Salaams All , Despite not being able to open Philip Toms brilliant works noted above I eventually got a clean copy at
http://hawaiihistoricarms.com/milita...il-tom-part-1/ where notes indicate the Chinese influence and Indian influence the other way. Combined with the notes already here at thread I think we have the subject cornered although idiosyncrasies and variable translations of how it transpired ...and from several directions almost simultaneously makes this a fascinating if not occasionally a (little) baffling subject.
Regards,
Ibrahiim al Balooshi.