"Tulip is considered the national flower of Afghanistan. Although Tulip is very much associated with Netherlands and other European countries but only few of us know that this magnificent flower was originated in the Pamir and Hindukush mountain ranges of Afghanistan and central Asia. In the Persian empire Tulip was named as “Laleh” and it was grown in Iran, Afghanistan, Turkey and other parts of Central Asia." (fr: A Lovely Planet)
Hey Matt, "Pathan" is Urdu/Hindi for Pashtun or Pukhtoon depending on your accent, Durand split Afghanistan as a country right through the middle of the Pashtun people. Pathans are afghans, and pathans can be Pakistanis. But back in that historical context, I'd say they would consider Afghanistan their native land, as pakistan is an artificial entity
I want a sword with fire lit cross guards, that would be fuckin awesome! I doubt its possible though, the candles would go out as soon as i swing the sword. Fun idea though that sounds legit BAMF
Yeah can you do more Eastern weapons? like mongolia china and southward areas? Like the south east asia, and pacific islanders, what kinds of weapons did they use in the past?
Pathan is the indian Word for Pashtuns and pashtuns are ethnic afghans, for your information the northwest frontier, baluchistan and all the land till the west of the Indus river were afghan land until the british illegally occupied it and made it part of british india and later pakistan!
Very interesting! I had never seen Afghan swords... You've just opened a Pandora's box for me. I imagine there must be so many different types of sword all over the world. I've ever only been interested in European, Japanese and Chinese weapons...
You know what, I'm *literally* considering making a video on how RUclips historians are honest and willing to admit the things they don't know (unlike many Television historians who assume and preach things like infamous "blood grooves" and such).
Then there are the RUclipsrs who just state what they've heard/read as facts, without cross-referencing or looking up decent evidence. Though I would agree you can find better historians on RUclips than on TV, it doesn't apply to all of them.
the peshkabz is a primarily stabbing weapon and is specifically designed to penetrate chain mail,light plait armour ,leather and paddings.the backside is T shaped so that it does not buckles when hit very forcefully on mail or hardened leather.the tip was very pointy for this purpose.it is held edge up, edge down or tip up,tip down style according to the condition of fight and how one wants to use it putting the thumb on the pommel is not necessory and many people use their palm after the initial thrust to drive it in.also one more thing the tip and edge of the peshkabz was kept poisoned 60-70% of the times resulting in unhealing wounds. the chaarra was used more to cripple an opponent than to kill and also was not used for stabbing because you can slash 3 people in the time u stab 1 person also it was used in a slash-dragback mode and was very effictive in gorrilla warfare. my grandfather's uncle fought against the british between 1896 and 1904 in khyber pass area from what i have heard from my father when british soldiers entered a ravine or narrow passage some of the fighters would lay behind big boulders with their chaaras while others will shoot at them from hill tops making them scramble for cover. when the soldiers were shooting at hiltops the fighters behind the boulders would charge and slash as many as they can and retreat back while any soldier who tried to chase them or raise his head to shoot at them was shot from above.he told that in the skirmish below Sare Ghunde they managed to kill 35 british soldiers including a captian and hold back their friends from helping them for 3 hours during which time most of the injured died of bleeding while 5 hindustani soldiers were captored alive along with 6 mules and plenty of provisions and weapons.this they did with 5 muzzle loading guns and 8 men with chaaras and 1 sword total 15 men the 15th was a boy of 13 yrs who was on water duty. their are many other of his battle stories but cant be written here due to space shortage. the chaara was not used for stabbing also because it was very pointed and thin and has a tendency to get stuck in bones causing trouble for the holder in hot battle the phul war is heavy than the indian talwar and is called "Turra"the handle is cast and not forged that is why the cups of the flowers or tigerheads were kept hollow to reduce the weight also the pommel was kept hollow to keep the weight down and also to put lack balls when the sword wa balanced after making.the half round pommel was used to wrap your fingers around as in the swordsmanship in our area there r three types of holds on the sword.the back hold whrere you let go of the hilt and hold the cup pommel is to drag back the sword through mail armour or for out hand circular slash from up ,side or angle. also it is easier to move the sword in circles with this pommel.
I really wish your videos were longer. They are always really informative as well as enjoyable. Especially the ones about indo-persian arms since there really isn't much online about weapons from that region. :)
The tulip-like features are candle holders for night time fighting. You can also stick sausages in them to lure dangerous beasts to charge directly into your sword and impale themselves. There is an 19th century account of an Afghan prince killing a giant squid in this way.
Matt, you have done almost half a dozen videos on Afghanistan. It would help to do a bit of research. Confusing "Pathan" as something different than Afghan is such a basic error that a 10 minute read on Wikipedia could answer. I also recall in one of your videos you mentioned that afghans didn't have a cavalry tradition. Lol. Afghans began as horse traders and cavalry mercenaries going back to 12th century. In fact they were the main heavy cavalry force in Nadir Shahs army. Afghans literally fought exclusively on horseback until modern guns came into the region.
Very interesting video, I enjoyed it. I don't know if this will add to your video - but just a quick pronunciation of some of the pushtun / (Pashto) words: Pathan is said as putt-arn (putt said the same as the golfing tool and arn said like arm but ending with an n) Ch-OR-uh is the more widely used way for a knife. Although I have heard the occasional relative from the Peshawar call for ch-AR-uh - the reasoning from them when asked, is its because they're from the city - I would suspect its dependant on the people surrounding them using that, as a lot of the villages use the OR version (apologies if this is the silly thing you mention in the video).
I wrote my Bachelor's thesis on comparing the Vietnam War (3rd Indo-China War) to the Soviet-Afghan Conflict. Thanks for helping me understand Afghanistan better.
That "T" section is basically the same as on a Scyte blade, quite possibly a broken scyte blade being re-forged into a dagger? (If the steel was steel-y enough)
I have found that because of the pommel on my Pulwar it is easier to grip with my big hands and you can angle it forwards to gain reach or give point unlike a Tulwar.
