Charles, 
 
Alternatively, it was a shamshir to start with, with replaced handle and suspension rings put upside down. 
 This can explain the slit on the throat in  a "wrong" i.e. reverse  location. This was very unusual, if not unseen, on pseudo-shashkas, but necessary for  highly curved shamshirs.
		 
		
		
		
		
		
		
		
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