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A shamshir (Persian: شمشیر) is a type of Persian/Iranian sword with a radical curve. The name is derived from the Persian word shamshīr, which is made of two words sham ("fang") and shir ("lion"). The curved "scimitar" sword family includes the shamshir, kilij, talwar, pulwar, and nimcha.

A shamshir shekargar (Persian: شمشیر شکارگر, romanized: shamshir-e shekârgar, lit. 'hunters' sword or hunting sword') is the same as a shamshir, except the blade is engraved and decorated, usually with hunting scenes.^[1]

Description

Originally, Persian swords were straight and double edged. Curved sabre blades were Central Asian in origin. There is considerable disagreement between historians as to when these curved blades were first introduced from Central Asia into Persia, and over what period they became adopted and modified into the recognizable Shamshir.^[2] Curved blades began to appear in Persia in the 9th century, when these weapons were used by soldiers in the Khorasan region of Central Asia but were not widely adopted.^[3] The sword now called a "shamshir" was developed in Persia over a period of time following influence from the Turkic Seljuk Khanate in the 12th century, the Mongol invasion of the 13th century, and finally taking a form distinct from earlier sabres by the 16th century.^[2] The Shamshir had "relatives" in Turkey (the kilij), the Mughal Empire (the talwar), and the adjoining Arabian world (the saif). Over the years blades might be produced in India or the Ottoman empire and rehilted in Persia, and vice versa leading to mongrel swords.

The shamshir is a curved sword, featuring a slim blade that has almost no taper until the very tip. Instead of being worn upright (hilt-high), it is worn horizontally, with the hilt and tip pointing up. It was normally used for slashing unarmored opponents either on foot or mounted; while the tip could be used for thrusting, the drastic curvature of blade made accuracy more difficult. It has an offset pommel, and its two lengthy quillons form a simple crossguard. The tang of the blade is covered by slabs of bone, ivory, wood, or other material fastened by pins or rivets to form the grip. Many of the older Persian shamshir blades are made from high quality crucible wootz steel and are noted for the fine "watering" on the blades.

Etymology

Although the name has been associated by popular etymology with the city of Shamshir (which in turn means "curved like the lion's claw" in Persian)^[4] the word has been used to mean "sword" since ancient times, as attested by Middle Persian shamshir (Pahlavi šmšyl), and the Ancient Greek σαμψήρα / sampsēra (glossed as "foreign sword").

"Shamshir" is usually taken to be the root of the word scimitar, the latter being a broader term.^[5]

References

^ A Glossary of the Construction, Decoration, and Use of Arms and Armor in All Countries and in All Times, By George Cameron Stone, Donald J. LaRocca, 1999, pg. 553
^ ^a ^b Khorasani, Manouchehr (2007). "Blades of the Lion's Tail: Birth of the Shamshir". Classic Arms and Militaria. XIV (5): 18–22.
^ James E. Lindsay (2005), Daily life in the medieval Islamic world, Greenwood Publishing Group, p. 64, ISBN 0-313-32270-8
^ Pakistan Historical Society (2006). Journal of the Pakistan Historical Society. Pakistan Historical Society. p. 80. ISSN 0030-9796
^ A Glossary of the Construction, Decoration, and Use of Arms and Armor in All Countries and in All Times, By George Cameron Stone, Donald J. LaRocca, 1999, pg. 550

External links

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[1] A Glossary of the Construction, Decoration, and Use of Arms and Armor in All Countries and in All Times, By George Cameron Stone, Donald J. LaRocca, 1999, pg. 553

[:0-2] Khorasani, Manouchehr (2007). "Blades of the Lion's Tail: Birth of the Shamshir". Classic Arms and Militaria. XIV (5): 18–22.

[3] James E. Lindsay (2005), Daily life in the medieval Islamic world, Greenwood Publishing Group, p. 64, ISBN 0-313-32270-8

[4] Pakistan Historical Society (2006). Journal of the Pakistan Historical Society. Pakistan Historical Society. p. 80. ISSN 0030-9796

[5] A Glossary of the Construction, Decoration, and Use of Arms and Armor in All Countries and in All Times, By George Cameron Stone, Donald J. LaRocca, 1999, pg. 550