Hey Matt! All this talk of jezzails, khyber knives, puggarees, etc. is reminding me I need to reread my favorite books the Flashman Papers by George MacDonald Fraser. Have you read those books and what do you think of their historical accuracy?
I wonder if the pommel on the pulwar is meant to be a lotus flower? Afghanistan had significant Buddhist centres at some point in it's history and this may be a cultural item.
Possible, also islamic art favours floral patterns in general of animal/human representations. Even nowadays afghans like ornamental flowers real or artificial in their homes.
It was an amazing video I really like Afghan weapons Thanks Matt :) 1) Can you please read some accounts about the use and effectiveness of these weapons against British sabers and swords ? 2) How British swordsmen dealt with an opponent armed with a sword and shield ?
2. There were quite several accounts of this in the book 'Swordsmen of the British Empire', mostly when the British fighter was victorious (obviously). Its mostly a question of superior agility and using feints to get the sword-and-shieldman to expose part of his body. The British swordmanship and sword design was more thrust centric, so to an extent a British swordman has the advantage of range.
Could these things on the tulwar resemble poppy capsules? the shapes would fit, if you think of the smaal cups standing upright, and not hanging down. and rattle in the grip is like the poppy seeds in the ripe capsules. i also heard that the british came to Afghanistan for the best poppy seeds, which the needed for the opium-trade with China.
One thing to note is that the Pathans are modernly called Pashtuns. Pathan seems to be a pronunciation that arose in India, but in Afghanistan, where they are most numerous, they are more commonly called Pashtuns. So Pashtun and Pathan are referring to the same people.
If there's enough to say, could you do a video about medieval European "peasant knives" which you mentioned? That is assuming they are actually different to the messers you mentioned a second later. I'm kinda interested cause the Khyber knife looks very similar to a knife that a Welsh spearman is depicted as carrying in one of the only 2 depictions of medieval Welsh warriors we have. They are, however, very crude pictures found in pipe rolls (I think) so it's hard to tell exactly what the knife is meant to look like but it looks single edged.
They would not, because the blades are thick, for stabbing through tough clothing or armour. Filet knives are thin and would bend or break if used like that.
Was there much in terms of tactical or weapons evolution in Afghanistan during the Durrani empire's lifespan? Or were the weapons and tactics used by the Barakzai against the British pretty much unchanged since Panipat? Great video! I'd like to know more about the ethnic weapons across Asia.
I would also like to mention that other Oriental swords such as Shamshirs were occasionally carried by Afghans BUT only high status warriors could afford to have them .
Can you remind me of why that shape is and how it work? I recall you made another video on it but I can't recall. I don't understand on how/why the blade would be curved back like that. What is the benefit? Thanks again and cheers from across the water.
The Chura looks a lot like South American fighting knives like the Facon Gaucho, and Brazilian Faca-de-ponta and Faca-Sorocabana. There are living traditions of Esgrima Criolla practiced by the Gauchos, and they're also focused on cutting/slashing. All accounts of Brazilian traditional knife fighting I've seen suggest a similar fighting style as well.
Interesting video & weapons. This is the second video where I hear you say European blades were imported to that region. I find that very interesting. What sources do you have that I could check on that subject? I'm curious to learn when that commerce started and how it originated, seeing that you have regions with strong blacksmithing traditions nearby(India, Pakistan). Maybe it's because European metallurgy was way advanced by then and capable of producing much superior blades?
With regards to the European imported blades, and how the blade shape in general differs: The Afghan and Indian swords generally appear to have what looks to be a more pronounced and heavier curved compared to European examples. I've frequently seen mention of European imports being common, but I've not come across much on the specifics. I have seen a number of examples of Indian swords with European sabre blades (slightly narrower with a less drastic looking curve) fitted with Indian style furnishings, but were European blades ever made in more local looking styles for export to the region? Were all the European exports merely 'more of the same' of what they were producing for their local markets? (Also possible that the visual difference in the blades isn't as much as it seems in my eyes.) Thanks for all the great content.
Blades were made specifically for export to India/Afghanistan, as well as to the Sudan. They are made in something like the style prefered in those areas, but yes you can usually tell the difference between the European and the local blades. There was a huge variety in the Indian-made blades though, so it's difficult to generalise - some Indian blades are more curved, some more straight, or completely straight, some flare at the centre of percussion, some don't.
That makes sense - however, is there any logic/evidence regarding the ice-pick grip being used with Yataghans? Or is it a case of a dagger grip being expanded and the Yataghan retaining the original style, but not the original functionality (I've seen small knives with a similar shape - so it could have originated with knives)?
They might leave a slightly worse wound channel than a flat blade of the same size, but not as bad as a triangular cross section, like a rondel dagger, I think.
You mentioned the yataghan but didn't include it in your review. Were they out of favor by the Victorian era or exclusively Ottoman/Turkish? Were they functionally very different from the khyber knife?
Pulwars are usually glued and peened. Though I think the peen is really only to hold the hollow pommel together - the principle method of attachment is the glue, as with a tulwar. Charah and pesh kabz hilts are both glued and pinned also.
Hi I'm currently reading about the British and Russian activity in central asia during the 19th century and was hoping you could follow up this video with some info about how russian/British infantry of the time, like cossacks, Gurkhas, sepoys, highlanders, and regulars with sabres and only bayonets were meant to counter the weapons here. How was someone with a bayonet and then later breach loading rifle meant to fight hand to hand when things got that close? also how were Afghan infantry equipped in terms of armour? what I read makes no note of the specifics so I'm wondering if they are a Mohammedan rabble or a more organised force the Emirs had control of.
