Kilij
Encyclopedia
A kilij is a type of saber used by the Turks
throughout history starting from late Hsiung-nu period to Avar
Empire and Göktürk Khaganate, Uyghur Khaganate, Seljuk Empire, Timurid Empire, Mamluk Empire, Ottoman Empire
, and later Turkic Khanates of Central Asia. These blades evolved from Turko-Mongol saber
s that had been used over all the lands invaded and/or influenced by the Turkic peoples.
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In the Early Middle Ages, Turkic people of Central Asia came into contact with Middle Eastern civilizations through Islam. Turkic Ghulam
slave-soldiers serving under Ummayad and Abbasid Khaliphates introduced "kilij" type sabers to Middle Eastern cultures. Previously, Arabs and Persians used straight-bladed swords such as the Indo-Persian Khanda
and earlier types of saif and kaskara
.
During İslamizaton of the Turks, the kilij became more and more popular in the İslamic armies. When the Seljuk Empire invaded Persia and became the first Turkic Muslim political power in Western Asia, kilij became the dominant sword form. The İranian shamshir
was created during the Turkic Seljuk Empire period of İran.
After the invasion of Anatolia
this sword type was carried by Turkomen tribes to the future seat of the Ottoman Empire
. During the Crusades, Turks of Anatolia were the first target to be attacked by European Armies, and their curved swords was misperceived by Europeans as the imaginative "scimitar of the Saracens", the generic sword type for all "Orientals".
and the Mamluks of Egypt
, was recognisable by the late 15th century. The oldest surviving examples sport a long blade curving slightly from the hilt and more strongly in the distal half. The width of the blade stays narrow (with a slight taper) up until the last 30% of its length, at which point it flares out and becomes wider. This distinctive flaring tip is called a "yelman" (false edge) and it greatly adds to the cutting power of the sword. Ottoman sabres of the next couple of centuries were often of the Selchuk shamshir
variety, though the native kilij form was also found; Iranian blades (that did not have the yelman) were fitted with Ottoman hilts. These hilts normally had slightly longer quillons to the guard, which was usually of brass or silver, and sported a rounded termination to the grips, usually made of horn, unlike that seen on Iranian swords (Iranian swords usually had iron guards and the grip terminated in a hook-shape often with a metal pommel sheathing). Blades of European manufacture, especially Hungarian and Polish, were also used, mounted in local fashion, by the Ottoman Turks. The finest mechanical damascus and wootz steel were often used in making of these swords. In the classical period of the Ottoman Empire, Bursa, Damascus and the Derbent regions became the most famous swordsmithing centers of the empire. Turkish blades became a major import item to Europe and Asia.
In the late 18th century, though shamshirs continued to be used, the kilij underwent an evolution: the blade was shortened, became much more acutely curved, and was wider with an even deeper yelman. In addition to the flared tip, these blades have a distinct "T-shaped" cross section to the back of the blade. This allowed greater blade stiffness without an increase in weight. Because of the shape of the tip of the blade and the nature of its curvature the kilij could be used to perform the thrust, though not very efficiently, in this it had an advantage over the shamshir whose extreme curvature did not allow the thrust. Some of these shorter kilij are also referred to as pala, but there does not seem to be a clear-cut distinction in nomenclature.
After the Auspicious Incident
, the Turkish army was modernized in the European fashion and kilijs were abandoned for western-type cavalry sabers (which was itself evolved from kilij) and smallswords. This change, and the introduction of industrialized European steels to Ottoman market, created a great decline in traditional swordsmithing. Civilians in the provinces and county militia (zeibeks in Western Anatolia, bashibozuks in Balkan provinces), continued to carry hand-made kilijs as a part of their traditional dress. İn the late 19th century, Sultan Abdulhamid II's palace guards, the Ertuğrul Brigade (which was composed of nomadic Turkomans of Anatolia), carried traditional kilijs as a romantic-nationalistic revival of the earlier Ottoman Turkoman cavalry raiders. This sentiment continued after dethronement of the sultan by the nationalist Young Turks. Though not an official part of the army uniforms, high-ranking officers carried custom-made kilijs instead of standard officer dress sabers.