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@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+{{short description|Type of Persian/Iranian curved sword}}
-:''For other uses see [[Shamshir (disambiguation)]]''
+{{other uses|Shamshir (disambiguation)}}
-:''For history see [[Dao (sword)]]''
+[[File:Sabel - shamshir - Livrustkammaren - 77113.tif|thumb|200px|Syrian shamshir, The Royal Armoury, Stockholm Sweden.]]
+A '''shamshir''' ({{langx|fa|شمشیر}}) is a type of [[Name of Iran|Persian/Iranian]] sword with a radical curve. The name is derived from the [[Persian language|Persian]] word ''shamshīr'', which is made of two words ''sham'' ("fang") and ''shir'' ("lion"). The curved "[[scimitar]]" sword family includes the shamshir, [[kilij]], [[talwar]], [[pulwar]], and [[nimcha]].
+A ''shamshir shekargar'' ({{langx|fa|شمشیر شکارگر|shamshir-e shekârgar|lit=hunters' sword or hunting sword}}) is the same as a ''shamshir'', except the blade is engraved and decorated, usually with hunting scenes.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=J5PgapzD6FoC&q=a+glossary+of+construction A Glossary of the Construction, Decoration, and Use of Arms and Armor in All Countries and in All Times, By George Cameron Stone, Donald J. LaRocca, 1999, pg. 553]</ref>
-[[File:Shamshir1o.jpg|thumb|A well-used, typical 18th century Shamshir.]]
-A '''Shamshir''' (from [[Persian language|Persian]] شمشیر ''shamshir'') also '''Shamsheer''' and '''Chimchir''',<ref>[http://books.google.com/books?id=J5PgapzD6FoC&printsec=frontcover&dq=a+glossary+of+construction#PPA550,M1 A Glossary of the Construction, Decoration, and Use of Arms and Armor in All Countries and in All Times, By George Cameron Stone, Donald J. LaRocca, 1999, pg. 550]</ref> is a type of [[sabre]] with a curve that is considered radical for a sword: 5 to 15 degrees from tip to tip. The name is derived from [[Persian language|Persian]] '''شمشیر''' '''''shamshīr''''', which means "sword" (in general). The radically curved sword family includes the shamshir, [[scimitar]], [[Talwar]], [[kilij]], [[Pulwar]] and the [[Sabre|Turko-Mongol saber]].
+==Description==
-A '''''Shamshir Shikargar''''' ({{lang-fa|شَمشیر شکارگَر}} ''shamshir-e shekârgar''; literally, "hunters' sword" or "hunting sword") is the same as a ''shamshir'', except the blade is engraved and decorated, usually with hunting scenes.<ref>[http://books.google.com/books?id=J5PgapzD6FoC&printsec=frontcover&dq=a+glossary+of+construction#PPA553,M1 A Glossary of the Construction, Decoration, and Use of Arms and Armor in All Countries and in All Times, By George Cameron Stone, Donald J. LaRocca, 1999, pg. 553]</ref>
+[[File:A heavily armed Uzbek, Safavid Iran, mid 16th century.jpg|thumb|[[Uzbeks|Uzbek]] warrior armed with bow and arrows, [[khanjar]], [[Flail (weapon)|mace]], and a shamshir.]]
-Originally Persian swords were straight and double edged, just as the Indian [[Khanda (sword)|khanda]]. The curved [[scimitar]] blades were Central Asian in origin. The earliest evidence of curved swords, or scimitars, is from the 9th century, when it was used among soldiers in the [[Greater Khorasan|Khurasan]] region of Central Asia.<ref>{{citation|title=Daily life in the medieval Islamic world|author=James E. Lindsay|publisher=[[Greenwood Publishing Group]]|year=2005|isbn=0-313-32270-8|page=64}}</ref> The sword now called "shamshir" was introduced to Iran by Turkic [[Seljuq dynasty|Seljuk Khanate]] in 12th century and was later popularized in Persia by the early 16th century, and had "relatives" in [[Turkey]] (the [[kilij]]), the [[Mughal Empire]] (the [[talwar]]), and the adjoining [[Arabian Peninsula|Arabian]] world (the [[saif]]) and (the [[sam-saam]]).
+Originally, Persian swords were straight and double edged. Curved [[Turko-Mongol sabers|sabre blades]] were Central Asian in origin. There is considerable disagreement between historians as to when these curved blades were first introduced from [[Central Asia]] into [[Iran|Persia]], and over what period they became adopted and modified into the recognizable Shamshir.<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal|last=Khorasani|first=Manouchehr|date=2007|title=Blades of the Lion's Tail: Birth of the Shamshir.|journal=Classic Arms and Militaria|volume=XIV| issue = 5|pages=18–22}}</ref> Curved blades began to appear in Persia in the 9th century, when these weapons were used by soldiers in the [[Greater Khorasan|Khorasan]] region of Central Asia but were not widely adopted.<ref>{{citation|title=Daily life in the medieval Islamic world|author=James E. Lindsay|publisher=[[Greenwood Publishing Group]]|year=2005|isbn=0-313-32270-8|page=[https://archive.org/details/dailylifeinmedie00lind/page/64 64]|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/dailylifeinmedie00lind/page/64}}</ref> The sword now called a "shamshir" was developed in Persia over a period of time following influence from the Turkic [[Seljuq dynasty|Seljuk Khanate]] in the 12th century, the [[Mongol invasions|Mongol invasion]] of the 13th century, and finally taking a form distinct from earlier sabres by the 16th century.<ref name=":0" />  The Shamshir had "relatives" in Turkey (the [[kilij]]), the [[Mughal Empire]] (the [[talwar]]), and the adjoining [[Arabian Peninsula|Arabian]] world (the [[Arab sword|saif]]). Over the years blades might be produced in India or the Ottoman empire and rehilted in Persia, and vice versa leading to mongrel swords.