I think Matt and others might have made some videos you could find on youtube about bayonet drills, there would be a good start. As far as the Afghan infantry, they were usually made up of the poorer members of their tribes, and so typically went into battle unarmoured. That said, like Matt said just about every one of them would be wearing turbans and (at least in cold weather) those sheepskin poshteens, both of which were very resistant to cuts. Some Afghan horsemen were still wearing the quissential Asian style plate-and-mail suits of armour, and these horsemen do fight on foot from time to time as situations demand. Majority of the Afghan fighterd would be tribal contingents, although the various shahs did have considerable bodyguard forces that formed a type of standing army, which at times includes artillerymen as well. Ahmad Shah Durrani had a personal bodyguard of 3,500 men at Panipat if I was not mistaken.
Very interesting video! But why were the blades comming from germany? And was that only the case for single steel types or even the wooz and pattern welded ones?
Because by this period of history the industrial revolution was in full swing in Europe, allowing European manufacturers to make high quality goods far more cheaply and with far greater consistency and speed compared to any native manufacturers.
I disagree with the influences, Afghanistan is mainly mountainous and the Pashtun tribes were isolated from others, hence little to no influence from their neighbours. The Pesh-Kabz originated in Afghanistan while the Kard from Persia or Turkey. Afghans have a history of bladesmithing.
ok, the chara (sp?) and the pesh-kab look similar in construction to each other... but functionally the pesh-kab looks like it could have been used as a rondel, where the chara functionally reminds me of an overly large saex.
With the hemispherical pommel, even though it's still a confining grip, can you use more of the extended wrist kind of cuts as you might with a European sword, or are you still restricted to the 90 degree slashes as you would be with a tulwar with its disc pommel?
It might be worth pointing out that Pathans are more commonly referred to as Pashtun in modern times. In America, at least, the latter name is likely to be familiar from news coverage of the war.
Discussion of this dragon head style can be found in Manouchehr Moshtagh Khorasani's 2008 article Dragons' Teeth - The Straight Swords of Persia which appeared in Classic Arms and Militaria Volume XV Issue 1 pp. 21-25.
They don't seem to jut out enough to do that properly. If I was making a crossguard designed to trap blades, I'd make the bend as generous as possible, maybe wide enough to fit a finger or two, to maximise the probability of catching the blade. I believe certain German dussacks had half-rings just above the knucklebow specifically for that purpose. With this pulwar, the crossguard seems barely wide enough to cover the hand at all, and may well have been more decorative than functional.
This is three years late but all 'Chara' means is knife much like how pulwar/tulwar just means sword. Reminds me of the germans and their oversized 'messers'
Pesh kabz really just look like some one got over zealous at the grinder. especially eith how thick that tang looks. That's an odd waste of metal. It makes sense especially of your sword breaks, you don't want to throw it out.
Hey, Matt. I've been working on something set in France at the end of the 19th century. Do you have any recommendations about sources for what an officer would have worn and fought with during the Franco-Prussian war?
Is there much difference between a tulwar/pulwar and a scimitar? I understand scimitars can be larger but is there anything else that differentiates the two?
Scimitar is not a specific sword, it was a term used by Westerners to call the curved swords used by Oriental people, particularly Muslims which they call 'Saracens' during the Middle Ages. However there is a specific sword known as shamshir which is Persian (although there are Turkish, Arab, and even Indian versions based on the hilt) in origin. It is characterized by a parabolic curved blade with a single-edged, tapering point. Because of its extreme curved and single edge, it cannot be used effectively for thrusting but is a good slashing/cutting sword. The tulwar is an Indian curved sword with a characteristic hilt style and usually employs a blade which more broad and less curved than a shamshir (although there are tulwars with shamshir blades). The blade also has an unsharpened part at the base called a ricasso and is a characteristic of Indian blades (Persian blades are sharpened all the way to the base). Tulwars (and the Afghan version pulwar) can be used to cut and thrust (especially if they have a sharpened back edge) as they do not have the extreme curvature of a shamshir.
Just google 'antique tulwar for sale' and you find lots of dealers. I do sell them through Easton Antique Arms, but I don't have any for sale right now.
Just to bring it up again, I love hearing about instances where a technologically inferior army still manages to get the upper hand. More of that, when you've the time and inclination, sir.
It's often not the technology but how you use it. ...and it's always amusing to see how badly some people historically screwed up in the "using it" bit.
in the arab world, men were not allowed to wear jewels, so they were often put on sword hilts to display wealth. maybe thats the reason for the hollow parts of the crossguard?
George MacDonald Fraser's Flashman books are comedies, but they include a lot of background detail on British military activities in India and Afghanistan, if you want a starting point.
Not exactly a Historical Novel but rather an Alternative History. "The Peshawar Lancers" by S.M. Stirling. A meteor hits earth during the reign of Victoria and the debris kicked into the atmosphere causes a new ice age. Most of Europe is made uninhabitable so the major colonial powers of the time relocate their capitals to their warmer colonies. Delhi becomes the new center of a British Empire where most technology and customs haven't advanced much past the Victorian era. It's an interesting read.
For the time, it was superb. It was definitely superior to most European steel, but of course it's not nearly as strong as (high quality) modern blades.
Afghan expeditionary interference has been on going, for centuries . hardy marksmen with local knowledge of an extreme climate and terrain. guerrilla fighting ( the war of the flea ) is an art. hard to get to grips with, as found out by more numerous larger forces till today.....Russian, American, and the British found out. Hispania fucked up Romans for three centuries before their overthrow by using these tactics and a Fabian strategy.....
Colonial warfare has always captured my imagination. You mentionned that these weapons were common in Afghanistan as well as India and other neighbouring regions . So is it fair to assume that Afghans and Indians used the same fighting techniques ?
Present day Afghanistan and Indian had a very long history of cultural interactions, and many empires had united them together from as early as 3rd century BCE. In the middle ages Afghanistan was the door to India; foreign powers typically conquered it as a staging ground for future invasions of India (both the founder of sultanate of delhi, Muhammad of Ghor, and its successor state the Mughal empire, Babur and Humayun, did this). Huge numbers of Afghans went into India as mercenaries and retainers of the local ruler. So its not at all surprising that the two regions shared similar fighting style.
