Dayum, that would be extremely interesting to do test cutting with. But of course using antiques is always a bit questionable, especially something rare.
To clarify, Talwar is a nomenclature used specifially for downward slicing sabres (Tal= Beneath, War= Attack), other classifications include Khanda (that which dissects and divides) which is an Ancient Kshatriya Straight Blade and was used as a Broadsword, Tegha (that which demonstrates Might) which a more curved broad sabre. The Disc pommel on a Talwar also called Suraj Nishan (Solar Symbol) doubles as an extra hand guard and as a stabilizer for each strike, forcing your wrist back in a locked position, because the Shastra Vidya utilizes movents of the elbow, and whole body, specially when youre using a Dhhal (circle shield). We also used mostly Sarbloh (Cosmic Metal) Wootz Steel sometimes called Damascus Steel in our weapons, which is very flexible and incredibly durable because of its flexibility. The procedure of smelting it is like a fine art. Big fan of the channel, hope you and your family are well and safe Sir S.G. Your scholarship in the field of ancient and mediaeval arms is second to none and you present such scholarship with grace and integrity. Lots of love and respect from India, Many regards, Deus Rex Invicti. Bawa Revant Singh.
As an Indian from the Caribbean I love seeing these videos and learning more about our martial history, none of which was preserved in my region. Your videos are always exciting and rich with information!
I have no clue which matt videos are old or new, been watching the chanel for years and love to listen to stuff sort of like a podcast when i am in my workshop fixing something and just let the algorythm play the next video xD
In your mention of India and their sword making, I saw a video recently of an old school gun shop in India. These guys make the entire gun, using no big fancy machines, just a forge and a few specialized drills for the barrel. Their skill was just amazing. Looked like hard work, but a gun from a shop like that would mean so much more to me than a Mossberg off the shelf.
Kashmir has an incredible history of cottage industry gun manufacturing at all levels of quality. Unfortunately due to the strife and competing claims on the region, the arms making shops have been heavily limited on how much they can produce and sell, and many that are generations old have straight up gone out of business.
@@Rob_Forddthat is the story across the country. Thank the British who wanted a disarmed population in the occupied lands so that the native population will not have the wherewithal to kick them out or even rise up, and the post colonial government which has followed the same policy because of the perils that firearms in the hands of hotheads (which we have by the millions) will cause. We would have at least 10x more gun violence than USA if we had a similar, liberal firearms policy. And the Kashmir valley is the best example of that.
@@rajath275saw a video from Bihar of this year's holi festival. People with guns started tussling around while holding rifles nd started shooting them while a woman nd a kid was literally running around. The video was being filmed by couple of guys above on the terrace and literally few minutes later a dude above who was right next to the camera guy caught a stray bullet. I don't think he survived. A dozen drunk men right next to each other literally grabbing each other's loaded weapons go unharmed but the dude on the sidelines gets shot. This is why I support keeping firearms out of people's hands. You don't want that sht in India!
@@Rob_ForddGoogle 'Gadia Lohaar' There are many communities. And Kashmir is not contested territory. Just the last Indian territory suffering British meddling.
Looking at that sword, for some reason, gives me "bodyguard weapon" vibes. It's clearly impressive, even a layman could spot it as something out of the ordinary, so it's got that prestige/intimidation factor. It's not the best craftsmanship but nor is it plain, but most importantly it would be devastating in a close press, like a crowded market or street or riot, or indoors, against people whose main protection would be at best thick clothing. You wouldn't want to hang around to get hit by that thing and you probably wouldn't come back for seconds if you did. This is all conjecture of course but it's impressive and practical, and really makes me think it could be for some elite personal bodyguard.
Crazy! The more I learn about the history of India and that region the more I am intrigued, I must admit I was never that interested, but lately is a different story.
Oh yeah indian history is a bit shadowed by Japanese katanas and Chinese dragons. Although, both had strong relations with India, Kung Fu is said to be inspired by a martial art that an indian called Bodhidharma brought into China, note I'm not saying china or Japan did not have indigenous martial arts. Another interesting fact, some Japanese gods are indian gods that made their way to the island. And that's other than Buddhism and Buddha. Try looking up odd compass
Awww man! And here I thought you were going to bust out an "Urumi". I saw one at a festival in India years back ... had four eight-foot blades on it. Just as dangerous (if not more) to the wielder as it is to the opponent.
It's a crowd control weapon used as a last resort, not for use in formation. Worn as a "waist-band", when you are surrounded, you whip it out and keep slashing around. Have heard anecdotal stories of it being used by my father's friend. Was able to keep away almost a dozen men.
Iv been to a museum in a fort in Rajastan and they had 100s of weird Indian swords most of them look Alien, made in another world .They had some imagination back then and a lot of fear factor in them a European soldier would probably never encounter anything like it back in the day
On side note there is a very old special iron column in Delhi that does not have any rust its a mystery how its so pure seeing as it was made only 300 years after Rome invaded Brittan .India had an ancient tradition of making good steel they invented Wootz steel made in crucibles the secrets of which have been lost to time those were the swords the Europeans wanted ..Thanks Scholar for loving Indian weapons and stopping the myth that Japanese and European swords were the best
Don't know anything about swords and don't particularly care, I just stumbled upon this. But it's always amazing to see people who are so deeply passionate, multi-culturally curious, and excited about the things they care for. Would listen to this for hours, and will have a lot more context during museum visits now.
The rapier blade attached to the Indian basket sword would seem like it would be interesting and the long stock on the bottom would also enable somebody to use the rapier two handed which could have possibly been quite interesting to see be done.
That Tehga is physiologically daunting. If I came around a corner and some ogre sized guy was coming at me with that - Runaway! It reminds of something out of an anime or fantasy video game yet, it's a real and practical weapon. I like it!
I'd love to see your process for cleaning that sword up. I collect 19th century bayonets, and they are often in a condition very similar to that tegha. Cheers, Matt!
