Pictures Please (Sikh Sword)

[Rick]

Kirach

I see so few examples of this sword type; if you have an image of one would you kindly post it ?

Thanks

[Jens Nordlunde]

Hi Rick,

It is a lovely sword you show, and a very good picture as well, but I am afraid the not many have a Kirach, as they are not common, especially if you want a good piece like yours.

The only one I have, which comes close is, what I believe to be a hunting sword, but on all the others, the tip turns in the wrong direction. On both sides is an inscription, on the one side in Farsi and on the other side in Urdu, both inscriptions say ‘Spring’ which is a family name in India, but it can also refer to that the hunting season starts in spring.

Jens

[galvano]

hi
the sikh sword it is not the khanda ?
galvano

[Lew]

Found one on Artzi's site.

http://www.oriental-arms.com/photos.php?id=406

http://www.oriental-arms.co.il/photos.php?id=1583


Lew

[Rick]

That's a beautiful sword Jens.
From what I have gathered so far I understand this form is a thrusting sword.












More pictures .. anyone ?
Thanks Lew!

[Lew]

Posted more pics.


Lew

[Flavio]

Beautiful pieces Jens and Rick!!!! Unfortunately I haven't a kirach, but I found a picture of a kirach on what a think is an Oldman catalogue (...but the picture is quit bad )

[Rick]

Thanks Flavio.
Interesting to see that the example you show is a basket hilt too.

[Jim McDougall]

Hi Galvano,
You're right, the sword traditionally held as sacred by the Sikhs is the khanda, however as well pointed out by Jens and the others, the kirach was also favored. More difficult to identify specifically as Sikh are the tulwars, which were commonly used by Sikhs in combat. There are sometimes mottos or wording found under the hilt on some of these, but more often they are relatively unmarked. As one Sikh I was speaking with described when asked how to properly identify a Sikh sword..."if the sword was used by a Sikh, then any sword is a Sikh sword"!

All the best,
Jim

[Jens Nordlunde]

Hi Rick,

Yes, I too believe them to be trusting swords. The way I see it, it would be excellent to use, by someone who was riding, on something lower than himself, a food soldier or maybe a deer, there would have been quite a lot of power behind the trust.

The funny thing with mine is, that the hand guard can be screwed off. Figiel had a sword with the same kind of hilt on his auction, I wonder if his hand guard could also be removed.

[Rick]

Removable knucklebow ?!?
A very interesting feature Jens; if your example is a hunting sword it would be very good for the final thrust to the animal's heart.

I was poking through the notes and index in Elgood's Hindu Arms and from what I have been able to gather from his notes the swords with the more acute downcurving points are from the Deccan, and that the Kirach was the sword issued to Sikh Artillerymen .

I still am stymied as to why there are so few examples to be seen .

Maybe there just weren't that many Artillerymen .........

[Jens Nordlunde]

Compared to all the other soldiers in the armies, I believe there were relatively few artillerymen. I don’t think they had canons enough.

I did not, by briefly looking through the Marlborough House book, find the sword Robert Elgood refers to, but I found another one, which Heldley calls a tulwar, but from the description, and from the picture, it is clear that it must be a kirach. The Maharaja of Jaipur presented #163 to prince Edward during his visit to India.

[Rick]

Thank you for the picture Jens !
Too true; if they really were the weapon of an Artilleryman then there would be relatively few examples of the form .

[Sikh_soldier]

Hello all,

What Jim said is absolutely correct; for a skh any weapon is highly regarded.
however, the khanda and the tulwar are firm favourites!

Here is a picture (bad quality ) of antique weapons of Sikhs which are said to be part of the collection of sri Guru Gobind Singh ji (10th Guru)

[spiral]

Originally Posted by Rick

Too true; if they really were the weapon of an Artilleryman then there would be relatively few examples of the form .

Indeed. According to Lieutenant-General Sir Harry Smith, baronet of Aliwal on the Sutlej, G.C.B.. in 1839 it was estimated by the British Army that the Sikhs had.

120,000 Regular Infantry,40,000 Cavalry, regular and irregular & 400 pieces of cannon ready to take the field, So not that many artillary men in comparison indeed.

Although of course after the first Sikh war there numbers were seriously reduced & over 50% of thier cannon captured.

Large numbers of sword trophys were also brought back by individule & indeed regiments to England at that time.

I have a sikh lilly leaf kukri with tulwar grip captured in the first Sikh war, sadley most such bring back items have lost thier provinance over the years.

Spiral