which of them, if any, were gifts from the Emperor. One of the elementary rules of logic is: Absence of the evidence is not the same as the evidence of absence. Regretfully, I agree with Jens ("This is a lifetime study - and you will never finish."} and with Jim ("phulishness"} While it could be nice to know the truth, none of us here know Sanskrit or even Hindi and have wherewithals to crack this trivial and unanswerable question.