There is one practice by Indian wrestlers with their Hanuman gadhaa exercise. Those wrestlers and heavy muscular men practiced those Gadha/Mace for the same blows as well as used these swords just like they do practice their mace swinging around their whole body. So when you have that heavy mace practice of swinging, than these swords moves becomes so quick, easy like cutting butter.. Its in South Indian style called Speed cuts ..Teejjhaaa.. Fast... So its extremely super fast for wrestlers who are so used to that mace practice to use these swords swiftly and extremely impactful attack.Thats why the knuckle guard for quick/teejhaa movement/strikes. Basically its a Wrestlers sword". You can check this foreigners/Dutch doing with spiky Indian mace exercise.. ua-cam.com/users/shortsowNApB5M4Mo?feature=share
The Large Dao's that are used in Baguazhang have their own specific way of being used similar to the fat "Tegha" shown here. Since in Baguazhang there's a heavy emphasis on footwork and turning, the blade is uses in such a way that it gets most of it's cutting power from the turning of the body rather than swinging it with the arms. FWIW. Cheers! S
Guru Hargobind popularised or came up with the term Deg Teg Fateh, it’s believed his Talwar was like this that’s why we call it Tegha, he wore two swords and on each side of him. Many Nihangs still carry two, one Tegha and a Talwar but you’re right the terms are interchangeable.
Haha, I really had to laugh out loud when you took the sword out! That's such a cool sword, never saw anything like it. The obscure weapons playlist is getting along nicely, can't wait to see what you come up with in the future.
We indians have the most fascinating types of swords 1) Khanda (used by Sikhs and Rajputs) 2) Tegha (used by sikhs) 3) Dhop (used by the marathas) 4)Dand Patta/ Pata (used by the marathas) 5)Urumi (used by kalaripayattu martial artists)
The Indian subcontinent has been unified periodically and in pieces in interspaced times throughout its history (not only in modern times) ... fighting as an art has always been practised.
interesting when a historical sword is unusual enough to make you instantly think of a fantasy weapon. my first thought is that the proportions are really reminiscent of the "starscourge greatsword" from Elden Ring, though obviously scaled down to human size
The basket-hilt sword with the British Sabre blade is called a “Firangi” sword which means “foreigner” (if I’m not mistaken). British officers were getting their British swords refitted with a Khanda-style hilt while they were stationed there.
Maharana Pratap (a king of Mewar in India) used this sword for fighting and once in battle he SLASED a commander into two piece and also OPENED his horse's HEAD in that same SWING.
something that ive noticed is that the tension of pressure from the guard locking your hand in helps with the hammer grip and having structure in your wrist. having my thumb pointing up on the side of the blade helps in a similar way and ive noticed that on my takouba hilt this happens and i like the way some tulwar nubs fit into that spot on my wrist as well
Again, I find myself wholeheartedly agreeing with you. When I began studying weaponry more than 40 years ago, I found again and again that in every weapons reference book, the very coolest and most intimidating-looking weapons almost always seemed to originate in India! whether it was the Tabar axe (or Tabar Axe-Mace!) or the wickedly spiked Gurz mace, or the almost mythical looking true Tegha broadsword, these weapons became a personal goal of mine to one day see in person, to handle and study, and ultimately own in my own collection. I wanted to recommend a sword manufacturer who produces true- to- original Indian Teghas, authentic in every way to what you were proudly displaying in this wonderful video. From the quality of materials to the temper of the steel, to the correct feel of the contour of the grip and the support of the disc pommel and the traditional lac-resin hilt construction, to the exquisite balance that makes a big, awkward looking broadsword feel like a well-balanced fly-fishing rod, this manufacturer got everything just right! The company is Shree Amritsar and I own a Shree Amritsar Tegha broadsword that is almost identical to the sword in your video, and it is an absolute pleasure and joy to hold and wield! What's more, being a reproduction, one doesn't feel constrained to risk damage to a nearly irreplaceable antique and can put the weapon through its paces with cutting tests and so forth. And let me tell you, this weapon is a real eye-opener in any test! I won't spoil the surprise for you beyond saying that this blade design is also very functional and very practical. not just intimidating-looking. Its bite is even worse than its bark so to speak! But I will let you discover that the best way to do it- with your own Tegha and your own tests. Thanks again for the entertaining and informative video. Again, that's Shree Amritsar Swords out of the Punjab, India. They make several Tegha's, including, at least until very recently, one that it almost exactly identical to your Tegha in this video.
Matt can you show us the restoration process with this blade. I really want to see what goes into it and would love to see the transformation first hand!
There are countless UA-cam Videos, or Arms and Armor Forums that decry all kinds of fantasy movie swords and armor as unrealistic and impractical, *_and then there's India._* 8:50
I can tell you have a lot of background knowledge which only comes with a lot of experience. This is the second video I've watched ..the first one was on the "talwar"...subbed.
Pre-colonial India, ancient India, Indian civilization, it wasn't one culture or society, it's not even a condensed version of europe, it's over a hundred cultures, languages, religions and distinct cults / denominations of, it's pretty much the most diversified-yet-still-collective identity in human history. There's common (enough) recurring themes that are not exclusive to any one group, but no other region on earth hosted the same disregard for hegemony under one roof. And seemingly every one of these disparate groups came up with their own weapons. That is why the catalog of Indian specific weapons is nearly the same size as the european, middle eastern, and chinese catalog Combined. Their ingenuity was that unbridled. They made things hundreds of years, a thousand years, before anyone else even dreamed it and forgot about it, let alone imagined it.
This particular kind of tega was supposed to be used to take out horses and during shock and awe attacks. Also you are absolutely right.. TALWAR just means SWORD... We call it a tega talwar. Likewise there is the sirohi talwar, khanda talwar, hengdang talwar, firangi talwar, dhop talwar, patta talwar, etc
I absolutely love that basket hilt saber you were showing. That blade must be around 36-38 inches. Any idea why they have that ‘extension stalk’ added on to them?
