The exhibition oriental weapons "The Mortal Beauty" of private collections in Russia,

[mahratt]

The exhibition oriental weapons "The Mortal Beauty" of private collections in Russia, in Moscow in The State Museum of Oriental Art.

I'll gradually add photos.

The exhibition catalog was published (about it kindly informs Ariel in Swap Forum)

Articles in the catalog - interesting. But I must say a few words:

About articles of catalog.
First of them "On the Military Culture in India" popular paper. It is a set of abstracts from J.Tod, R.Elgood and more. Most of us have read this already )). Of course there are a lot of clishes:
1. "Muslims were assigned to cavalry units whereas members of lower castes (pariahs) and tribal groups went to sapper units as this speciality seemed unacceptable to others - the Kshatriyas may under no circumstances "crawl on the ground", which would rob them of their status. Moreover real Kshatriyas Kshatriyas do not tread the ground at all, they only ride horses, so infantry was composed of soldiers coming from agricultural castes".
Very nice. It means that rajputs, gujarats, sinds and mahratts get to the sailors or aviators? ))
2. "These ascetic warriors ... (used weapon which) ... tipes conform to the principle of non-committing evil by means of violence. The priority is given to various types of throwing weapons and to close combat weapons that are used in defence. An indirect impact by a flying spear, a dart or a chakra was of particular importance from the philosophical point of view. Their use of such weapons might have been regarded as non-personal (spray and pray) or as self-defence. Whether someone was injured by it (caught it themselves), the degree og their injuries - all of this had everything to do to the karmic destiny og the afflicted".
Despite the fact that throughout their history, the ascetic warriors prized as shock infantry and excellent swordsmen.
3. "Naga sadhu ascetics who armed themselves with tridents... spears..."
Trident was not a weapon. Only in poems and songs. It was symbol. As a fully metal spear of naked ascetics was symbol of their akhara.
4. "Rajputs were nomads from arid plains who came to India as conquerors and settlers across Afghanistan and Sind".
It is point of view by J.Tod from 19th century. The most part of researchers claims that rajputs raised from local substrate.

Second article "Indian Arms and Armour in the Collection of the Museum of Oriental Art"
Here we have the distortion of the quote, changing its meaning to the opposite. Such little thing ))
1. "Prince Aleksey Saltykov describes an event of the kind, which took place in Lahore: The King took Mr. Clark's hand and our eyes had the view of an infinite row of tables covered with royal arms: hundred of swords, daggers, shields, mail armour and helmets .............. I would be in a great difficulty if I were allowed to get out of this pile of weapon something for yuor arsenal".
You know that collection of Saltykov now keep in Hermitage. I think that in Museum of Oriental Art should have know that "King" was Ranjit Singh ))). But the most funny - you know what is missing where the dots? "...hundred of swords, daggers, shields, mail armour and helmets; all this is very-very rich, but not soundly. Nothing to be surprised strongly. I would be in a great difficulty if I were allowed to get out of this pile of weapon something for yuor arsenal. Incidentally, there was armor with helmet and some theatrical weapons without style and taste. However, the British really marveled at the weapons probably out of sympathy for everything that is coming from Europe" ))))))))))

Third article "On the Typological Diversity in Indian Weapons".

It is enough to say about the article just to show picture from it "Warrior with a mace". Who is really interested in Indian weapon will be able to understand what I'm talking about )))))))