The Story

As a Sikh, before the mention of collecting and value of antique swords comes about, the utmost respect for weaponry is paramount. The Sikh tradition revolves around being Shastardhari, or “Adorners of Weaponry” which was instilled in us by Guru Gobind Singh Ji, the 10th King. Weapons are the form of God in their most gracious form, hence swords commonly being referred to as “Kirpans” or “Bestowers of grace”. Within the sword resides the primal energy of creation and death:

kha(n)ddaa pirathamai saaj kai; jin sabh saisaar upaiaa ||

At first the Lord created the double-edged sword and then He created the whole world.

The Khanda, more specifically the energy which resides within it is the first form of energy created, the energy of death and destruction, from which the universe was formed. As these weapons are the physical manifestations of these energies and forms of God, the Sikhs venerate them profusely and revolve their daily discipline and devotion around the way of the warrior in both the physical and spiritual sense. Therefore, the preservation of the weapons and warrior traditions are kept as part of our religious duties.

This extends to antique weaponry, more so due to the fact that the roots of the martial traditions and heritage of Sikhi are found within 15th century Punjab by the teaching of the martial traditions by Sri Guru Nanak Dev ji themselves to their Sikhs, and then the formal militarisation of the Sikh nation by Guru Hargobind Sahib Ji Maharaj, the 6th King, in the 16th century- forming the Akaal Sena [The Immortal(‘s) Forces]. These traditions are practised till this day by Sikhs around the world (Figure 1). This was cemented by Guru Gobind Singh Ji, by transforming the Sikhs into arm-bearing warriors tempered by the principles of the saints, in order to be referred to as a Sikh of the Guru- known as the Khalsa Panth. This final step to solidify the Sikh identity, in outward form, inward philosophy and social and political aptitude is what we see today as modern practising Sikhs, with the Akaali Nihang faction being the upholders of these practises in their original settings.

As the world of weaponry, especially antique weaponry overlap with the Sikh devotional practise and historically over the period the Sikh faith was formed, the collecting of and passion for antique Indo-Persian arms and armour go hand-in-hand. The primary focus of this website is to provide people with genuine antiques that have been curated for sale, showcase pieces from my personal collection of Indo-Persian arms and armour, and the dissemination of information learned over years of collecting, researching and dealing in antique weaponry.

Having gained knowledge and experience through studying, restoration of antique arms and interacting with like-minded collectors, the next step was to develop a platform which I can use to share what I have learned through publishing articles based on various topics around collecting Indo-Persian arms and armour! I will be disseminating the knowledge learned over my journey so that burgeoning collectors may have a solid foundation and reference to which they can refer to as they progress on their own collecting journey.

Please get in contact should you have any questions about pieces for sale, if you wish to consign pieces for sale or appraisal. Connect with me on Instagram or via the Contact Me page! I’m always happy to discuss anything antique arms and armour related.