That's just looks like something came out of Prince of Persia. And about the Indians using the European blades, I think it might have started in the periods of Vijayanagar empire which is the time when Portuguese landed on India, and Vijayanagar empire had legit reason to use the blades of Europeans because at that time Deccan was not penetrated by any Islamic kingdoms (they did couple of raids but captured much of land), so Vijayanagar kings might have sleeked the help of Europeans to deal with the Turkish army and that might gave opportunity to Europeans to sell their blades to Indians.
Saif and pataa are also very deadly swords , they are 6 feet long swords , these swords only can be used who is over 7 feet tall. These swords are to powerful that it can slice both a person sitting on a horse and the horse too together into two parts. In the gorilla war these swords can slice 10 - 10 person's at a single time, the velocity generated by these swords are very high because of there length.
7:00 remember that europeans hates to keep foreign names, And that there is, even today, multiples langages in india, when europeans only knows "indhi"... Same in china : there is more than 10 langages in china, 5 are official/administrative langage, and we only know 1 of them... How is called a sword in china ? 10 answers... at least.
@7:29 in video, yes you said it right word Tulwar means "(Any ) sword " but it has sub divisions i.e. Sirohi Tulwars, Nangni Tulwars, Teg or Tega talwar, Kirach Tulwars, etc. & in Khanda & Patta category sassoon patta, Dand patta, Firang (firang counts in both patta & tulwar), Nair patta, Urumi patta etc..
Video Request: British Army 1856 Pioneer Sword From a historical and practical perspective, I think it would be interesting to explore the design, development and usage of the saw backed swords issued to pioneer units in different armies (for example, the 1856 British version). Your recent video in UK knife law sparked my interest, but I have my doubts about the practicality of the saw back blades on a sword with a stirrup guard. Thinking about it further, the blade is too thick for a saw, and the teeth need to be flared to allow the saw to cut deeply. I think this time period was one where people favored specialist tools, so in my mind, this tool stands out as an exception.
it's important to note that while India wasn't unified when the British showed up, it had been more or less unified at various points in history, most notably the mauryan dynasty.
@@anonymouslyopinionated656 patent imperialist bullshit, look up a map of the mauryan dynasty, it was pretty much all of India. the cultural divisions that exist today are relatively recent, in the grand scheme of indian history, and were exacerbated by the British.
@@walterhard9768 I don't think the mughals ever controlled the entire subcontinent, they held power mainly in what is now Pakistan and the Punjab if I recall. also while India wasn't unified politically at most points, it's important to recognize that they did have at least some sense of unified identity going back as far as the vedic period. notably the subcontinent as a whole was always referred to as bharat, as opposed to the various kingdoms and republics that existed within said subcontinent throughout time. it's important to remember that india as a concept existed before the British arrived just as much as its important to recognize that India wasn't and is culturally homogeneous.
The term used is Bharata Varsha, Varsha meaning continent. So continent of Bharata. Also called Jambu Dweepa. There were of course further subdivisions. Arya Varta - Land of the Aryans - Mostly flat plain land, Between the Himalayas and Vindhyas, with the Indus and Brahmaputra basins forming the western and eastern borders. From Kashmir/Gilgit-Baltistan to northern Maharashtra and from Sindh to Assam. Dakshina patha - Deccan plateau. Most of Maharashtra, Karnataka and Telengana, with parts of Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Kerala. Andhra - Telugu speaking coastal area. Dravida - Tamil lands. Modern day Tamil Nadu and Kerala. Sri Lanka, Maldives and Nepal was also part of this continent. Some areas outside these were also considered part of India at some points in history, Like parts of modern Afghanistan like the kingdoms of Kabul and Zabul as well as much of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Swat valley, when these were primarily inhabited by Dards and not Pashtuns. There was also the Tarim basin in modern day southern Xinjiang, inhabited by Indo-Scythian Buddhists then. There's also the Garuda valley in Tibet, inhabited by a group of Indo-Aryans, as well as Indonesia, which was also considered to be part of India.
We get lot of information from your videos. Being Indian I feel proud of our history, culture, Veda's and all things which has helped update everyone's knowledge. The Tegha sword shown in this video seems to be used largely in parts of Punjab in historic times ! Their is one more weapon called wagh nakh ie tiger nails which was used by the Great Maratha King Chattrapati Shivaji Maharaj to kill Afzhal khan !!! I bet ull be stunned to know this historic event !!! It would be a great to see your video for same ! 👍🙏
7:28 違うぞ••• Being that I am fluent in Japanese, I would say, "No". "Katana" (刀) is not the generic word for "Sword", but specifically, "Japanese blades". The actual "generic term for sword" is "Tsurugi" (剣). Rather, the Kunyomi (phonetic Japanese) for it is "tsurugi", but the Onyomi (Cantonese Reading based on Japanese phonetics) is "Ken". Such as 剣術 (Kenjutsu or "Sword skill/technique" to mean "Sword Fencing". So, Tsurugi is the generic term, and not Katana. All katana are tsurugi, but not all tsurugi are katana.
In punjab, I have seen these swords be referred to as "khag/khug" (like hug). I find that in teghas, the blade will swell up and become wider in the upper half while being slimmer in the lower half.
Giving me those "what if falchion but for draw cuts" vibes, especially thinking about the very broad bladed, broad-tipped, fine edged falchions you see. I can imagine this being a formidable slicer.
Seems like the mass behind the cutting edge would lend itself to a close quarter, momentum fighting style, almost like a 2 handed great sword, but quicker on the cut, and less adept at two handed applications.
Would you want to make a video of the cleanup and restoration? You don't need to film the entire process, but maybe we could just see a little bit? That would be cool.
I am guessing it’s a bodyguard’s sword. It’s big, it’s intimidating, if used correctly and probably with a team of similarly armed men, it would good for guarding a VIP or commander on the battlefield? It reminds of your 2 handed great sword.
I have a machete with a very deep cross section, not like that sword, but 2 1/2" at the handle to 3 1/8 inches at the thickest near the end. That thing cuts like a beast. I've used machetes on the job for years and am familiar with several types most being 18" to 22" and with a 2 1/2" depth at the deepest. That extra steel really adds cutting power.