Following the Ottoman invasion of Balkans, European armies were introduced to the kilij, though Greeks, Russians, Ukrainians, Poles, other Slavs and Hungarians were not strangers to this sword type from their earlier encounters with Turkic nomads such as Bulgars
, Khazars
, Pechenegs, Cumans
and Tatars
. Russian cossacks and the peoples of the Caucasus adopted a variation of nomadic Tatars' kilij as the shashka. The Kilij first became popular with the Balkan nations and the Hungarian hussar cavalry after 15th century, the sabre taking the name of szabla
. Around 1670, the karabela
(from Turkish word karabela: black bane) was evolved, based on Janissary kilij sabres; it became the most popular sword-form in the Polish army. During 17th and 18th centuries, curved sabers that evolved from Turkish kilij, were widespread throughout Europe.
As the Mamluks were originally of Turkish descent, the Egyptians bore Turkish sabers for hundreds of years. During the Napoleonic Wars
, the French
conquest of Egypt brought these beautiful and functional swords to the attention of the Europe
ans. This type of sabre became very popular for light cavalry officers, in both France and Britain, and became a fashionable sword for senior officers to wear. In 1831 the "Mamaluke," as the sword was now called, became a regulation pattern for British
general officers (the 1831 Pattern, still in use today). The American victory over the rebellious forces in the citadel of Tripoli
in 1805 during the First Barbary War
, led to the presentation of bejewelled examples of these swords to the senior officers of the US Marines
. Officers of the US Marine Corps still use a mameluke pattern dress sword. Although some genuine Turkish kilij sabres were used by Westerners, most "mameluke sabres" were manufactured in Europe; their hilts were very similar in form to the Ottoman prototype, however, their blades, even when an expanded yelman was incorporated, tended to be longer, narrower and less curved than those of the true kilij.
Turkic peoples
The Turkic peoples are peoples residing in northern, central and western Asia, southern Siberia and northwestern China and parts of eastern Europe. They speak languages belonging to the Turkic language family. They share, to varying degrees, certain cultural traits and historical backgrounds...
throughout history starting from late Hsiung-nu period to Avar
Eurasian Avars
The Eurasian Avars or Ancient Avars were a highly organized nomadic confederacy of mixed origins. They were ruled by a khagan, who was surrounded by a tight-knit entourage of nomad warriors, an organization characteristic of Turko-Mongol groups...
Empire and Göktürk Khaganate, Uyghur Khaganate, Seljuk Empire, Timurid Empire, Mamluk Empire, Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
, and later Turkic Khanates of Central Asia. These blades evolved from Turko-Mongol saber
Dao (sword)
Daois a category of single-edge Chinese swords primarily used for slashing and chopping , often called a broadsword in English translation because some varieties have wide blades. In China, the dao is known as one of the four major weapons, along with the gun , qiang , and the jian , and referred...
s that had been used over all the lands invaded and/or influenced by the Turkic peoples.
History
Origins
The Central Asian Turks and their offshoots begun using curved cavalry swords beginning from the late Hsing-Nu period. The earliest examples of curved, single edged Turkish swords can be found associated with the late Hsing-nu and Kok Turk empires. These swords were made of pattern welded high carbon steel, generally with long slightly curved blades with one sharp edge. A sharp back edge on the distal third of the blade known as "yelman" was introduced during this period.In the Early Middle Ages, Turkic people of Central Asia came into contact with Middle Eastern civilizations through Islam. Turkic Ghulam
Ghulam
Ghulam is a 1998 Hindi film directed by Vikram Bhatt and starring Aamir Khan. The film was inspired by Elia Kazan's On the Waterfront . It is the second remake of On the Waterfront after Kabzaa starring Sanjay Dutt...
