nepali/indian dress?

M

Matt Matheny

Joined
Jan 15, 2000
Messages
488
Okay, here is a little question for all the experts out there... I have been searching for info and pictures on ancient warriors in our favorite part of the world. I am trying to obtain costume info from the 1300's and forward. I am doing the Society for creative Anachronism thing. (create a character from a medivel time get a costume and armor and beat on other people with sticks for weapons) If nothing else doing this will give me a lot of insite into how the kukhri, dao, and kora would have been used in combat. Who knows this might turn into a really great research project...

Everyones help is welcome and appricieated. I will post results of whatever I learn.

------------------
"Clear a path for the Kukhri or it will clear one for itself"
 
Matt,
The book 'Gurkha' by Chant, the book 'Valour' by Smith and the Men At Arms series called 'The Gurkha Rifles' by Nicholson show basically the same early outfits from around 1815. From my research I don't see any uniform dress but regiments were distinguished in the 1700s and prior to 1815 by name, sometimes a stylised badge and wearing of a certain colored patch of cloth either on their weapon or worn somewhere. The outfits drawn and described are almost always white, include a sash around the waist and over the right shoulder.
The early khukuris were stuck into the front of the sash. That is one of the reasons you see a scabbard that has thin straps around it fastened by 'buttons'. They were there to keep the knife from slipping thru. The knife was drawn by removing the scabbard from the sash then pulling out the knife.
The kora seems to always have a shoulder strap attached to a large sheath. The pata(sword) was sometimes attached to the waist sash, but the more elaborate pattisa(sword) appears to have been carried both ways.
The dao or dha didn't seem to make it up thru India and Nepal, and the 'ram dao' is a purely ceremonial weapon used for beheading caribou.


------------------
JP
 
1) Go to Uncle Bill's Website, and Howard's Khukuri FAQ's. Both are linked to in my signature. Write down keywords with which to search ( dao, kora, patang, khanjarlis, names of leaders, kings, etc. ) Use the search feature to check out the HI forum with those words.

2) Check out the Silk Road Designs Armoury http://www.enteract.com/~silkroad/srframe.html which should give you more info on the era.

3) Pick up the latest National Geographic magazine, February 2000 issue and don't lose the map insert. It has a section on Kosovo and other refugees which is expanded to cover the whole world on one side, and a detailed map covering where east meets west in Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Yugoslavia, Macedonia, Albania, Greece, Turkey, Armenia, Georgia, Afghanistan...( Don't bother looking, Yvsa, the Trail of Tears isn't listed. )

4) You already did it, but keep doing it. Ask on this forum. Uncle Bill will be back, til then there are people like Sonam, Arvind, Mohd, Howard, Goat, Wrongfriend, Broken Arrow, Jay and many more who have family ties and experience, and martial training, and so on.

(( Phew: that ought to keep him busy long enough for Uncle Bill can get back at least. He'll never find out how much I don't know, but then you don't need to know all the answers when you know who to ask )). Maybe I ought to adopt "Help!" for a signature line. Thanks, John. You are one of the Very good guys.

------------------
Himalayan Imports Website

Himalayan Imports Khukuri FAQ

[This message has been edited by Rusty (edited 02-06-2000).]
 
Well This is s good start. thank you both. Now it time to return to the seach engine..



------------------
"Clear a path for the Kukhri or it will clear one for itself"
 
Matt: One additional suggestion: Some time ago I tapped into one of the larger bookseller's web site (Barnes & Noble, I believe), and they had an impressive list of books on Nepal.

G. Bass
 
Hey Rusty... Wow is all that I have to say. the link that you provided is incredible. This should give me a great start. Do you know the people there? Are they good to do bussiness with? Thank you to those that have posted.

------------------
"Clear a path for the Kukhri or it will clear one for itself"
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top