https://indianpedia.org/index.php?action=history&feed=atom&title=Elephant_swordElephant sword - Revision history2026-07-30T16:48:14ZRevision history for this page on the wikiMediaWiki 1.45.4https://indianpedia.org/index.php?title=Elephant_sword&diff=426336&oldid=prevSoldier at 07:42, 8 September 20232023-09-08T07:42:21Z<p></p>
<p><b>New page</b></p><div>[[Image:Elephant sword at Met.jpg|thumb|Indian elephant sword on display at the [[Metropolitan Museum of Art]], {{convert|2|ft|cm|spell=in}} long]]<br />
[[File:War_Elephant_Tusk_Sword_(Mughal_Empire).jpg|thumb|right|Mughal war elephant Tusk sword]]<br />
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An '''elephant sword''', also called a '''tusk sword''', is an [[Edged and bladed weapons|edged weapon]] designed to be attached to the tip of an elephant's [[tusk]], normally used in pairs.<br />
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[[War elephants]] were used for centuries, primarily from [[Indian subcontinent]] to the Middle East, and were often armored. Made of iron or steel, elephant swords were probably used from a relatively early date. Over a thousand years ago, elephants equipped with steel-tipped tusks were reportedly effectively used in battle. An elephant could toss an enemy in the air and cut him in two.<ref>John M. Kistler. ''Animals in the Military: From Hannibal's Elephants to the Dolphins of the U.S. Navy'', Santa Barbara: ABC-CLIO (2011), p. 89, {{ISBN|978-1-59884-346-0}}</ref> Sometimes the blades were coated with poison. The Russian merchant [[Afanasy Nikitin|Afanasii Nikitin]] recorded the use of these weapons in India in the 15th century.<ref>Konstantin Nossov. ''War Elephants'', Osprey Publishing (2008), p. 16, {{ISBN|978-1-84603-268-4}}</ref> A Persian illustration titled "[http://metmuseum.org/collection/the-collection-online/search/452146 The Battle of Pashan Begins]" from the ''[[Shahnama]]'' (''Book of Kings'') of [[Shah Tahmasp]], from [[Tabriz]] circa 1530s, shows an elephant in battle equipped with elephant swords (the battle depicted occurred centuries earlier).<br />
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It is possible that as many as thousands of elephant swords were manufactured over the years, but only four pairs plus a single specimen are known to exist today.<ref name="metmuseum">[http://www.metmuseum.org/collection/the-collection-online/search/679021 Metropolitan Museum of Art]</ref><br />
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==References==<br />
{{reflist}}<br />
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[[Category:Asian swords]]<br />
[[Category:Elephants]]<br />
[[Category:Military history of India]]<br />
[[Category:Livestock]]<br />
[[Category:Indo-Persian weaponry]]</div>Soldier