Present day Afghanistan and Indian had a very long history of cultural interactions, and many empires had united them together from as early as 3rd century BCE. In the middle ages Afghanistan was the door to India; foreign powers typically conquered it as a staging ground for future invasions of India (both the founder of sultanate of delhi, Muhammad of Ghor, and its successor state the Mughal empire, Babur and Humayun, did this). Huge numbers of Afghans went into India as mercenaries and retainers of the local ruler. So its not at all surprising that the two regions shared similar fighting style.
Present day Afghanistan and Indian had a very long history of cultural interactions, and many empires had united them together from as early as 3rd century BCE. In the middle ages Afghanistan was the door to India; foreign powers typically conquered it as a staging ground for future invasions of India (both the founder of sultanate of delhi, Muhammad of Ghor, and its successor state the Mughal empire, Babur and Humayun, did this). Huge numbers of Afghans went into India as mercenaries and retainers of the local ruler. So its not at all surprising that the two regions shared similar fighting style.
John Huang Ghoris and delhi sultans were all from Afghanistan and conquered india. Afghanistan and india have nothing in common and the only interaction was Afghan ruled india
Those 'little tulip things' on the crossguard are more than likely representations of poppy seed heads. Afghanistan has been a TOP opium producing country since the 1980's, and I'd bet the history goes much deeper than that, at least since the early Victorian Era.
This is too simple of a statement. When Britain went to war in Afghanistan, it was to support certain Afghan factions against other Afghans. It wasn't a simple matter of Afghanistan vs Great Britain. Also, Britain had great victories in Afghanistan, as well as defeats. What seems to be the recurring theme in Afghanistan is that nobody can really control the country, regardless of how many battles are won.
scholagladiatoria it was equal equal loss and win for both British and Afghans. I respect the British as a brave enemy in the past and as a friend in present and we Afghans like our freedom so preserved it even though Britain was ruling whole of India which included pakistan and bangladesh but still could not colonise Afghanistan but in battle Afghans and British fought like men and both sides won and lost at the same time and bravery of fighters and soldiers on both Afghan and British should be remembered and respected. we Afghans had more in common with British than we had with indians actually we have nothing in common with indians and pakistanis because British and Afghans both are people of harsh and cold environment and both value their freedom more than their lives.
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"Tulip is considered the national flower of Afghanistan. Although Tulip
is very much associated with Netherlands and other European countries
but only few of us know that this magnificent flower was originated in
the Pamir and Hindukush mountain ranges of Afghanistan and central Asia.
In the Persian empire Tulip was named as “Laleh” and it was grown in Iran, Afghanistan, Turkey and other parts of Central Asia."
(fr: A Lovely Planet)
That's fascinating, thank you.
Yup it is lale in Turkish and the pronouncication is the same.
interesting
Are you sure they are not candelabras...you know, for night fighting.
Lalea in Romanian.
Hey Matt, "Pathan" is Urdu/Hindi for Pashtun or Pukhtoon depending on your accent, Durand split Afghanistan as a country right through the middle of the Pashtun people. Pathans are afghans, and pathans can be Pakistanis. But back in that historical context, I'd say they would consider Afghanistan their native land, as pakistan is an artificial entity
They're candle holders for night fighting.
Specially made for 19th century Afghan mall ninjas!
+KorKhan89 they'd be called souk or bizarre ninjas then.
I want a sword with fire lit cross guards, that would be fuckin awesome!
I doubt its possible though, the candles would go out as soon as i swing the sword. Fun idea though that sounds legit BAMF
Please do more videos about different cultures like this!
Agreed! I definitely like the videos Matt does about non-European weapons.
Yeah can you do more Eastern weapons? like mongolia china and southward areas?
Like the south east asia, and pacific islanders, what kinds of weapons did they use in the past?
Pathan is the indian Word for Pashtuns and pashtuns are ethnic afghans, for your information the northwest frontier, baluchistan and all the land till the west of the Indus river were afghan land until the british illegally occupied it and made it part of british india and later pakistan!
Sahee wayai! Pashtanuh Afghanan dee!
Very interesting! I had never seen Afghan swords... You've just opened a Pandora's box for me.
I imagine there must be so many different types of sword all over the world.
I've ever only been interested in European, Japanese and Chinese weapons...
In the arabic alphabet -which was used at some point by nearly all muslim peoples- way tulip or lale is written resembles the way Allah is written.
Those tulip shape quillons are blood containers. They prevent the blood from running down on the hilt.
Nice b8 m8!
Probably not.
+CarnalKid he's joking
+CarnalKid it's a joke about people claiming fullers are blood grooves to allow blood to flow down the blade.
You know what, I'm *literally* considering making a video on how RUclips historians are honest and willing to admit the things they don't know (unlike many Television historians who assume and preach things like infamous "blood grooves" and such).
Then there are the RUclipsrs who just state what they've heard/read as facts, without cross-referencing or looking up decent evidence. Though I would agree you can find better historians on RUclips than on TV, it doesn't apply to all of them.
The graveyard of empires. As an American, I wish my political leaders would read a little bit of history.
They come in all confident and self assured and leave demoralized.
Hmmm, hollow pommel. Maybe useful as a distraction, but it would be difficult to achieve the velocity to do much damage.
Surely filled with some vicious poisons powder.
