South and Southeast Asia
The swords manufactured in Indian workshops, such as the Khanda, find mention in the writing of Muhammad al-Idrisi. In Sri Lanka, a unique wind furnace was used to produce the high quality steel. This gave the blade a very hard cutting edge and beautiful patterns. For these reasons it became a very popular trading material.
The Talwar is a type of curved sword that was introduced to India in the 13th century by invading Muslim conquerors and was adopted by communities who favoured the sword as their main weapon, including the Rajputs, Marathas and Sikhs. It became more widespread under the Mughals who fought with curved swords from horseback. It was revered by the Rajputs as a symbol of the god shiva, and is still used today as the primary weapon of the Sikh martial art Gatka and also by South Asian Shiite Muslims for Tatbir.
The Firangi ( /fəˈrɪŋɡiː/; derived from the Arabic term for a Western European a "Frank") was a sword type which used blades manufactured in Western Europe and imported by the Portuguese, or made locally in imitation of European blades. Because of its length the firangi is usually regarded as primarily a cavalry weapon. The sword has been especially associated with the Marathas, who were famed for their cavalry. However, the firangi was widely used by the Mughals and those peoples who came under their rule, including Sikhs and Rajputs.
In Indonesia, the images of Indian style swords can be found in Hindu gods statues from ancient Java circa 8th to 10th century, which means swords already known in ancient Indonesia culture. However the native types of blade known as kris, parang, klewang and golok are popular to be used as weapon rather than sword. These daggers are shorter than sword but longer than common dagger.
In The Philippines, traditional large swords known as the Kampilan and the Panabas were used in combat by the natives. A notable wielder of the kampílan was Datu Lapu-Lapu, the Muslim king of Mactan and his warriors who defeated the Spaniards and killed Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan at the Battle of Mactan on 27 April 1521. Traditional swords in The Philippines were immediately banned, but the training of it were later hidden from the occupying Spaniards by clouding practices in dances and in the underground. But because of the banning, Filipinos were forced to use swords that can be recognized as a farm tool. Bolos and baliswords were used during the revolutions against the colonialists because of not only that ammunition of guns were scarce, but also for concealability while walking in crowded streets and homes. Bolos were also used by young boys who joined their father in the revolution and it used by the young women and their mothers in defending the town while the men are in the battlefields. During the Philippine-American War in events such as the Balangiga Massacre, most of an American company was hacked to death or seriously injured by bolo-wielding guerillas in Balangiga, Samar. When the Japanese took control of the country, several American special operations groups stationed in the Philippines were introduced to the Filipino Martial Arts and swordsmanship, leading to this style reaching America despite the fact that natives were reluctant to allow outsiders in on their fighting secrets.
Read more about this topic: Blade Weapons, History, Middle Ages
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