slave-soldiers serving under Ummayad and Abbasid Khaliphates introduced "kilij" type sabers to Middle Eastern cultures. Previously, Arabs and Persians used straight-bladed swords such as the Indo-Persian Khanda
Khanda (sword)
The blade is usually broad and quite heavy and broadens from the hilt to the tip. The blade transforms into tip rather abruptly. The hilt has a small metal spike coming out in the opposite direction typical of the khanda...
and earlier types of saif and kaskara
Kaskara
The Kaskara was a type of broadsword characteristic of Sudan and Chad. The blade of the kaskara was usually about a yard long, double edged and with a spatulate tip. While most surviving examples are from the 19th century, the type is believed to have originated in the 16th century, and may...
.
During İslamizaton of the Turks, the kilij became more and more popular in the İslamic armies. When the Seljuk Empire invaded Persia and became the first Turkic Muslim political power in Western Asia, kilij became the dominant sword form. The İranian shamshir
Shamshir
A Shamshir also Shamsheer and Chimchir, is a type of sabre with a curve that is considered radical for a sword: 5 to 15 degrees from tip to tip. The name is derived from Persian شمشیر shamshīr, which means "sword"...
was created during the Turkic Seljuk Empire period of İran.
After the invasion of Anatolia
Anatolia
Anatolia is a geographic and historical term denoting the westernmost protrusion of Asia, comprising the majority of the Republic of Turkey...
this sword type was carried by Turkomen tribes to the future seat of the Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
. During the Crusades, Turks of Anatolia were the first target to be attacked by European Armies, and their curved swords was misperceived by Europeans as the imaginative "scimitar of the Saracens", the generic sword type for all "Orientals".
Evolution of Ottoman kilij
The Kilij, as a specific type of sabre associated with the Ottoman TurksOttoman Turks
The Ottoman Turks were the Turkish-speaking population of the Ottoman Empire who formed the base of the state's military and ruling classes. Reliable information about the early history of Ottoman Turks is scarce, but they take their Turkish name, Osmanlı , from the house of Osman I The Ottoman...
and the Mamluks of Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
, was recognisable by the late 15th century. The oldest surviving examples sport a long blade curving slightly from the hilt and more strongly in the distal half. The width of the blade stays narrow (with a slight taper) up until the last 30% of its length, at which point it flares out and becomes wider. This distinctive flaring tip is called a "yelman" (false edge) and it greatly adds to the cutting power of the sword. Ottoman sabres of the next couple of centuries were often of the Selchuk shamshir
Shamshir
A Shamshir also Shamsheer and Chimchir, is a type of sabre with a curve that is considered radical for a sword: 5 to 15 degrees from tip to tip. The name is derived from Persian شمشیر shamshīr, which means "sword"...
variety, though the native kilij form was also found; Iranian blades (that did not have the yelman) were fitted with Ottoman hilts. These hilts normally had slightly longer quillons to the guard, which was usually of brass or silver, and sported a rounded termination to the grips, usually made of horn, unlike that seen on Iranian swords (Iranian swords usually had iron guards and the grip terminated in a hook-shape often with a metal pommel sheathing). Blades of European manufacture, especially Hungarian and Polish, were also used, mounted in local fashion, by the Ottoman Turks. The finest mechanical damascus and wootz steel were often used in making of these swords. In the classical period of the Ottoman Empire, Bursa, Damascus and the Derbent regions became the most famous swordsmithing centers of the empire. Turkish blades became a major import item to Europe and Asia.
In the late 18th century, though shamshirs continued to be used, the kilij underwent an evolution: the blade was shortened, became much more acutely curved, and was wider with an even deeper yelman. In addition to the flared tip, these blades have a distinct "T-shaped" cross section to the back of the blade. This allowed greater blade stiffness without an increase in weight. Because of the shape of the tip of the blade and the nature of its curvature the kilij could be used to perform the thrust, though not very efficiently, in this it had an advantage over the shamshir whose extreme curvature did not allow the thrust. Some of these shorter kilij are also referred to as pala, but there does not seem to be a clear-cut distinction in nomenclature.