-The shamshir is a one-handed, curved sword featuring a slim blade that has almost no taper until the very tip. Instead of being worn upright (hilt-high), it is worn horizontally, with the hilt and tip pointing up. It was normally used for slashing unarmored opponents either on foot or mounted; while the tip could be used for thrusting, the drastic curvature of blade made accuracy more difficult. Like [[Japan]]ese blades, there is no [[Hilt#Pommel|pommel]], and its two lengthy [[Hilt#Guard|quillons]] form a simple [[crossguard]]. The [[Tang (weaponry)|tang]] of the blade is covered by slabs of bone, ivory, wood, or other material fastened by pins or rivets to form the [[Hilt#Grip|grip]].
+The shamshir is a curved sword, featuring a slim blade that has almost no taper until the very tip. Instead of being worn upright (hilt-high), it is worn horizontally, with the hilt and tip pointing up. It was normally used for slashing unarmored opponents either on foot or mounted; while the tip could be used for thrusting, the drastic curvature of blade made accuracy more difficult. It has an offset [[Hilt#Pommel|pommel]], and its two lengthy [[Hilt#Guard|quillons]] form a simple [[crossguard]]. The [[Tang (tools)|tang]] of the blade is covered by slabs of bone, ivory, wood, or other material fastened by pins or rivets to form the [[Hilt#Grip|grip]]. Many of the older Persian shamshir blades are made from high quality crucible [[wootz steel]] and are noted for the fine "watering" on the blades.
-The shamshir was similar in design to its contemporaries, the [[Mughal Empire|Mughal]] [[Talwar]] and the [[Saif]].
 ==Etymology==
-Although the name has been associated by [[folk etymology|popular etymology]] with the city of [[Shamshir (city)|Shamshir]] (which in turn means "''curved like the lion's claw''"{{Citation needed|date=February 2007}}) the word has been used to mean "sword" since ancient times, as attested by [[Middle Persian]] ''shamshir'' ([[Pahlavi scripts|Pahlavi]] ''šmšyl''), and the [[Greek language|Ancient Greek]] σαμψήρα / ''sampsēra'' (glossed as "foreign sword").
+Although the name has been associated by [[folk etymology|popular etymology]] with the city of Shamshir (which in turn means "curved like the lion's claw" in [[Persian language|Persian]])<ref>{{cite book|title=Journal of the Pakistan Historical Society|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zBVuAAAAMAAJ&q=shamshir+|publisher=Pakistan Historical Society|year=2006|author=Pakistan Historical Society|page=80}} ISSN 0030-9796</ref> the word has been used to mean "sword" since ancient times, as attested by [[Middle Persian]] ''shamshir'' ([[Pahlavi scripts|Pahlavi]] ''šmšyl''), and the [[Greek language|Ancient Greek]] σαμψήρα / ''sampsēra'' (glossed as "foreign sword").
-"Shamshir" is usually taken to be the root of the word [[scimitar]]. Scimitar is now a more inclusive term.
+"Shamshir" is usually taken to be the root of the word [[scimitar]], the latter being a broader term.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=J5PgapzD6FoC&q=a+glossary+of+construction A Glossary of the Construction, Decoration, and Use of Arms and Armor in All Countries and in All Times, By George Cameron Stone, Donald J. LaRocca, 1999, pg. 550]</ref>
 ==See also==
-*[[Mameluke Sword]]
+* [[Acinaces]]
+* [[Arab sword|Arab swords]]
+* [[Mameluke sword]]
+* [[Pulwar]]
+<!--If a link already appears in the body of an article it does not appear in the see also -->
 ==References==
 {{reflist}}
-*[http://interestingswords.com/historical-swords/saber/turkish-and-persian-sabers.html The Kilij and Shamshir. Turkish and Persian sabers]
+==External links==
-{{Swords by region navbox}}
+{{commons category|Shamshirs}}
+{{Swords by region}}
 [[Category:Middle Eastern swords]]
-[[Category:Persian loanwords]]
 [[Category:Persian words and phrases]]
 [[Category:Single-edged swords]]
+[[Category:Iranian inventions]]
+[[Category:Turkish inventions]]
+[[Category:Iranian martial arts]]
+[[Category:Weapons of Iran]]
+[[Category:Weapons of the Ottoman Empire]]
+[[Category:Weapons of Ukraine]]
+[[category:Sabres]]
+{{Sword-stub}}
-[[de:Shamshir]]
+{{Iran-hist-stub}}
-[[es:Shamsir]]
-[[fa:شمشیر]]
-[[it:Shamshir]]
-[[la:Sampsera]]
-[[ja:シャムシール]]
-[[lt:Šamširas]]
-[[no:Shamshir]]
-[[pl:Szamszir]]
-[[ru:Шамшир]]