Is this Assam Rifles sword based on a European design?

sirupate · 11th February 2016, 05:30 PM

Hi guys, not had much luck in the Ethno section so I have come over here for some help.
I took this picture of the below sword at the GM on the recent visit, which was potentially carried by Officers of the 8th Assam Rifles, later 6th GR C.1830, is it based on the French sabres of the same period? or another European's countries sabre?
Thanks in advance Simon

kronckew · 11th February 2016, 07:24 PM

looks like a hussar sabre.

ulfberth · 11th February 2016, 08:25 PM

Hi Sirupate,

That model is the French Napoleonic light cavalry troopers sabre .
The French production years were from 1802 until 1819.
They called the variations in the model year 9 of which they produced 26326 Year 11 and year 13 production numbers were 157830
The Russians had them to most of these are around the 1830'ies.

Kind regards Ulfberth

sirupate · 12th February 2016, 04:23 PM

Hi Ulfberth,

Many thanks, I thought it might be a French design, do you think it is possible that the British Officers in the Gurkhas adopted it for use in India?

ulfberth · 12th February 2016, 04:40 PM

Its Always possible that these were taken after Waterloo and used in the colonies, But I don't know on any official record of that.

Kind regards Ulfberth

Jim McDougall · 12th February 2016, 07:09 PM

Ulfberth is of course spot on with the identification on this most well known French cavalry sabre form, and the later adoption by the Russians.
It is indeed most curious to see a French influence rather than the expected British in regions of Assam.
I am wondering, even if tenuously, if the French presence in Indo-China (now Viet Nam) might have in some way contributed to this interesting sabre of Gurkha units. While the British presence in SE Asia was of course well established, Indo-China was distinctly French, thus predominantly influenced Vietnamese swords of military forms and in degree other.

It seems many SE Asian anomalies extended westward to the Indian subcontinent, and I have even seen katanas from these areas and of course Japanese infuences filter into incidental presence in India. Some years ago I recall trying to discover what in the world a katana was doing in a grouping classified from India

11th February 2016, 05:30 PM	#1
sirupate Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: England Posts: 373	Is this Assam Rifles sword based on a European design? Hi guys, not had much luck in the Ethno section so I have come over here for some help. I took this picture of the below sword at the GM on the recent visit, which was potentially carried by Officers of the 8th Assam Rifles, later 6th GR C.1830, is it based on the French sabres of the same period? or another European's countries sabre? Thanks in advance Simon Attached Images

11th February 2016, 07:24 PM	#2
kronckew Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Room 101, Glos. UK Posts: 4,152	looks like a hussar sabre.

11th February 2016, 08:25 PM	#3
ulfberth Member Join Date: Jul 2014 Posts: 382	Hi Sirupate, That model is the French Napoleonic light cavalry troopers sabre . The French production years were from 1802 until 1819. They called the variations in the model year 9 of which they produced 26326 Year 11 and year 13 production numbers were 157830 The Russians had them to most of these are around the 1830'ies. Kind regards Ulfberth

12th February 2016, 04:23 PM	#4
sirupate Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: England Posts: 373	Hi Ulfberth, Many thanks, I thought it might be a French design, do you think it is possible that the British Officers in the Gurkhas adopted it for use in India?

12th February 2016, 04:40 PM	#5
ulfberth Member Join Date: Jul 2014 Posts: 382	Its Always possible that these were taken after Waterloo and used in the colonies, But I don't know on any official record of that. Kind regards Ulfberth

12th February 2016, 07:09 PM	#6
Jim McDougall Arms Historian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Route 66 Posts: 9,778	Ulfberth is of course spot on with the identification on this most well known French cavalry sabre form, and the later adoption by the Russians. It is indeed most curious to see a French influence rather than the expected British in regions of Assam. I am wondering, even if tenuously, if the French presence in Indo-China (now Viet Nam) might have in some way contributed to this interesting sabre of Gurkha units. While the British presence in SE Asia was of course well established, Indo-China was distinctly French, thus predominantly influenced Vietnamese swords of military forms and in degree other. It seems many SE Asian anomalies extended westward to the Indian subcontinent, and I have even seen katanas from these areas and of course Japanese infuences filter into incidental presence in India. Some years ago I recall trying to discover what in the world a katana was doing in a grouping classified from India