Historical Khanda and Talwar swords of India -brief note

.khanda sword of sultan allaudin_khaljireddit.co

The Khanda (Sword) of Sultan Allaudin Khalji of Delhi Sultanate -14th century CE.  The inscription on the sword reads: Sikada Shah Khalji Allauddin Sultan. This inscribed sword of Alauddin Khilji is believed to be  the earliest available historical sword in India. From  Sir Ratan Tata Collection.................

.https://www.reddit.com/r/islamichistory/comments/16srhmw/the_khanda_sword_of_sultan_allaudin_khalji_the/#lightbox

Khanda Sword with Scabbard – Credits: Victoria and Albert Museum

The traditional Khanda swords were huge, hefty, and had double-edged blades that broadened towards the point. Centuries ago in the ancient and medieval India, these swords were widely used in the wars.  Often known as  deep-slashing weapons the blades were specifically designed and  strengthened on a single edge. In the 17th century, they were widely employed by the armies for  defense purposes. Most of them had  basket hilt 

In Buddhism and Hinduism the Khanda sword is believed to be a tool of wisdom  described as a tool of wisdom to slice through the veil  of ignorance. No doubt the deities in Buddhism and Hinduism are seen  brandishing or clutching Khanda swords. The 18th century such deities were popular giving succor to the devotees by driving out negativity and  black magic by way of displaying Khanda swords.

https://swordis.com/blog/khanda-sword/

Talwar Sword: 

Indian talwar sword swordis.com/blog

The Famous Indian native sword Talwar  played no less role during wars than other weapons. It is a type of sabre, characterized by a curved blade (without the radical curve of some Persian swords), possessing an all-metal hilt with integral quillons and a disc-shaped pommel. This type of hilt is known as the 'Indo-Muslim hilt', or 'standard Indian hilt'. Talwars possessing only slightly curved blades can be called sirohi.

Talwar made of wootz steel upload.wikimedia.org

Above image: Indian Talwar  sword with pattern welded blade and silver koftgari decorated hilt, matching silver koftgari scabbard throat and chape, from user en:Archit Patel's personal collection.  The blade length is 32 inches. about 200 years old and battle tried............................

Easy to carry made of quality steel  role, they commonly used during the various Angelo-Mysore wars between the East India company and the powerful armies of Tipu sultan in the late 1700s .  The British East India Company military officers were surprised by the quality of such swords as they were made of special steel called wootz.  Characterized by a pattern of bands and high carbon content these bands are formed by sheets of microscopic carbides within a tempered martensite or pearlite matrix in higher-carbon steel, or by ferrite. Made of  a pioneering steel alloy developed in southern India in the mid-1st millennium BC and exported globally many of them were taken to England by the English company after the death of Tipu in 1799 and now are on display in the British museums. .

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wootz_steel