Even Afghanistan residents could end them rightly.
the peshkabz is a primarily stabbing weapon and is specifically designed to penetrate chain mail,light plait armour ,leather and paddings.the backside is T shaped so that it does not buckles when hit very forcefully on mail or hardened leather.the tip was very pointy for this purpose.it is held edge up, edge down or tip up,tip down style according to the condition of fight and how one wants to use it putting the thumb on the pommel is not necessory and many people use their palm after the initial thrust to drive it in.also one more thing the tip and edge of the peshkabz was kept poisoned 60-70% of the times resulting in unhealing wounds.
the chaarra was used more to cripple an opponent than to kill and also was not used for stabbing because you can slash 3 people in the time u stab 1 person also it was used in a slash-dragback mode and was very effictive in gorrilla warfare. my grandfather's uncle fought against the british between 1896 and 1904 in khyber pass area from what i have heard from my father when british soldiers entered a ravine or narrow passage some of the fighters would lay behind big boulders with their chaaras while others will shoot at them from hill tops making them scramble for cover. when the soldiers were shooting at hiltops the fighters behind the boulders would charge and slash as many as they can and retreat back while any soldier who tried to chase them or raise his head to shoot at them was shot from above.he told that in the skirmish below Sare Ghunde they managed to kill 35 british soldiers including a captian and hold back their friends from helping them for 3 hours during which time most of the injured died of bleeding while 5 hindustani soldiers were captored alive along with 6 mules and plenty of provisions and weapons.this they did with 5 muzzle loading guns and 8 men with chaaras and 1 sword total 15 men the 15th was a boy of 13 yrs who was on water duty. their are many other of his battle stories but cant be written here due to space shortage.
the chaara was not used for stabbing also because it was very pointed and thin and has a tendency to get stuck in bones causing trouble for the holder in hot battle
the phul war is heavy than the indian talwar and is called "Turra"the handle is cast and not forged that is why the cups of the flowers or tigerheads were kept hollow to reduce the weight also the pommel was kept hollow to keep the weight down and also to put lack balls when the sword wa balanced after making.the half round pommel was used to wrap your fingers around as in the swordsmanship in our area there r three types of holds on the sword.the back hold whrere you let go of the hilt and hold the cup pommel is to drag back the sword through mail armour or for out hand circular slash from up ,side or angle. also it is easier to move the sword in circles with this pommel.
Pashtun, Pathan=Afghan. Afridis are an pashtun tribe
I really wish your videos were longer. They are always really informative as well as enjoyable. Especially the ones about indo-persian arms since there really isn't much online about weapons from that region. :)
The tulip-like features are candle holders for night time fighting. You can also stick sausages in them to lure dangerous beasts to charge directly into your sword and impale themselves. There is an 19th century account of an Afghan prince killing a giant squid in this way.
"I suspect this is wootz steel"
W00tz! What a find!
Matt, you have done almost half a dozen videos on Afghanistan. It would help to do a bit of research. Confusing "Pathan" as something different than Afghan is such a basic error that a 10 minute read on Wikipedia could answer.
I also recall in one of your videos you mentioned that afghans didn't have a cavalry tradition. Lol. Afghans began as horse traders and cavalry mercenaries going back to 12th century. In fact they were the main heavy cavalry force in Nadir Shahs army. Afghans literally fought exclusively on horseback until modern guns came into the region.
Afghan means Pathan/Pashun in Persian. So technically only they are Afghan.
Very interesting video, I enjoyed it. I don't know if this will add to your video - but just a quick pronunciation of some of the pushtun / (Pashto) words:
Pathan is said as putt-arn (putt said the same as the golfing tool and arn said like arm but ending with an n)
Ch-OR-uh is the more widely used way for a knife. Although I have heard the occasional relative from the Peshawar call for ch-AR-uh - the reasoning from them when asked, is its because they're from the city - I would suspect its dependant on the people surrounding them using that, as a lot of the villages use the OR version (apologies if this is the silly thing you mention in the video).
I wrote my Bachelor's thesis on comparing the Vietnam War (3rd Indo-China War) to the Soviet-Afghan Conflict. Thanks for helping me understand Afghanistan better.
That "T" section is basically the same as on a Scyte blade, quite possibly a broken scyte blade being re-forged into a dagger? (If the steel was steel-y enough)
I have found that because of the pommel on my Pulwar it is easier to grip with my big hands and you can angle it forwards to gain reach or give point unlike a Tulwar.
Can you make a video of polishing and etching the blade? Anyhow, I'd really love to see what the end result looks like, wootz blades are nice.
Hey Matt! All this talk of jezzails, khyber knives, puggarees, etc. is reminding me I need to reread my favorite books the Flashman Papers by George MacDonald Fraser. Have you read those books and what do you think of their historical accuracy?
Good information. Chora ( Afridi, wazeer, mehsood tribes pronunciation). While CHARA is pronounced by Other pakhtoon tribes. .
I wonder if the pommel on the pulwar is meant to be a lotus flower? Afghanistan had significant Buddhist centres at some point in it's history and this may be a cultural item.
Possible, also islamic art favours floral patterns in general of animal/human representations. Even nowadays afghans like ornamental flowers real or artificial in their homes.
will you do video about Illyrian weapons and armours. Specifically I would like to hear what you have to say about Illyrian Sica
It was an amazing video I really like Afghan weapons Thanks Matt :)
1) Can you please read some accounts about the use and effectiveness of these weapons against British sabers and swords ?
2) How British swordsmen dealt with an opponent armed with a sword and shield ?
2. There were quite several accounts of this in the book 'Swordsmen of the British Empire', mostly when the British fighter was victorious (obviously). Its mostly a question of superior agility and using feints to get the sword-and-shieldman to expose part of his body. The British swordmanship and sword design was more thrust centric, so to an extent a British swordman has the advantage of range.
Thanks for answering my question :-)
nice video
Could these things on the tulwar resemble poppy capsules? the shapes would fit, if you think of the smaal cups standing upright, and not hanging down. and rattle in the grip is like the poppy seeds in the ripe capsules. i also heard that the british came to Afghanistan for the best poppy seeds, which the needed for the opium-trade with China.
Matt could you please do a video on Trial by Combat????
One thing to note is that the Pathans are modernly called Pashtuns. Pathan seems to be a pronunciation that arose in India, but in Afghanistan, where they are most numerous, they are more commonly called Pashtuns. So Pashtun and Pathan are referring to the same people.
that second blade he held reminded me of a modern day kitchen knife on steroids
Good vid thanks!
