Hi Richard, and welcome to the forum
.
To collect Indian weapons is a difficult, but also a very interesting thing.
Before you start buying, you should read a lot about the Indian history, and you will realise that there have been a lot of wars, which of course means, that a lot of looted weapons have been transported from one place to another. You will find weapons from Deccan in armouries in the north, and weapons from the east in armouries in the west and so on. This, and the fact, that the same type of weapons has been made over centuries, makes it very difficult to put a certain date on a sword, and even more so, if it is not decorated. This and the fact that many tulwars were rehilted to follow the fashion, makes it even more difficult.
My best suggestion is, read a lot of books on the subject, but be aware, that not everything written it true. See as many collections as possible, and compare what you see with what you read, and you will slowly get a feeling about the tulwars. Don't forget to use the 'Search' button here on the forum. Good luck
.