After the Auspicious Incident
The Auspicious Incident
The Auspicious Incident was the forced disbandment of the centuries-old Janissary corps by Ottoman sultan Mahmud II in June 1826....
, the Turkish army was modernized in the European fashion and kilijs were abandoned for western-type cavalry sabers (which was itself evolved from kilij) and smallswords. This change, and the introduction of industrialized European steels to Ottoman market, created a great decline in traditional swordsmithing. Civilians in the provinces and county militia (zeibeks in Western Anatolia, bashibozuks in Balkan provinces), continued to carry hand-made kilijs as a part of their traditional dress. İn the late 19th century, Sultan Abdulhamid II's palace guards, the Ertuğrul Brigade (which was composed of nomadic Turkomans of Anatolia), carried traditional kilijs as a romantic-nationalistic revival of the earlier Ottoman Turkoman cavalry raiders. This sentiment continued after dethronement of the sultan by the nationalist Young Turks. Though not an official part of the army uniforms, high-ranking officers carried custom-made kilijs instead of standard officer dress sabers.
Adoption by Western Armed Forces
Bulgars
The Bulgars were a semi-nomadic who flourished in the Pontic Steppe and the Volga basin in the 7th century.The Bulgars emerge after the collapse of the Hunnic Empire in the 5th century....
, Khazars
Khazars
The Khazars were semi-nomadic Turkic people who established one of the largest polities of medieval Eurasia, with the capital of Atil and territory comprising much of modern-day European Russia, western Kazakhstan, eastern Ukraine, Azerbaijan, large portions of the northern Caucasus , parts of...
, Pechenegs, Cumans
Cumans
The Cumans were Turkic nomadic people comprising the western branch of the Cuman-Kipchak confederation. After Mongol invasion , they decided to seek asylum in Hungary, and subsequently to Bulgaria...
and Tatars
Tatars
Tatars are a Turkic speaking ethnic group , numbering roughly 7 million.The majority of Tatars live in the Russian Federation, with a population of around 5.5 million, about 2 million of which in the republic of Tatarstan.Significant minority populations are found in Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan,...
. Russian cossacks and the peoples of the Caucasus adopted a variation of nomadic Tatars' kilij as the shashka. The Kilij first became popular with the Balkan nations and the Hungarian hussar cavalry after 15th century, the sabre taking the name of szabla
Szabla
Szabla is the Polish word for sabre. It specifically refers to an Eastern European one-edged sabre-like mêlée weapon with a curved blade and, in most cases, a two-bladed tip called a feather . Initially used by light cavalry, with time it also evolved into a variety of arms used both for martial...
. Around 1670, the karabela
Karabela
A karabela was a type of Polish sabre . Perhaps one of the most famous types of that type of weapons, it became highly popular in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in the 1670s...
(from Turkish word karabela: black bane) was evolved, based on Janissary kilij sabres; it became the most popular sword-form in the Polish army. During 17th and 18th centuries, curved sabers that evolved from Turkish kilij, were widespread throughout Europe.
As the Mamluks were originally of Turkish descent, the Egyptians bore Turkish sabers for hundreds of years. During the Napoleonic Wars
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...
, the French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
conquest of Egypt brought these beautiful and functional swords to the attention of the Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
ans. This type of sabre became very popular for light cavalry officers, in both France and Britain, and became a fashionable sword for senior officers to wear. In 1831 the "Mamaluke," as the sword was now called, became a regulation pattern for British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
general officers (the 1831 Pattern, still in use today). The American victory over the rebellious forces in the citadel of Tripoli
Tripoli
Tripoli is the capital and largest city in Libya. It is also known as Western Tripoli , to distinguish it from Tripoli, Lebanon. It is affectionately called The Mermaid of the Mediterranean , describing its turquoise waters and its whitewashed buildings. Tripoli is a Greek name that means "Three...
in 1805 during the First Barbary War
First Barbary War
The First Barbary War , also known as the Barbary Coast War or the Tripolitan War, was the first of two wars fought between the United States and the North African Berber Muslim states known collectively as the Barbary States...