If there's enough to say, could you do a video about medieval European "peasant knives" which you mentioned? That is assuming they are actually different to the messers you mentioned a second later. I'm kinda interested cause the Khyber knife looks very similar to a knife that a Welsh spearman is depicted as carrying in one of the only 2 depictions of medieval Welsh warriors we have. They are, however, very crude pictures found in pipe rolls (I think) so it's hard to tell exactly what the knife is meant to look like but it looks single edged.
When you start rotating the sword this way it looks so easy like it is doing on its own.
Wow, those pesh kabz seem like the grandfather of modern fish filleting knives. In fact, I suspect they'd do the job quite well.
They would not, because the blades are thick, for stabbing through tough clothing or armour. Filet knives are thin and would bend or break if used like that.
Hm, I suppose I didn't pay close enough attention to the cross section.
They’ve got curved swords. Curved. Swords.
Was there much in terms of tactical or weapons evolution in Afghanistan during the Durrani empire's lifespan? Or were the weapons and tactics used by the Barakzai against the British pretty much unchanged since Panipat?
Great video! I'd like to know more about the ethnic weapons across Asia.
It was the same
could you do a video about the nepalese kora sword or the Sri Lankan kastane sword
Maybe the tulips are for catching blood so it doesn't run down onto your hand.
I would also like to mention that other Oriental swords such as Shamshirs were occasionally carried by Afghans BUT only high status warriors could afford to have them .
I understand no one wants to break their swords, but has anyone opened up a pulwar hilt to see what's inside the pommel?
Daud knows his stuff
Can you remind me of why that shape is and how it work? I recall you made another video on it but I can't recall. I don't understand on how/why the blade would be curved back like that. What is the benefit?
Thanks again and cheers from across the water.
The tulips are for holding candles for night patrol. No? Well, maybe I was just making that up.
Pulwar allso had a stylised elephant head end to the quillon as is the one you are holding .The hollows are simply to keep the weight down I believe.
The Chura looks a lot like South American fighting knives like the Facon Gaucho, and Brazilian Faca-de-ponta and Faca-Sorocabana. There are living traditions of Esgrima Criolla practiced by the Gauchos, and they're also focused on cutting/slashing. All accounts of Brazilian traditional knife fighting I've seen suggest a similar fighting style as well.
So... a giant fillet knife and a giant chef's knife. Is there a giant bread knife?
You have bardiches, which are giant cheese knives.
Interesting video & weapons. This is the second video where I hear you say European blades were imported to that region. I find that very interesting. What sources do you have that I could check on that subject? I'm curious to learn when that commerce started and how it originated, seeing that you have regions with strong blacksmithing traditions nearby(India, Pakistan). Maybe it's because European metallurgy was way advanced by then and capable of producing much superior blades?
the T-section blade are made so that blood can run down along the back ridges and doesnt harden on the sharp edge which would dull it
Nice try....
With regards to the European imported blades, and how the blade shape in general differs: The Afghan and Indian swords generally appear to have what looks to be a more pronounced and heavier curved compared to European examples. I've frequently seen mention of European imports being common, but I've not come across much on the specifics.
I have seen a number of examples of Indian swords with European sabre blades (slightly narrower with a less drastic looking curve) fitted with Indian style furnishings, but were European blades ever made in more local looking styles for export to the region? Were all the European exports merely 'more of the same' of what they were producing for their local markets? (Also possible that the visual difference in the blades isn't as much as it seems in my eyes.)
Thanks for all the great content.
Blades were made specifically for export to India/Afghanistan, as well as to the Sudan. They are made in something like the style prefered in those areas, but yes you can usually tell the difference between the European and the local blades. There was a huge variety in the Indian-made blades though, so it's difficult to generalise - some Indian blades are more curved, some more straight, or completely straight, some flare at the centre of percussion, some don't.
That makes sense - however, is there any logic/evidence regarding the ice-pick grip being used with Yataghans? Or is it a case of a dagger grip being expanded and the Yataghan retaining the original style, but not the original functionality (I've seen small knives with a similar shape - so it could have originated with knives)?
So the second weapon you look at (not going to try to spell it) wouldn't the T cross section on the back be detrimental to cutting?
T shaped blades make a puncture wound hard to close. Subtly vicious.
How would it make any difference at all?
+Mastikator wounds that aren't clean and straight are harder to stitch up.
They might leave a slightly worse wound channel than a flat blade of the same size, but not as bad as a triangular cross section, like a rondel dagger, I think.
+Iron Pirate true but any irregular shaped wound has the same effect essentially.
joshua G
Then a serrated blade would be even more dangerous.
You mentioned the yataghan but didn't include it in your review. Were they out of favor by the Victorian era or exclusively Ottoman/Turkish? Were they functionally very different from the khyber knife?
The yataghan was, as far as I understand, an exclusively Turkish/Ottoman sword. Very different from a khyber knife, certainly.
Yataghans were used in various areas, mostly the Ottoman Empire and the Balkans, but not at all in Afghanistan as far as I have seen.
the second one looks like daud's knife from dishonored
+scholagladiatoria were pulwars typically peened full tangs then, as opposed to tulwars more often having the blades being glued into their hilts?
Pulwars are usually glued and peened. Though I think the peen is really only to hold the hollow pommel together - the principle method of attachment is the glue, as with a tulwar. Charah and pesh kabz hilts are both glued and pinned also.
The bulb looking things on the polwar look like poppy plants...Dont know if thats what they reference or not though
Hi I'm currently reading about the British and Russian activity in central asia during the 19th century and was hoping you could follow up this video with some info about how russian/British infantry of the time, like cossacks, Gurkhas, sepoys, highlanders, and regulars with sabres and only bayonets were meant to counter the weapons here. How was someone with a bayonet and then later breach loading rifle meant to fight hand to hand when things got that close? also how were Afghan infantry equipped in terms of armour? what I read makes no note of the specifics so I'm wondering if they are a Mohammedan rabble or a more organised force the Emirs had control of.
I think Matt and others might have made some videos you could find on youtube about bayonet drills, there would be a good start.
