An Illustrated Handbook of Indian Arms: Being a Classified and Descriptive Catalogue of the Arms Exhibited at the India Museum: with an Introductory Sketch of the Military History of IndiaW.H. Allen, 1880 - 162 pages |
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
Arabs armour arms army artillery Aryan Assam attached bamboo barrel battle-axe Bengal bosses bows and arrows brass mounts broad Burmah Burmese carved cavalry Central India Collection coloured Coorg covered curved blade DAGGER damascened damascened in gold damascened with gold Damascus Damascus steel Deccan decorated Delhi Dhá Dhál Diam ebony elephants embossed embroidered enamel English engraved European floral gilt ground guns Guzerat Gwalior Haidarabad handle head helmet hilt horn horse Hyder Hyder Ali inches Indore infantry inlaid iron ivory hilt Jodhpur Kamr Katár Khonds knife Kris Kukri Lahore leather Mahomedan Mahrattas Malabar MATCHLOCK Mogul musqueteers Mysore native Nepal ornamented painted Persian Peshwa plates pommel Punjab quiver race Rajah Rajput richly SABRE scabbard Seringapatam shaft shape shield Sikhs silver mounts spear steel damascened straight blade sword tiger Tippoo Toradár tribes troops velvet sheath Vizianagram weapons wood wooden hilt worn
Popular passages
Page 29 - Two pearls have been dissolved, twenty-seven, gold mohurs have been lost, " and of the silver and copper the total cannot be cast up.
Page 96 - Malays seem to have come originally from Sumatra, and to have colonised Singapore, where the Buddhist religion was prevalent, at the end of the 12th or beginning of the 13th century. Malacca was founded at the end of the 14th century,1 at which time, if not earlier, the King became Mahomedan, and spread Mahomedanism among the Malays who, with some exceptions, had previously been worshippers of Brahma.
Page 122 - Sultan, lest any person should fire upon him while in bed, slept in a hammock, which was suspended from the roof by chains, in such a situation as to be invisible through the windows. In the hammock were found a sword and a pair of loaded pistols.
Page 29 - Their rockets marched first with their cannon, swivels or " shuturnals," musquetoons mounted on camels ; their cavalry and infantry followed. The ends of their turbans were let loose, their hands and faces were anointed with a preparation of turmeric,* signs that they were come forth prepared to die. The Afghans on their side brought their forces in array,5 and a general cannonade began on each side. The Mahratta guns being very large and heavy, and their level not easily altered, their shot began...
Page 144 - They had on their right hands the " woodguamootie,(?) " or four steel talons which in the nature of a gauntlet were fixed to the back joint of their fingers, and had a terrific appearance when their fists were closed. Their heads were close shaved, their bodies oiled, and they wore only a pair of short drawers. On being matched...
Page 23 - Bhaduyan bows, with 24 others, out of which, in every " solar month of 32 days, one bow is sent to His Majesty every day ; and " during every month of 31 days, two every week alternately. Every one '• of these has its rank assigned to it, and when His Majesty goes abroad, " the sons of the Amirs and other Mansabdars and Ahadis carry the Qur in " their hands and on their shoulders, -ie, every four of them carry 4 bows, " 4 quivers, 4 swords, and 4 shields ; they take besides lances, spears, a "...
Page 63 - An open shed with a couple of small mud forges were the chief objects visible. The bellows consisted of two bamboo cylinders, with pistons worked by hand. They move very easily, having a loose stuffing of feathers thickly set round the piston so as to act as a valve, and produce a regular blast. Both cylinders communicate with the same nozzle, one piston rising while the other falls. An oblong piece of iron on the ground was the anvil, and a small vice was fixed on the projecting root of a tree outside....
Page 137 - The Kattees of Guzerat carry a sword, shield, and spear. The latter is about 8 ft. long, and is made so slender as to break when thrown at the enemy, to whom it thus becomes useless. Till the establishment of the British supremacy in 1835, no deed or agreement was considered binding unless guaranteed by the mark of the
Page 10 - Their equipment was in most points like that of the Indians, but they wore upon their heads the scalps of horses, with the ears and mane attached; the ears were made to stand upright, and the mane served as a crest.
Page 18 - ... have trowed the world was coming to an end ! And then too they plunged into the wood and rushed this way and that, dashing their castles against the trees, bursting their harness and smashing and destroying everything that was on them. So when the Tartars saw that the elephants had turned tail and could not be brought to face the fight again, they got to horse at once and charged the enemy. And then the battle began to rage furiously with sword and mace. Right fiercely did the two hosts rush...