EL6747 - An Indian Army cavalry tulwar made by Mole of Birmingham and exported to India. After the India Arms Act of 1878 (a general disarming of the Indian population and prohibition on Indian manufacture of weapons) it became very difficult for Indian producers of weapons to continue in business, and of course the British Government was enthusiastic to promote British made produce, so Mole of Birmingham, and others, stepped into the breach. The result were a variety of swords made specifically for the Indian Army, and being a large country with correspondingly large military under British Raj control, there is a great variety in the Indian Army swords that were produced. This example is one of several types made in Britain which looked more or less like native tulwars, with a lenticular flat blade and spear point, a cast iron hilt with chevron grooves to the grip. The scabbard is leather covered wood, and the quality is very good (Mole were a rival to Wilkinson, but they also worked together on some contracts). The blade is mostly bright and well service sharpened, with small areas of corrosion. The blade is solid in the hilt. The hilt is rather pitted from old rust, which has been cleaned off, but it all solid and structurally sound. The scabbard is in very good condition. The scabbard and hilt have various stamps and engraved markings, which presumably denote which cavalry regiment this was owned by. The sword probably dates to circa 1900-1916, and was likely carried in WW1, where huge numbers of Indian cavalry were deployed.
