Tegha

The tegha was a type of talwar, a sword popular throughout South Asia that combines a curved blade (originating in Central Asia) with a handle, or hilt, design unique to India. It has a distinctive round disc at the bottom and was designed to fit the hand tightly for a secure grip. Compared to other talwar, tegha have a blade that is wider toward the tip, giving added force to cuts. This blade was made from wootz steel, a beautifully patterned crucible steel invented in southern India. The hilt and knuckle-bow protecting the fingers are decorated with koftgari using a Persian technique mastered by Indian artisans, in which steel is inlaid with gold or silver.

This sword has a religious dimension. The small Arabic calligraphic glyph on the blade just above the hilt reads, “In the name of the Lord of Jinn and Humans,” a title for God. The inscription in gold near the end of the blade is a line from a sonnet in Urdu by the poet Mir Anees (1803–1873): “Seeing the son of Haider with a drawn sword in his hand.” The text refers to Husayn, who is revered in Shia Islam as the Third Imam, or leader of Islam after Muhammad. For Shiites, the day of Husayn’s martyrdom is commemorated annually on the holy day of Ashura. Although denounced today by many Islamic clerics, traditional Ashura practices in India included talwar zani, ritual self-flagellation with a sword.