As far as the Afghan infantry, they were usually made up of the poorer members of their tribes, and so typically went into battle unarmoured. That said, like Matt said just about every one of them would be wearing turbans and (at least in cold weather) those sheepskin poshteens, both of which were very resistant to cuts. Some Afghan horsemen were still wearing the quissential Asian style plate-and-mail suits of armour, and these horsemen do fight on foot from time to time as situations demand.
Majority of the Afghan fighterd would be tribal contingents, although the various shahs did have considerable bodyguard forces that formed a type of standing army, which at times includes artillerymen as well. Ahmad Shah Durrani had a personal bodyguard of 3,500 men at Panipat if I was not mistaken.
Very interesting video! But why were the blades comming from germany? And was that only the case for single steel types or even the wooz and pattern welded ones?
Only some mono-steel blades were from Europe. They were traded in, in exchange for local produce.
Because by this period of history the industrial revolution was in full swing in Europe, allowing European manufacturers to make high quality goods far more cheaply and with far greater consistency and speed compared to any native manufacturers.
I disagree with the influences, Afghanistan is mainly mountainous and the Pashtun tribes were isolated from others, hence little to no influence from their neighbours. The Pesh-Kabz originated in Afghanistan while the Kard from Persia or Turkey. Afghans have a history of bladesmithing.
ok, the chara (sp?) and the pesh-kab look similar in construction to each other...
but functionally the pesh-kab looks like it could have been used as a rondel,
where the chara functionally reminds me of an overly large saex.
With the hemispherical pommel, even though it's still a confining grip, can you use more of the extended wrist kind of cuts as you might with a European sword, or are you still restricted to the 90 degree slashes as you would be with a tulwar with its disc pommel?
It is much easier to use extended cuts.
Wow. Thanks for answering. Love the videos.
قطع رائعه
where can I get a Peshkab like that?
It is with me
It might be worth pointing out that Pathans are more commonly referred to as Pashtun in modern times. In America, at least, the latter name is likely to be familiar from news coverage of the war.
Adam Sroka pathan can also be considered derogatory in modern times
They have always called themselves Pashtun not Pathan which is an Indian word
Those drooping quillions are actually stylised dragon heads and most likely derived from Persian culture (see Qajar Revival swords).
Discussion of this dragon head style can be found in Manouchehr Moshtagh Khorasani's 2008 article Dragons' Teeth - The Straight Swords of Persia which appeared in Classic Arms and Militaria Volume XV Issue 1 pp. 21-25.
The tulips are little ash trays
Those are candlesticks on the Pulwar
Could the U-shaped pulwar crossguard be used to trap blades? (so that you can stab with the dagger)
i doubt it
Drugs are good m8
Me too, but I've seen similar indian hilts, that were supposidly used for it.
They don't seem to jut out enough to do that properly. If I was making a crossguard designed to trap blades, I'd make the bend as generous as possible, maybe wide enough to fit a finger or two, to maximise the probability of catching the blade. I believe certain German dussacks had half-rings just above the knucklebow specifically for that purpose. With this pulwar, the crossguard seems barely wide enough to cover the hand at all, and may well have been more decorative than functional.
This is three years late but all 'Chara' means is knife much like how pulwar/tulwar just means sword. Reminds me of the germans and their oversized 'messers'
Well “pulwar” is a foreign word the Afghans call a sword “tura” which is what they callled khyber “knives.”
Pesh kabz really just look like some one got over zealous at the grinder. especially eith how thick that tang looks. That's an odd waste of metal. It makes sense especially of your sword breaks, you don't want to throw it out.
Hey, Matt.
I've been working on something set in France at the end of the 19th century.
Do you have any recommendations about sources for what an officer would have worn and fought with during the Franco-Prussian war?
A French officer, that is.
White handkerchiefs.
Is there much difference between a tulwar/pulwar and a scimitar? I understand scimitars can be larger but is there anything else that differentiates the two?
Scimitar is not a specific sword, it was a term used by Westerners to call the curved swords used by Oriental people, particularly Muslims which they call 'Saracens' during the Middle Ages. However there is a specific sword known as shamshir which is Persian (although there are Turkish, Arab, and even Indian versions based on the hilt) in origin. It is characterized by a parabolic curved blade with a single-edged, tapering point. Because of its extreme curved and single edge, it cannot be used effectively for thrusting but is a good slashing/cutting sword. The tulwar is an Indian curved sword with a characteristic hilt style and usually employs a blade which more broad and less curved than a shamshir (although there are tulwars with shamshir blades). The blade also has an unsharpened part at the base called a ricasso and is a characteristic of Indian blades (Persian blades are sharpened all the way to the base). Tulwars (and the Afghan version pulwar) can be used to cut and thrust (especially if they have a sharpened back edge) as they do not have the extreme curvature of a shamshir.
+rhonsah1984 cheers dude, thanks for taking the time to reply with such an awesome response
I just couldn't imagine catching that thing in my collarbone
dat Pulowar though....
Matt, where does the term "saber rattling" come from? Do real sabers rattle?
+scholagladiatoria where can I find high quality Indian talwars online?
He is likely selling a few on his antique selling site, as he cycles his collection regularly.
Just google 'antique tulwar for sale' and you find lots of dealers. I do sell them through Easton Antique Arms, but I don't have any for sale right now.
scholagladiatoria Thanks man.
Any videos regarding Arabian\Syrian swords?
Not yet. I hope one day.
Thanks, man. You always provide quality content.
wow
Just to bring it up again, I love hearing about instances where a technologically inferior army still manages to get the upper hand. More of that, when you've the time and inclination, sir.
It's often not the technology but how you use it.
...and it's always amusing to see how badly some people historically screwed up in the "using it" bit.
in the arab world, men were not allowed to wear jewels, so they were often put on sword hilts to display wealth. maybe thats the reason for the hollow parts of the crossguard?
Afghans are not arabs
You mean Muslim world, not Arab.