The craziest swords I have ever seen were in Hyderabad, India. These were shaped like the cartoonish wide bladed, hook tip scimitar, but they were serrated. If they couldn't slice you open, they could saw your head off.
Quick question for Matt and the community if you would grace me with a response! What, physics-wise, is the advantage/disadvantage/reason-to-have a "deep" blade? Meaning from it's spine in the back, toward the edge. As with the Tegha Matt is showing us here. Because I've always been told and believed intuitively that something like a smallsword is not a great cutter with its very shallow blade depth, versus for comparison a migration-era sword which had a comparatively "deep" blade (though some with deep fullers maybe don't help with that). My mind tells me that depth is beneficial to the physics of cutting, but I can't really justify why. My initial hypothesis is that a "deeper" blade is going to be stiffer, and thus as you cut, has more resistance to being turned once going through the target medium. I also imagine the mass helps, thus the reason a butcher's cleaver is not only "deep" but also heavy and shallowly tapered. I finally assume that the depth helps because it in a way determines the maximum amount of cleaving action you can achieve from "spine" (or false edge) to blade tip, once inside a medium. Thoughts? Thank you in advance! ⚔
There’s a two handed sword from India that’s very interesting. the person holds a portion of the blade with their off hand with a buckler and the dominant hand the normal position. Looks like something from a fantasy world. They also have their version of a Gladius.
Love wide blades, especially thinner ones. My Imacasa 14" Burriquito has become my favorite machete by far; very easy to sharpen, nearly indestructible, and still costs less than $20. This comment was not sponsored by Imacasa but I wish it was.
That Straight Maratha sword family is called "Firangi". "Firangi" mean "White Men" or "White people". That specific maratha sword which you presented is called "धोप=Dhop" in Marathi language. Maratha's and others started to use them because they are good for Percing Armour.
I believe “Firang” was originally the Arabic word for “Frank”, i.e. the French whom the Arabs fought in Europe. Later on, that word ended up signifying any white European.
I've seen pictures somewhere online of a sword maker handing a sword to an elephant and to me it would have been icing on the cake if you would have said not just a lot of steroids elephant amount😂
I have what we now call two teghas. One is just proud of five pounds with a knuckle bow. The other has a "tulwar" hilt and is just shy of seven. If you don't have good body mechanics manipulating one can very quickly turn into "Hello and Goodbye Mister Rotator Cuff".
Dayum, that would be extremely interesting to do test cutting with. But of course using antiques is always a bit questionable, especially something rare.
i was just thinking i need to get in contact with a bladesmith....
Plenty of bladesmiths in India, mainly in Punjab, still make these blades.
@@Khadgadhara that's what i was hoping for
Was not expecting Skall here
Won't it be interesting if someone were to make a reproduction and torture test it?
Make a replica
To clarify, Talwar is a nomenclature used specifially for downward slicing sabres (Tal= Beneath, War= Attack), other classifications include Khanda (that which dissects and divides) which is an Ancient Kshatriya Straight Blade and was used as a Broadsword, Tegha (that which demonstrates Might) which a more curved broad sabre.
The Disc pommel on a Talwar also called Suraj Nishan (Solar Symbol) doubles as an extra hand guard and as a stabilizer for each strike, forcing your wrist back in a locked position, because the Shastra Vidya utilizes movents of the elbow, and whole body, specially when youre using a Dhhal (circle shield).
We also used mostly Sarbloh (Cosmic Metal) Wootz Steel sometimes called Damascus Steel in our weapons, which is very flexible and incredibly durable because of its flexibility.
The procedure of smelting it is like a fine art.
Big fan of the channel, hope you and your family are well and safe Sir S.G.
Your scholarship in the field of ancient and mediaeval arms is second to none and you present such scholarship with grace and integrity.
Lots of love and respect from India,
Many regards,
Deus Rex Invicti.
Bawa Revant Singh.
KAAVEEER--. GOD. + ALMIGHTY 🙏🙏🙏
The etymology of Talwar is incorrect. It comes from Sanskrit 'Tarvaari'.
@@kanhaibhatt913 and what does Tarvari mean Sir?
@@revantbhalla2457 one edged sword according to wikipedia
@@fscker what is the etymology?
"and how wide did you say you wanted this sword sir?"
"yes."
As an Indian from the Caribbean I love seeing these videos and learning more about our martial history, none of which was preserved in my region. Your videos are always exciting and rich with information!
Hi,my fellow Indian!
I've been watching old Scholagladiatoria videos non-stop for the last few days. What a great back catalog you've got Matt.
Quite a meaty backlog indeed, it can take some time to work in the girth of knowledge
I have no clue which matt videos are old or new, been watching the chanel for years and love to listen to stuff sort of like a podcast when i am in my workshop fixing something and just let the algorythm play the next video xD
@@sgtrosmarin5464 old, young, what matters are the puns
In your mention of India and their sword making, I saw a video recently of an old school gun shop in India. These guys make the entire gun, using no big fancy machines, just a forge and a few specialized drills for the barrel. Their skill was just amazing. Looked like hard work, but a gun from a shop like that would mean so much more to me than a Mossberg off the shelf.
Kashmir has an incredible history of cottage industry gun manufacturing at all levels of quality. Unfortunately due to the strife and competing claims on the region, the arms making shops have been heavily limited on how much they can produce and sell, and many that are generations old have straight up gone out of business.
@@Rob_Forddthat is the story across the country. Thank the British who wanted a disarmed population in the occupied lands so that the native population will not have the wherewithal to kick them out or even rise up, and the post colonial government which has followed the same policy because of the perils that firearms in the hands of hotheads (which we have by the millions) will cause. We would have at least 10x more gun violence than USA if we had a similar, liberal firearms policy. And the Kashmir valley is the best example of that.
Aight bro gib link!
@@rajath275saw a video from Bihar of this year's holi festival.
People with guns started tussling around while holding rifles nd started shooting them while a woman nd a kid was literally running around.
The video was being filmed by couple of guys above on the terrace and literally few minutes later a dude above who was right next to the camera guy caught a stray bullet. I don't think he survived.
