Origins of karabela

Jim McDougall · 15th December 2012, 09:44 PM

As noted by Ibrahiim, the Polish and Hungarians often adopted Turkish sword designs, developing into the familiar szabla which became the dashing cavalry sabres of Europe. With thier constant warfare with the Turks and thier incursions naturally there would be significant influence. The Persian influences throughout most of these cultural spheres cannot be ignored despite how subtle or indirect they were. Like most diffusion of influence culturally, just as with most instances of discovery and invention, these are the result of typically gradually occurring events and occurrences which culminate into established entities which then develop into having thier own identity.

I would imagine the adoption of these trilobate type hilts from those used by janissaries and in other Ottoman circumstances in regions of Arabia would be from Ottoman suzerainty and trade there. It is interesting to note that the well known repousse silverwork trilobate hilt Arabian sa'if usually attributed to San'aa and Hadhramaut have been regarded to often have been produced in Hyderabad in India. It would seem that the style must have been furnished to those artisans from Arabian sources as I cannot offhand think of other Indian hilts with karabela styling.

15th December 2012, 09:44 PM	#10
Jim McDougall Arms Historian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Route 66 Posts: 10,281	As noted by Ibrahiim, the Polish and Hungarians often adopted Turkish sword designs, developing into the familiar szabla which became the dashing cavalry sabres of Europe. With thier constant warfare with the Turks and thier incursions naturally there would be significant influence. The Persian influences throughout most of these cultural spheres cannot be ignored despite how subtle or indirect they were. Like most diffusion of influence culturally, just as with most instances of discovery and invention, these are the result of typically gradually occurring events and occurrences which culminate into established entities which then develop into having thier own identity. I would imagine the adoption of these trilobate type hilts from those used by janissaries and in other Ottoman circumstances in regions of Arabia would be from Ottoman suzerainty and trade there. It is interesting to note that the well known repousse silverwork trilobate hilt Arabian sa'if usually attributed to San'aa and Hadhramaut have been regarded to often have been produced in Hyderabad in India. It would seem that the style must have been furnished to those artisans from Arabian sources as I cannot offhand think of other Indian hilts with karabela styling.