Protective weapons in the khanates of Central Asia in the late 18<sup>th</sup> — early 20<sup>th</sup> centuries

Abstract

The main issues discussed in the article are devoted to armors and shields that existed in the khanates of Central Asia in the late 18th — early 20th centuries. The references to protective weapons in the region in written sources since the last quarter of the 16th century have been studied. On the basis of the exhibits that came to large museum collections during the period of the existence of armor in the region, both a typical complex of protective weapons of a Central Asian warrior and individual items from it are considered in detail. Based on the studied written sources and research artefacts, a hypothesis is put forward about the influence of India and Iran on the defensive weapons in the khanates of Central Asia, which manifested itself both in the style of armor and in the use by Central Asian warriors of items made by Indian and Persian craftsmen.