Talwar

Talwar

The Indians were known to be more inclined towards archery since their bows and arrows were said to be the most powerful and effective weapons of their time; it is also claimed that they were able to shoot over long distances while successfully piercing through very thick armor.

The Indian warriors also utilized the sword but only as their last resort, which is why they utilized a blade that was specifically made for slashing during the most desperate and dangerous state. Weapons that they utilized were broad, double-edged blades that featured an abrupt tip since this would be rarely used for stabbing.

A large number of extremely different blades have originated from the cultures that make up the place which is now known as modern India.

The Cavalry and the Talwar

The Rajputs in India were mostly cavalry based, and in battles, they rode their Marwari and Kathiawari breed of horses as they fulfilled their tasks. Similar to the Rajputs were the Marathas who were also popular for their cavalry.

The only difference between the two troops is that the Marathas employed the slightly weaker country mares since they mostly relied on swift, lightning attacks rather than brute force.

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This is the reason why they were well-known and feared since their cavalry exhibited deadly speed combined with agility. Because of this, the Indian cavalry created their own battle blade which is an impressive slashing weapon called the Talwar.

The talwar can also be spelled as tulwar or talwaar and it is a kind of curved sabre or sword from the southern portion of Asia; it is also found in other modern countries such as Bangladesh, Pakistan, India, and Nepal. The word talwar came from the Sanskrit term taravari which generally means a single-edged sword.

Origin of the Talwar

The talwar sword originated with other types of arched blades just like the Turkish kilij, the Persian Shamshir, and the pulwar of Afghan all these swords being originally based on the earlier types of curved blades that were developed in Turkic Central Asia.

The talwar does not really have the profound curve of the shamshir and only a small number of these exhibits the stepped and expanded yelman that is common with the kilij.

Talwar was known as a curved weapon that was first introduced by the Muslim forces that invaded the area around the year 1300; though it was primarily based on the Turkish and Muslim style of weapons such as the scimitar.

The presence of a small disk hilt on the Talwar made the weapon quite challenging to utilize for regular cutting and slashing, while the less profound curved blade made the motion of thrusting a highly effective and advantageous option. As a result, the talwar sword was not exclusively utilized by mounted cavalry yet it was also issued to the Indian foot soldiers.

Talwar
Metropolitan Museum of Art / CC0

Characteristics of the Talwar Sword

The regular talwar sword features a wider blade compared to the shamshir and the later samples of these blades usually featured European-made blades that were fixed to the distinct Indian-made hilts.

The hilt of the common talwar is called a disc hilt which refers to the conspicuous disc-shaped flange that encloses the pommel. As for the pommel, it usually features a short spike that bulges right from its center; and at times, this is pierced with a cord to fasten the sword to the wielder’s wrist.

As for the hilt, it makes use of a simple cross-guard that often features a thin knuckle bow that is attached. Additionally, the talwar’s hilt is usually made entirely out of iron yet silver and brass hilts can also be found.

These are linked to the blade’s tang by an extremely powerful adhesive resin to keep it firmly in place. The more fancily decorated samples of the talwar sword commonly display gold or silver adornments in a form that is referred to as the koftgari.

It was common for the weapon’s blade to have fullers or blood grooves which were necessary to help lighten the weapon while simultaneously making it easier to execute quick movements and attacks.

The sheath of the talwar was normally made out of metal or wood and was usually covered with cloth or leather; moreover, both its blade and hilt could be ornately adorned which is just like the blade and hilt of the shamshir.

Types of Talwar

Just like every type of weapon, the Talwar comes in a plethora of varieties and styles some of which are extremely close to other weapons such as the kilij.

Although there are some similarities with other weapons, the talwar sword also has some very unusual blades such as the Zulfikar that have double-pointed tips, and the tegha that features extremely massive blades.

Due to its size, the tegha is sometimes referred to as the executioner’s weapon though there is not much evidence to prove this.

Despite the differences, the blades of all these weapons are curved and most of the talwar swords feature blades that are more common of the generalized saber.

Numerous samples of the talwar display an increased curve along the distal half of the weapon’s blade, unlike the curve that is located closer to the hilt; plus, another common feature of the sword is the widening of the blade that is close to the tip

Talwar
The original uploader was Archit Patel at English Wikipedia. / CC BY-SA

Talwar for Sale

For individuals searching for the talwar sword, one can readily purchase a talwar sword for sale from various online weapon shops. One can select from a variety of swords and for the talwar, these can either be fully functional or decorative pieces. The fully functional blades feature a sharpened edge so that the user can readily practice cutting right after purchasing the weapon.

Also, the fully functional talwars are forged from high carbon steel as well as thoroughly tempered to ensure these are flexible, strong, and just as excellent as any great functional weapon should be.

As for the decorative talwar for sale, these feature a blunt and unsharpened blade since it will mainly be utilized for adorning one’s home or it would simply be added to one’s growing collection of fine armor and weaponry.

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