, led to the presentation of bejewelled examples of these swords to the senior officers of the US Marines
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
. Officers of the US Marine Corps still use a mameluke pattern dress sword. Although some genuine Turkish kilij sabres were used by Westerners, most "mameluke sabres" were manufactured in Europe; their hilts were very similar in form to the Ottoman prototype, however, their blades, even when an expanded yelman was incorporated, tended to be longer, narrower and less curved than those of the true kilij.
Terminology
Turkish language has a rich terminology involving swords, swordsmithing, parts and types of blades. Below is listed some of the terminology about names of the main parts of a kilij and scabbard in order of the term, literal translation of the Turkish word, and its equivelant in English terminology of swords.| Term | Literal Translation | Equivelant in English Sword Terminology - Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Namlu | Barrel | Blade |
| Kabza | Hilt | Hilt |
| Balçak | Guard | |
| Siper | Cover | Quillion |
| Kuyruk or Tugru | Tail | Tang |
| Kabza boynu | Neck of the handle | Grip |
| Kabza başı | Head of the handle | Pommel |
| Perçin or Çij | Rivet | Rivet |
| Ağız or Yalım | Mouth | Edge |
| Sırt | Back | Back |
| Yiv,Oluk or Göl | Chamfer,Groove or Lake | Fuller |
| Set | Bank | Ridge |
| Namlu boynu | Neck of the blade | Central narrow section of the blade |
| Yalman | Double edged end section of the blade | |
| Mahmuz | Spur | the bulged section in the blade's back, between neck and yalman |
| Namlu yüzü | Face of the blade | Flat of the blade |
| Süvre or Uç | Point or Tip | Point |
| Kın | Scabbard | Scabbard |
| Ağızlık | Mouthpiece | Locket |
| Çamurluk | Bumper | Chape |
| Balçak oyuğu | Guard Cavity | Section of the locket where handguard fits in. |
| Bilezik | Bangle | The part that attaches scabbard to carrying rings |
| Taşıma halkası | Carrying ring | Carrying ring |
| Gövde | Body | Main part of the scabbard |
In Pop Culture
- The kilij was featured in an episode of the Spike show, 'Deadliest Warrior', in which Vlad the Impaler fought Sun Tzu.
- In Assassin's Creed: RevelationsAssassin's Creed: RevelationsAssassin's Creed: Revelations is a video game in the Assassin's Creed franchise developed and published by Ubisoft Montreal. The game was released for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 on November 15, 2011. For Microsoft Windows, the game is delayed until December 2, 2011...
, Yusuf Tazim has a Turkish Kilij as one of his weapons.
See also
- Dao (sword)Dao (sword)Daois a category of single-edge Chinese swords primarily used for slashing and chopping , often called a broadsword in English translation because some varieties have wide blades. In China, the dao is known as one of the four major weapons, along with the gun , qiang , and the jian , and referred...
- Mameluke swordMameluke SwordA Mameluke sword is a cross-hilted, curved, scimitar-like sword historically derived from sabres used by Mamluk warriors of Mamluk Egypt from whom the sword derives its name. It is related to the shamshir, which had its origins in Persia from where the style migrated to India, Egypt and North...
: a derivative of the Kilij - PulwarPulwarA pulwar is a single handed curved sword from Afghanistan and neighbouring regions of Pakistan and Northwestern India.-Characteristics:...
- Saif
- ShamshirShamshirA Shamshir also Shamsheer and Chimchir, is a type of sabre with a curve that is considered radical for a sword: 5 to 15 degrees from tip to tip. The name is derived from Persian شمشیر shamshīr, which means "sword"...
- Tulwar
- YataganYataganThe yatagan or yataghan is a type of Ottomanknife or short sabre used from the mid-16th to late 19th centuries....
: another distinctive Turkish sword