A dozen drunk men right next to each other literally grabbing each other's loaded weapons go unharmed but the dude on the sidelines gets shot.
This is why I support keeping firearms out of people's hands.
You don't want that sht in India!
@@Rob_ForddGoogle 'Gadia Lohaar' There are many communities.
And Kashmir is not contested territory. Just the last Indian territory suffering British meddling.
That's not a sword. THAT'S a sword!
Noice
A short one 😂😂 ill take my estoc
I can imagine an Indian Crocodile Dundee saying; "That's not a Tulwar. THIS is a Tulwar!"
I think it's actually a TulWAAAAAGH!
TulGha
I was thinking the same
Tulghator!🐊
"Oh my friend, you are mistaken. This is not a tulwar. But you will see that THIS is a tulwar!"
Looking at that sword, for some reason, gives me "bodyguard weapon" vibes. It's clearly impressive, even a layman could spot it as something out of the ordinary, so it's got that prestige/intimidation factor. It's not the best craftsmanship but nor is it plain, but most importantly it would be devastating in a close press, like a crowded market or street or riot, or indoors, against people whose main protection would be at best thick clothing. You wouldn't want to hang around to get hit by that thing and you probably wouldn't come back for seconds if you did.
This is all conjecture of course but it's impressive and practical, and really makes me think it could be for some elite personal bodyguard.
It’s also giving me some cinquedea vibes
Crazy!
The more I learn about the history of India and that region the more I am intrigued, I must admit I was never that interested, but lately is a different story.
Oh yeah indian history is a bit shadowed by Japanese katanas and Chinese dragons. Although, both had strong relations with India, Kung Fu is said to be inspired by a martial art that an indian called Bodhidharma brought into China, note I'm not saying china or Japan did not have indigenous martial arts. Another interesting fact, some Japanese gods are indian gods that made their way to the island. And that's other than Buddhism and Buddha.
Try looking up odd compass
We had warring periods,followed by unified empire,warring periods,unified,warring,unified 😂😂 we had more than 500 kingdoms within "modern India".
@@thisnthat7760 Yeah, I meant that area has quite interesting history and played a big part in the world that's not recognised.
@@JustIn-mu3nl Indeed it is.
Awww man! And here I thought you were going to bust out an "Urumi". I saw one at a festival in India years back ... had four eight-foot blades on it. Just as dangerous (if not more) to the wielder as it is to the opponent.
That goes along with Shad's post about whether there were spring steel weaps in ancient times. And how!
@@texasbeast239Spring tempering was a method of heat treatment in Han dynasty swords before they moved to differential hardening.
It's a crowd control weapon used as a last resort, not for use in formation. Worn as a "waist-band", when you are surrounded, you whip it out and keep slashing around. Have heard anecdotal stories of it being used by my father's friend. Was able to keep away almost a dozen men.
Iv been to a museum in a fort in Rajastan and they had 100s of weird Indian swords most of them look Alien, made in another world .They had some imagination back then and a lot of fear factor in them a European soldier would probably never encounter anything like it back in the day
Not fear factor a perfect aspect factor
On side note there is a very old special iron column in Delhi that does not have any rust its a mystery how its so pure seeing as it was made only 300 years after Rome invaded Brittan .India had an ancient tradition of making good steel they invented Wootz steel made in crucibles the secrets of which have been lost to time those were the swords the Europeans wanted ..Thanks Scholar for loving Indian weapons and stopping the myth that Japanese and European swords were the best
@@braddbradd5671 🙏🙏🙏
Don't know anything about swords and don't particularly care, I just stumbled upon this. But it's always amazing to see people who are so deeply passionate, multi-culturally curious, and excited about the things they care for.
Would listen to this for hours, and will have a lot more context during museum visits now.
Oh snap, General Radahn!
A sword like this would look sick with the gravity magic rune(s) engraved on it
Indiascourge Radahn
Hi folks, General Radahn, Schola Caelidtoria here!
*Matt proceeds to reenter the atmosphere as a meteorite*
"Hello there!"
First time I see one, thanks for the video Matt, I'm so glad that the years pass and this channel keeps bringing up this much content.
The rapier blade attached to the Indian basket sword would seem like it would be interesting and the long stock on the bottom would also enable somebody to use the rapier two handed which could have possibly been quite interesting to see be done.
I like that you have a wide variety of tastes when it comes to periods, weapons, etc. I've learned a good deal from just watching your channel.
Swords like these were sometimes given as badges of office within Indo-Islamic governments.
...please, show us the restoration. The whole process. PLEASE.
And after that: test cutting!!! 😛👏🎉
Beyond the knuckle guard, why would a executioner sword have a false edge?
Ceremonial purposes!
Virgin guillotine user vs Chad krumphaw executioner
For when he has execute a popular rogue and might have to fight for his life afterwards.
That Tehga is physiologically daunting. If I came around a corner and some ogre sized guy was coming at me with that - Runaway!
It reminds of something out of an anime or fantasy video game yet, it's a real and practical weapon.
I like it!
Pull an Indiana Jones and shoot him.
Except, this thing was actually used regularly in medieval Indian warfare, how cool is that
Rajputs have more big Tegas 😂 you should see them , they are visible threat,
@@Govind_rana500 Tegha Is A Rajput Sword ! 😒
I won't say "If you can imagine a weapon someone in India has made it" because some of the stuff I would never have imagined in a hundred years.
This are just the surface 😂😂
Remember first learning about the Urumi. That's what initially started me down the wonderful rabbit hole of Indian weapons.
I'd love to see your process for cleaning that sword up. I collect 19th century bayonets, and they are often in a condition very similar to that tegha. Cheers, Matt!
There is a video of that on the channel
@@barrysingh2872 Almost. The cleaning vids Matt posted a couple years ago were of swords that were in a little bit better condition.