Patans is an improper pronunciation of Pashtuns. Those tribes are indigenous to Afghanistan.
Anybody that know of any good historical novels about the British wars in India or Afghanistan or similar places?
I find this topic very interesting.
George MacDonald Fraser's Flashman books are comedies, but they include a lot of background detail on British military activities in India and Afghanistan, if you want a starting point.
Not exactly a Historical Novel but rather an Alternative History. "The Peshawar Lancers" by S.M. Stirling. A meteor hits earth during the reign of Victoria and the debris kicked into the atmosphere causes a new ice age. Most of Europe is made uninhabitable so the major colonial powers of the time relocate their capitals to their warmer colonies. Delhi becomes the new center of a British Empire where most technology and customs haven't advanced much past the Victorian era. It's an interesting read.
Kipling did some good stuff, at least from the British perspective
Lancers was a good read, wish Stirling would do more of them.
Sam Langley The main character in Lancers is meant to be a descendant of Flashman, oddly enough.
"So this is a video to, in a concise way, explain the main types of hand weapons..." 13:44
A 13 minute lecture is incredibly short.
+scholagladiatoria it was thee perfect length
The breadth is also completely adequate.
Shield in Afghan is called " SAPAR"
The language would be Pashto and the word 'separ/sapar' is from Persian/Farsi.
can anybody spell the afghanistan armor word ford me,please ?
Quan Le pesuh means sheep in pashto, pesuhteen could be some thing with sheeps.
NEprimo
not pesuhten but pusteen which is name for jacket or full clothing made of sheep skin
You know someone is biritsh to the core when they say 'zed' instead of 'zee'
Arent Wootz blades supposed to be really strong?
For the time, it was superb. It was definitely superior to most European steel, but of course it's not nearly as strong as (high quality) modern blades.
Afghan expeditionary interference has been on going, for centuries . hardy marksmen with local knowledge of an extreme climate and terrain. guerrilla fighting ( the war of the flea ) is an art. hard to get to grips with, as found out by more numerous larger forces till today.....Russian, American, and the British found out. Hispania fucked up Romans for three centuries before their overthrow by using these tactics and a Fabian strategy.....
Colonial warfare has always captured my imagination. You mentionned that these weapons were common in Afghanistan as well as India and other neighbouring regions . So is it fair to assume that Afghans and Indians used the same fighting techniques ?
The Afghans and Indians did use similar fighting techniques - it is mentioned by various authors, including Alfred Hutton and Richard Francis Burton.
Present day Afghanistan and Indian had a very long history of cultural interactions, and many empires had united them together from as early as 3rd century BCE. In the middle ages Afghanistan was the door to India; foreign powers typically conquered it as a staging ground for future invasions of India (both the founder of sultanate of delhi, Muhammad of Ghor, and its successor state the Mughal empire, Babur and Humayun, did this). Huge numbers of Afghans went into India as mercenaries and retainers of the local ruler. So its not at all surprising that the two regions shared similar fighting style.
Present day Afghanistan and Indian had a very long history of cultural interactions, and many empires had united them together from as early as 3rd century BCE. In the middle ages Afghanistan was the door to India; foreign powers typically conquered it as a staging ground for future invasions of India (both the founder of sultanate of delhi, Muhammad of Ghor, and its successor state the Mughal empire, Babur and Humayun, did this). Huge numbers of Afghans went into India as mercenaries and retainers of the local ruler. So its not at all surprising that the two regions shared similar fighting style.
Present day Afghanistan and Indian had a very long history of cultural interactions, and many empires had united them together from as early as 3rd century BCE. In the middle ages Afghanistan was the door to India; foreign powers typically conquered it as a staging ground for future invasions of India (both the founder of sultanate of delhi, Muhammad of Ghor, and its successor state the Mughal empire, Babur and Humayun, did this). Huge numbers of Afghans went into India as mercenaries and retainers of the local ruler. So its not at all surprising that the two regions shared similar fighting style.
John Huang
Ghoris and delhi sultans were all from Afghanistan and conquered india.
Afghanistan and india have nothing in common and the only interaction was Afghan ruled india
Those 'little tulip things' on the crossguard are more than likely representations of poppy seed heads. Afghanistan has been a TOP opium producing country since the 1980's, and I'd bet the history goes much deeper than that, at least since the early Victorian Era.
Your imagination is quite wrong dude!! Get sober before you comment
The wily Pathan.
Chara is what we call in india
Blue cheese?
Belooch/Beluch
Also "baluch/baloch", hence the name of the Baluchistan region.
it's pronounced Ba-loach. Very informative video btw. :)
11:42 and before kinda look like a woman to me with the head and all
UK got owned in Afghanistan.
This is too simple of a statement. When Britain went to war in Afghanistan, it was to support certain Afghan factions against other Afghans. It wasn't a simple matter of Afghanistan vs Great Britain. Also, Britain had great victories in Afghanistan, as well as defeats. What seems to be the recurring theme in Afghanistan is that nobody can really control the country, regardless of how many battles are won.
scholagladiatoria
it was equal equal loss and win for both British and Afghans.
I respect the British as a brave enemy in the past and as a friend in present and we Afghans like our freedom so preserved it even though Britain was ruling whole of India which included pakistan and bangladesh but still could not colonise Afghanistan but in battle Afghans and British fought like men and both sides won and lost at the same time and bravery of fighters and soldiers on both Afghan and British should be remembered and respected.
we Afghans had more in common with British than we had with indians actually we have nothing in common with indians and pakistanis because British and Afghans both are people of harsh and cold environment and both value their freedom more than their lives.
@@cinakakar197 Lol you're delusional. The subcontinent was simply far wealthier than Afghanistan, thus a greater incentive for them to colonize India.
Chara is what we call in india
Cool thanks. In Victorian British books it is normally written 'Choora' or 'Charah'. Clearly all the same word.
khalsagurleen singh it's Charruh in Pashto as well
Chara is the Pashto word for "knife" while in India, the term got desified to "choora."