The Manding sword, the Tuareg aljuinar and Omani curved kattara: Are they connected?

[CharlesS]

This map is more extensive and shows the trade routes as known/established during the time of the Abbasids.

[CharlesS]

Here is a map of the Omani Empire ca. 1856. The Omani style "nimcha" and the kattara were seen among Arab influenced Muslim populations all along the east coast of Africa including Madagascar and Zanzibar.

[Ibrahiim al Balooshi]

This thread is a most welcome research document and shows very clear proof by the maps and the sword geometry of the two styles. My question has always been which way around was the influence? It is interesting that the pilgrim routes made famous by Mendinka caravans to Mecca attracted much attention from Arab Muslims and that a lot of a trade was linked and grew to a pinnacle in the 18th and 19thC in the critical period of Saaid Sultan of Zanzibar and Sultan Bargash etc after him> . Where I think the important junction is focusses on The Falls region thus I draw attention to TipuTib:Below... Half Swahili Half Omani Governor of that massive central African region > The trade I speak of is Slavery....and peripheral to it the Ivory and Rhino situation centred on the Zanzibar Hub.

[Ibrahiim al Balooshi]

With Omani Long Hilts in mind it may be worth observing who was using what types of sword in and around the Zanzibar Hub. since we are talking about the Omanis or Africans here is a sketch of Africans at Zanzibar in a frenzied dance with weapons. thus curved weapons were available in the post Saiid bin Sultan era at Zanzibar ...none of these irregulars appear as Omani or with the commonly carried sword of the Omani contingent ...but the weapon was there having arrived with such slavers as Mendinka or traded down the line ...thus they must have rubbed shoulders with Omani traders and slavers so that technical transfer of these weapons must have been possible and thus the movement of the Omani longhilt on to Mendinka weapons.