Nothing quite like Indian swords. Always something new and fascinating to appreciate :D
There is one practice by Indian wrestlers with their Hanuman gadhaa exercise. Those wrestlers and heavy muscular men practiced those Gadha/Mace for the same blows as well as used these swords just like they do practice their mace swinging around their whole body. So when you have that heavy mace practice of swinging, than these swords moves becomes so quick, easy like cutting butter.. Its in South Indian style called Speed cuts ..Teejjhaaa.. Fast... So its extremely super fast for wrestlers who are so used to that mace practice to use these swords swiftly and extremely impactful attack.Thats why the knuckle guard for quick/teejhaa movement/strikes.
Basically its a Wrestlers sword".
You can check this foreigners/Dutch doing with spiky Indian mace exercise..
ua-cam.com/users/shortsowNApB5M4Mo?feature=share
The Large Dao's that are used in Baguazhang have their own specific way of being used similar to the fat "Tegha" shown here. Since in Baguazhang there's a heavy emphasis on footwork and turning, the blade is uses in such a way that it gets most of it's cutting power from the turning of the body rather than swinging it with the arms. FWIW. Cheers! S
Yeah, the Bagua Dai Dao, I think.
In Maharashtra there is a Sword kept in a temple and its very very old, it weighs around 40kg you must have a look 👍
Yes I've seen that sword.. 42kg sword of Khandoba (Jejuri) .. It was used for sacrifice perposes..
Guru Hargobind popularised or came up with the term Deg Teg Fateh, it’s believed his Talwar was like this that’s why we call it Tegha, he wore two swords and on each side of him. Many Nihangs still carry two, one Tegha and a Talwar but you’re right the terms are interchangeable.
Haha, I really had to laugh out loud when you took the sword out! That's such a cool sword, never saw anything like it.
The obscure weapons playlist is getting along nicely, can't wait to see what you come up with in the future.
"Hassssannnn CHOP". Anyone old enough to remember Bugs Bunny will get the reference. 😁
"Call me a cab boy, and be quick about it...I'm a heavy tipper".
We indians have the most fascinating types of swords
1) Khanda (used by Sikhs and Rajputs)
2) Tegha (used by sikhs)
3) Dhop (used by the marathas)
4)Dand Patta/ Pata (used by the marathas)
5)Urumi (used by kalaripayattu martial artists)
It is interesting that I noticed a subtype of sabres from the 1550s Kingdom of Hungary with a false edge as broad ad this piece. Absolute beasts also.
"He's got a sword!"
"You idiots! We ALL got swords!"
I hope we get to see some of the restoration work.
Holy moly! What a crazy weapon. It reminds me of Radahn's great-sword from Elden Ring!
The Indian subcontinent has been unified periodically and in pieces in interspaced times throughout its history (not only in modern times) ... fighting as an art has always been practised.
interesting when a historical sword is unusual enough to make you instantly think of a fantasy weapon. my first thought is that the proportions are really reminiscent of the "starscourge greatsword" from Elden Ring, though obviously scaled down to human size
06:50
These scary horrific monster swords were used by Ashuras in Hindu Epics.
The basket-hilt sword with the British Sabre blade is called a “Firangi” sword which means “foreigner” (if I’m not mistaken). British officers were getting their British swords refitted with a Khanda-style hilt while they were stationed there.
Holy smoke this looks like something Popeye's nemesis Brutus would use 🙂
Maharana Pratap (a king of Mewar in India) used this sword for fighting and once in battle he SLASED a commander into two piece and also OPENED his horse's HEAD in that same SWING.
That's still gives me chills
That was a different Sword!!
something that ive noticed is that the tension of pressure from the guard locking your hand in helps with the hammer grip and having structure in your wrist. having my thumb pointing up on the side of the blade helps in a similar way and ive noticed that on my takouba hilt this happens and i like the way some tulwar nubs fit into that spot on my wrist as well
Again, I find myself wholeheartedly agreeing with you. When I began studying weaponry more than 40 years ago, I found again and again that in every weapons reference book, the very coolest and most intimidating-looking weapons almost always seemed to originate in India! whether it was the Tabar axe (or Tabar Axe-Mace!) or the wickedly spiked Gurz mace, or the almost mythical looking true Tegha broadsword, these weapons became a personal goal of mine to one day see in person, to handle and study, and ultimately own in my own collection. I wanted to recommend a sword manufacturer who produces true- to- original Indian Teghas, authentic in every way to what you were proudly displaying in this wonderful video. From the quality of materials to the temper of the steel, to the correct feel of the contour of the grip and the support of the disc pommel and the traditional lac-resin hilt construction, to the exquisite balance that makes a big, awkward looking broadsword feel like a well-balanced fly-fishing rod, this manufacturer got everything just right! The company is Shree Amritsar and I own a Shree Amritsar Tegha broadsword that is almost identical to the sword in your video, and it is an absolute pleasure and joy to hold and wield! What's more, being a reproduction, one doesn't feel constrained to risk damage to a nearly irreplaceable antique and can put the weapon through its paces with cutting tests and so forth. And let me tell you, this weapon is a real eye-opener in any test! I won't spoil the surprise for you beyond saying that this blade design is also very functional and very practical. not just intimidating-looking. Its bite is even worse than its bark so to speak! But I will let you discover that the best way to do it- with your own Tegha and your own tests. Thanks again for the entertaining and informative video. Again, that's Shree Amritsar Swords out of the Punjab, India. They make several Tegha's, including, at least until very recently, one that it almost exactly identical to your Tegha in this video.
Now that you mention executioner swords, I'd love to see a discussion of European executioner swords.
Saw the video title. Fully expected an Urumi. I got baited
The proportions are like a real world version of Radahn’s weapons from Elden Ring XD
Please make a video on Urumi, most difficult Indian sword to master.
They called the 9th guru of Sikhism, Tegh Bahadur, which means "Sword Warrior," because of his proficiency on the battlefield.
And his father popularised the term Deg Teg Fateh
Sir the sword is just an extension of the real weapon, which was the Indian marshal arts(Body)...
Matt can you show us the restoration process with this blade. I really want to see what goes into it and would love to see the transformation first hand!
