Arms and Armor from Iran: The Bronze Age to the End of the Qajar Period

Arms and Armor from Iran: The Bronze Age to the End of the Qajar PeriodнThe book «Arms and Armor from Iran: The Bronze Age to the End of the Qajar Period» consists of 780 pages, where you can find the research and descriptions of items from 10 museums and private collections. Half of the book is devoted to the history of Iranian weapons, while the second half presents beautiful illustrations of the studied items.

 

 

 

 

CONTENTS

  1. 1. Introduction
  2. 2. The Iranian cultural influence in the region and the Iranian search for independence
  3. 3. Bronze and iron weapons from Iran
  4. 3.1 Casting bronze weapons
  5. 3.2 Bronze weapons from western parts of Iran (Luristan and Elam)
  6. 3.3 Classification of bronze and iron weapons from Luristan and other regions of Iran
  7. 3.4 Iron swords from Luristan
  8. 3.5 Bronze weapons from Hasanlu
  9. 3.6 Classification of daggers and swords from Marlik, Amlash, and Talesh
  10. 4. Median and Achaemenian daggers and swords
  11. 4.1 The Median akenakes (short sword)
  12. 4.2 The Persian akenakes
  13. 4.3 Achaemenian long sword
  14. 4.4 Achaemenian falchions
  15. 4.5 Achaemenian knives
  16. 5. Parthian swords and daggers
  17. 5.1 Evidence from rock reliefs
  18. 5.2 Archeological examples
  19. 6. Sassanian swords
  20. 6.1 Evidence from rock reliefs
  21. 6.2 Evidence from Silver plates
  22. 6.3 Archeological examples
  23. 7. The importance and meaning of the sword in Iran after the Muslim conquest
  24. 7.1 Crucible steel (Pulad-e gohardar or fulad-e johardar) and its varieties
  25. 7.2 Different types of steel
  26. 7.3 Pattern-welded steel blades (layered blades)
  27. 7.4 Classification of swords by al Kindi
  28. 7.5 Akhi Hizam Muhammad ibn Yaghub al Khuttali on swords
  29. 7.6 Beiruni on swords
  30. 7.7 Ibn Sina on swords
  31. 7.8 Khayyam Neishaburi on swords
  32. 7.9 Mobarakshah Fakhr Modabar on swords
  33. 7.10 Al Tarussi on swords
  34. 7.11 Identification and classification of watered-steel blades (tigheye johardar) based on publications from modern times
  35. 8. Shamshir (sword) and its varieties
  36. 8.1 Shamshir attributed to Timur with gold-inlaid cartouches in Kufic inscriptions from the National Museum of Iran, Tehran
  37. 8.2 Shamshir attributed to Timur with gold-inlaid cartouches in Kufic inscriptions from the Military Museum, Tehran
  38. 8.3 Another shamshir attributed to Timur from the Military Museum, Tehran
  39. 8.4 Different parts of a classical shamshir
  40. 9. The mystery behind dhufaghar “zolfaghar”, the bifurcated sword of Ali
  41. 10. Iranian straight swords: the re-emergence or coexistence with curved swords
  42. 11. Iranian military swords from the Qajar period (shamshir nezami)
  43. 12. Qame and qaddare (double-edged short sword and one-edged short sword)
  44. 13. Khanjar (double-edged dagger)
  45. 14. Kard (one-edged knife)
  46. 15. Pishqabz (double-curved, one-edged dagger)
  47. 16. Neyze and zubin (spear and javelin)
  48. 16.1 Spearheads from Marlik
  49. 16.2 Spearheads from Amlash
  50. 16.3 Spearheads from Amarlu
  51. 16.4 Spearheads from Luristan
  52. 16.5 Achaemenian spearheads
  53. 16.6 Parthian and Sassanian spearheads
  54. 16.7 Spears after the Muslim conquest
  55. 17. Gorz (mace)
  56. 17.1 Globular or pear-shaped and truncheon-shaped mace heads
  57. 17.2 Knobbed and flanged maces
  58. 17.3 Animal or human-headed maces
  59. 18. Tabar / Tabarzin (axe and saddleaxe)
  60. 19. Separ (shield)
  61. 20. Zereh and joshan (armor)
  62. 20.1 Joshan and zereh (mail)
  63. 20.2 Chahr ayne (four mirrors)
  64. 20.3 Sardushi (Shoulder padding)
  65. 20.4 Bazuband (arm guard)
  66. 20.5 Kolah khud (helmet)
  67. 20.6 Gariban (standard)
  68. 20.7 Zanuband (knee protector) and sagband (shin protector)
  69. 21. Tir va Kaman (bow and arrows)
  70. 21.1 Shapes and structure of a Kaman (bow)
  71. 21.2 Materials used for making a bow
  72. 21.3 Tir (arrow) and paykan (arrowhead)
  73. 22. The meaning of the emblem of the lion, the sun, and the lion fighting a bull on pieces of arms and armor
  74. 23. The Iranian warrior tradition: Iranian treatises on warfare and martial arts
  75. 23.1 Jawanmardi: rules of conduct and behavior for warriors
  76. 23.2 Ayyaran during the Sassanian period and in later eras
  77. 24. Koshti (wrestling), other martial practices, and their role in preparing the warriors for the battlefield
  78. 24.1 Wrestling and varzesh bastani
  79. 24.2 Practice tools of varzesh bastani
  80. 24.3 Archery training
  81. 24.4 Handling the sword
  82. 24.5 Throwing the javelin
  83. 24.6 Horse riding, polo, and playing at the mall
  84. 24.7 Stickfighting
  85. 25. Dervishes
  86. 26. Naggali (traditional reciting of Shahname)
  87. 27. Arms and armor used in taziye (Shiite passion play)
  88. 28. Conclusion
  89. 29. Catalog

The book is of a worldwide importance and is the main source to study Iranian weapons.

You can get the book here