`by My Sword and Shield' : Traditional Weapons of the Indian Warrior

The armorers of the Rajputs in India, the Gadi Lohars, whose traditional home was Chittor, are today a wandering tribe. Once they produced top quality weapons & armor for their masters. After the fall of Chittor to Akbar in 1567, they swore never to return to the citadel until it was freed. In the early 1950s, Pandit Nehru personally led them back to a free Chittor, but their nomadic habits were too deeply ingrained in them. A Rajput's most powerful & binding oath was by his sovereign's throne or by his arms or by his sword & shield. Akbar's swords had names & ranks assigned to them. This book traces the development of the weapons of the Indian warrior, from the earliest to modern times, & also provides illustrations of a wide variety of arms & armor.Paul, E. Jaiwant is the author of '`by My Sword and Shield' : Traditional Weapons of the Indian Warrior', published 2005 under ISBN 9780756785505 and ISBN 0756785502.