It's called the tulpeace because all you need is one swing to end the war
There are countless UA-cam Videos, or Arms and Armor Forums that decry all kinds of fantasy movie swords and armor as unrealistic and impractical, *_and then there's India._* 8:50
God damn that sword looks like a Fantasy Scimitar, looks like the Scimitars in Skyrim.
Tegha: “I’m on the Brute Squad.”
Billy Krystal: “You ARE the Brute Squad!”
I can tell you have a lot of background knowledge which only comes with a lot of experience. This is the second video I've watched ..the first one was on the "talwar"...subbed.
Pre-colonial India, ancient India, Indian civilization, it wasn't one culture or society, it's not even a condensed version of europe, it's over a hundred cultures, languages, religions and distinct cults / denominations of, it's pretty much the most diversified-yet-still-collective identity in human history.
There's common (enough) recurring themes that are not exclusive to any one group, but no other region on earth hosted the same disregard for hegemony under one roof.
And seemingly every one of these disparate groups came up with their own weapons.
That is why the catalog of Indian specific weapons is nearly the same size as the european, middle eastern, and chinese catalog Combined. Their ingenuity was that unbridled.
They made things hundreds of years, a thousand years, before anyone else even dreamed it and forgot about it, let alone imagined it.
This particular kind of tega was supposed to be used to take out horses and during shock and awe attacks.
Also you are absolutely right.. TALWAR just means SWORD...
We call it a tega talwar. Likewise there is the sirohi talwar, khanda talwar, hengdang talwar, firangi talwar, dhop talwar, patta talwar, etc
I absolutely love that basket hilt saber you were showing. That blade must be around 36-38 inches. Any idea why they have that ‘extension stalk’ added on to them?
Not an expert but maybe for optional two handed techniques, Or one nasty pommel strike.
I believe that he has a couple videos on that
Primarily to grip them two handed occasionally.
@@scholagladiatoriaplease do trsning methodologies for talear and sabers
That's just looks like something came out of Prince of Persia.
And about the Indians using the European blades, I think it might have started in the periods of Vijayanagar empire which is the time when Portuguese landed on India, and Vijayanagar empire had legit reason to use the blades of Europeans because at that time Deccan was not penetrated by any Islamic kingdoms (they did couple of raids but captured much of land), so Vijayanagar kings might have sleeked the help of Europeans to deal with the Turkish army and that might gave opportunity to Europeans to sell their blades to Indians.
Saif and pataa are also very deadly swords , they are 6 feet long swords , these swords only can be used who is over 7 feet tall.
These swords are to powerful that it can slice both a person sitting on a horse and the horse too together into two parts.
In the gorilla war these swords can slice 10 - 10 person's at a single time, the velocity generated by these swords are very high because of there length.
that is DEFINITELY the real world inspiration for starscourge Radahn's greatswords that thing is amazing!!!
7:00 remember that europeans hates to keep foreign names,
And that there is, even today, multiples langages in india, when europeans only knows "indhi"...
Same in china : there is more than 10 langages in china, 5 are official/administrative langage, and we only know 1 of them...
How is called a sword in china ? 10 answers... at least.
What a weird spiky armor that guy with a tegha had...guy took notes from sarevok x)
@7:29 in video, yes you said it right word Tulwar means "(Any ) sword " but it has sub divisions i.e. Sirohi Tulwars, Nangni Tulwars, Teg or Tega talwar, Kirach Tulwars, etc. & in Khanda & Patta category sassoon patta, Dand patta, Firang (firang counts in both patta & tulwar), Nair patta, Urumi patta etc..
intimidation plays no small part of warfare and I expect anyone pulling one of these out in anger will give most people pause.
Pause for a change of underwear
That's an Ork Choppa
Matt as soon as I saw that broad blade immediately that's what came to my mind: an execution sword for to the fact that is very broad.
Tbh Talwar is pretty much a common name meaning just "sword"
Video Request: British Army 1856 Pioneer Sword
From a historical and practical perspective, I think it would be interesting to explore the design, development and usage of the saw backed swords issued to pioneer units in different armies (for example, the 1856 British version). Your recent video in UK knife law sparked my interest, but I have my doubts about the practicality of the saw back blades on a sword with a stirrup guard. Thinking about it further, the blade is too thick for a saw, and the teeth need to be flared to allow the saw to cut deeply. I think this time period was one where people favored specialist tools, so in my mind, this tool stands out as an exception.
it's important to note that while India wasn't unified when the British showed up, it had been more or less unified at various points in history, most notably the mauryan dynasty.
never politically. still isn't, using the subcontinent as a whole
@@anonymouslyopinionated656 patent imperialist bullshit, look up a map of the mauryan dynasty, it was pretty much all of India. the cultural divisions that exist today are relatively recent, in the grand scheme of indian history, and were exacerbated by the British.
The Tughluks and Mughuls could also certainly be said to have unified India, but unity was not the usual historical condition.
@@walterhard9768 I don't think the mughals ever controlled the entire subcontinent, they held power mainly in what is now Pakistan and the Punjab if I recall. also while India wasn't unified politically at most points, it's important to recognize that they did have at least some sense of unified identity going back as far as the vedic period. notably the subcontinent as a whole was always referred to as bharat, as opposed to the various kingdoms and republics that existed within said subcontinent throughout time. it's important to remember that india as a concept existed before the British arrived just as much as its important to recognize that India wasn't and is culturally homogeneous.
The term used is Bharata Varsha, Varsha meaning continent. So continent of Bharata. Also called Jambu Dweepa. There were of course further subdivisions.
Arya Varta - Land of the Aryans - Mostly flat plain land, Between the Himalayas and Vindhyas, with the Indus and Brahmaputra basins forming the western and eastern borders. From Kashmir/Gilgit-Baltistan to northern Maharashtra and from Sindh to Assam.
Dakshina patha - Deccan plateau. Most of Maharashtra, Karnataka and Telengana, with parts of Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Kerala. Andhra - Telugu speaking coastal area. Dravida - Tamil lands. Modern day Tamil Nadu and Kerala.
