More Info on shamshirSimilar Undetermined MusicSearch Artistopia
Biography
: For other uses see Shamshir (disambiguation) : For history see Dao (sword)
A Shamshir (from Persian language|Persian ????? shamshir ) also Shamsheer and Chimchir , http://books.google.com/books? id=J5PgapzD6FoC& printsec=frontcover& dq=a+glossary+of+construction#PPA550,M1 A Glossary of the Construction, Decoration, and Use of Arms and Armor in All Countries and in All Times, By George Cameron Stone, Donald J. LaRocca, 1999, pg. 550 is a type of sabre with a curve that is considered radical for a sword: 5 to 15 degrees from tip to tip. The name is derived from Persian language|Persian ????? shamshir , which means "sword" (in general). The radically curved sword family includes the shamshir, scimitar , Talwar , kilij , Pulwar and the Sabre|Turko-Mongol saber .
A Shamshir Shikargar (lang-fa|?????? ??????? shamshir-e shekârgar ; literally, "hunters' sword" or "hunting sword") is the same as a shamshir , except the blade is engraved and decorated, usually with hunting scenes. http://books.google.com/books? id=J5PgapzD6FoC& printsec=frontcover& dq=a+glossary+of+construction#PPA553,M1 A Glossary of the Construction, Decoration, and Use of Arms and Armor in All Countries and in All Times, By George Cameron Stone, Donald J. LaRocca, 1999, pg. 553
Originally Persian swords were straight and double edged, just as the Indian Khanda (sword)|khanda . The curved scimitar blades were Central Asian in origin. The earliest evidence of curved swords, or scimitars, is from the 9th century, when it was used among soldiers in the Greater Khorasan|Khurasan region of Central Asia.citation|title=Daily life in the medieval Islamic world|author=James E. Lindsay|publisher= Greenwood Publishing Group |year=2005|isbn=0-313-32270-8|page=64 The sword now called "shamshir" was introduced to Iran by Turkic Seljuq dynasty|Seljuk Khanate in 12th century and was later popularized in Persia by the early 16th century, and had "relatives" in Turkey (the kilij ), the Mughal Empire (the talwar ), and the adjoining Arabian Peninsula|Arabian world (the saif ) and (the sam-saam ).
The shamshir is a one-handed, curved sword featuring a slim blade that has almost no taper until the very tip. Instead of being worn upright (hilt-high), it is worn horizontally, with the hilt and tip pointing up. It was normally used for slashing unarmored opponents either on foot or mounted; while the tip could be used for thrusting, the drastic curvature of blade made accuracy more difficult. Like Japan ese blades, there is no Hilt#Pommel|pommel , and its two lengthy Hilt#Guard|quillons form a simple crossguard . The Tang (weaponry)|tang of the blade is covered by slabs of bone, ivory, wood, or other material fastened by pins or rivets to form the Hilt#Grip|grip .
The shamshir was similar in design to its contemporaries, the Mughal Empire|Mughal Talwar and the Saif .
Etymology
Although the name has been associated by folk etymology|popular etymology with the city of Shamshir (city)|Shamshir (which in turn means "''curved like the lion's claw "Citation needed|date=February 2007) the word has been used to mean "sword" since ancient times, as attested by Middle Persian shamshir ( Pahlavi scripts|Pahlavi myl ), and the Greek language|Ancient Greek saµ???a / sampsera (glossed as "foreign sword").
"Shamshir" is usually taken to be the root of the word scimitar . Scimitar is now a more inclusive term.
See also
Mameluke Sword
References
reflist
http://interestingswords.com/historical-swords/saber/turkish-and-persian-sabers.html The Kilij and Shamshir. Turkish and Persian sabers
Swords by region navbox Category:Middle Eastern swords Category:Persian loanwords Category:Persian words and phrases Category:Single-edged swords