Sri Lanka, Maldives and Nepal was also part of this continent.
Some areas outside these were also considered part of India at some points in history, Like parts of modern Afghanistan like the kingdoms of Kabul and Zabul as well as much of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Swat valley, when these were primarily inhabited by Dards and not Pashtuns.
There was also the Tarim basin in modern day southern Xinjiang, inhabited by Indo-Scythian Buddhists then. There's also the Garuda valley in Tibet, inhabited by a group of Indo-Aryans, as well as Indonesia, which was also considered to be part of India.
We get lot of information from your videos. Being Indian I feel proud of our history, culture, Veda's and all things which has helped update everyone's knowledge.
The Tegha sword shown in this video seems to be used largely in parts of Punjab in historic times !
Their is one more weapon called wagh nakh ie tiger nails which was used by the Great Maratha King Chattrapati Shivaji Maharaj to kill Afzhal khan !!!
I bet ull be stunned to know this historic event !!!
It would be a great to see your video for same ! 👍🙏
It looks like the Indian answer to the falchion. Broad to have a good slicing edge against soft targets.
7:28
違うぞ•••
Being that I am fluent in Japanese, I would say, "No". "Katana" (刀) is not the generic word for "Sword", but specifically, "Japanese blades". The actual "generic term for sword" is "Tsurugi" (剣). Rather, the Kunyomi (phonetic Japanese) for it is "tsurugi", but the Onyomi (Cantonese Reading based on Japanese phonetics) is "Ken". Such as 剣術 (Kenjutsu or "Sword skill/technique" to mean "Sword Fencing". So, Tsurugi is the generic term, and not Katana.
All katana are tsurugi, but not all tsurugi are katana.
Always enjoy your insights
In punjab, I have seen these swords be referred to as "khag/khug" (like hug). I find that in teghas, the blade will swell up and become wider in the upper half while being slimmer in the lower half.
The Indians understood long ago: it's not about the length, but the girth!
Giving me those "what if falchion but for draw cuts" vibes, especially thinking about the very broad bladed, broad-tipped, fine edged falchions you see. I can imagine this being a formidable slicer.
Seems like the mass behind the cutting edge would lend itself to a close quarter, momentum fighting style, almost like a 2 handed great sword, but quicker on the cut, and less adept at two handed applications.
Would you want to make a video of the cleanup and restoration? You don't need to film the entire process, but maybe we could just see a little bit? That would be cool.
I am guessing it’s a bodyguard’s sword. It’s big, it’s intimidating, if used correctly and probably with a team of similarly armed men, it would good for guarding a VIP or commander on the battlefield? It reminds of your 2 handed great sword.
That wide, relatively thin blade is probably optimal to cut someone in tight quarters.
God what a fearsome chopper 😮
I would love to see that sword properly cleaned up.
I have a machete with a very deep cross section, not like that sword, but 2 1/2" at the handle to 3 1/8 inches at the thickest near the end. That thing cuts like a beast. I've used machetes on the job for years and am familiar with several types most being 18" to 22" and with a 2 1/2" depth at the deepest. That extra steel really adds cutting power.
The craziest swords I have ever seen were in Hyderabad, India. These were shaped like the cartoonish wide bladed, hook tip scimitar, but they were serrated. If they couldn't slice you open, they could saw your head off.
Quick question for Matt and the community if you would grace me with a response!
What, physics-wise, is the advantage/disadvantage/reason-to-have a "deep" blade? Meaning from it's spine in the back, toward the edge. As with the Tegha Matt is showing us here.
Because I've always been told and believed intuitively that something like a smallsword is not a great cutter with its very shallow blade depth, versus for comparison a migration-era sword which had a comparatively "deep" blade (though some with deep fullers maybe don't help with that). My mind tells me that depth is beneficial to the physics of cutting, but I can't really justify why.
My initial hypothesis is that a "deeper" blade is going to be stiffer, and thus as you cut, has more resistance to being turned once going through the target medium. I also imagine the mass helps, thus the reason a butcher's cleaver is not only "deep" but also heavy and shallowly tapered. I finally assume that the depth helps because it in a way determines the maximum amount of cleaving action you can achieve from "spine" (or false edge) to blade tip, once inside a medium.
Thoughts? Thank you in advance!
⚔
There’s a two handed sword from India that’s very interesting. the person holds a portion of the blade with their off hand with a buckler and the dominant hand the normal position. Looks like something from a fantasy world. They also have their version of a Gladius.
That is a cartoon sword, my good sir!
That thing seems vicious up close. I imagine it belonging to a big bloke to complement the image.
one of my favourite swords is the ramdao, especially the ornately decorated ones
one moment, need to go talk to my blade-smith...
If something is unknown, then it is clearly ceremonial:-)))
Love wide blades, especially thinner ones. My Imacasa 14" Burriquito has become my favorite machete by far; very easy to sharpen, nearly indestructible, and still costs less than $20. This comment was not sponsored by Imacasa but I wish it was.
OH MY GOD THAT’S HIDEOUS!!!
I’ll take 3
That Straight Maratha sword family is called "Firangi". "Firangi" mean "White Men" or "White people".
That specific maratha sword which you presented is called "धोप=Dhop" in Marathi language. Maratha's and others started to use them because they are good for Percing Armour.
I believe “Firang” was originally the Arabic word for “Frank”, i.e. the French whom the Arabs fought in Europe.
Later on, that word ended up signifying any white European.
I've seen pictures somewhere online of a sword maker handing a sword to an elephant and to me it would have been icing on the cake if you would have said not just a lot of steroids elephant amount😂
Cheers! As Skallagrim stated, It would be nice to see how a replica of the Tegha would cut.
Now that's a Wide Sword.
Is there any place you can take classes online about history of swords and medieval weapons? I love watching these and would love to study swords
I have what we now call two teghas. One is just proud of five pounds with a knuckle bow. The other has a "tulwar" hilt and is just shy of seven. If you don't have good body mechanics manipulating one can very quickly turn into "Hello and Goodbye Mister Rotator Cuff".