Bengal Tiger

The Bengal Tiger is a quite common, but highly symbolic animal in India. They are
very powerful and dangerous, weighing up to 325 kgs and more than 3 meters
long. They usually feed on ungulates, rarely on smaller prey, and supposedly also
on other predators, if needed. Only wounded or starved tigers may attack men to
feed, but they generally don't wander out of their territory. Man-eating tigers are
rare enough so that the few of them recorded in history became legendary, and
tarred in famous novels and hunting tales.
Lotus
The Indian lotus or sacred lotus, is a common aquatic flower of India and one of
its national symbols. It has always been a strong divine symbol of virtue and
purity. In Hinduism, the lotus is associated with many divinities in traditional
iconography, but it is also found in other Asian religions, illustrated as seats for
various deities or even in alternate names.
The Koh-I-Noor
The Koh-I-Noor is a 105-carat diamond. Almost certainly one of the most
desirable gems on the planet, it has passed through the hands of many dynasties
on the Indian subcontinent. There are some who believe the diamond to be the
fabled Syamantaka Mani, perhaps the most famous jewel in Hindu mythology,
supposed to be blessed with magical powers.
In 1850, the diamond was confiscated from the Sikh Empire by the British East
India Company and became part of the British Crown Jewels when
Queen Victoria was proclaimed Empress of India in 1877. The diamond is
currently set into the Crown of Queen Elizabeth and is on display at the Tower of
London.
It is believed that the Koh-i-Noor carries with it a curse which affects men who
wear it, but not women. All the men who owned it have either lost their throne or
had other misfortunes befall them. Queen Victoria is the first reigning monarch to
have worn the gem. Since Victoria's reign, the stone has generally been worn by
the Queen Consort, never by a male ruler.
Punjabi Jewellery
Punjabis love ornaments, and wear them often at weddings and other traditional
gatherings. Men are not excluded. They wear Kanthas, which are tightly-worn
necklaces, mostly without any pendant. The Taweez is a rectangular-shaped
amulet tied around the arm with jewel embellishments, while the Zanjiri is a piece
of jewellery which comes with a set of chains.
The Orchid Tree
The orchid tree or Bauhinia Purpurea is a small tree growing in Eastern Asia and
notably in Punjab, it can reach 6 to 7 meters. It produces purple flowers that look
like orchids.
The East India Company
The East India Company was originally named Governor and Company of
Merchants of London trading into the East Indies or Honourable East India
Company. It was a private, joint-stock company founded in 1600 through a Royal
Charter by Queen Elizabeth I of England, and came to rule large areas
of India with its own private army. It remained active throughout the regime
changed in England, until the Crown took control of the Company's powers and
assets in 1858. In the meantime, the Company grew and established trading posts
in many important cities of India and soon enjoyed a complete trade monopoly in
the region. This was done through multiple wars against colonial competitors and
local populations.
The First Anglo-Afghan War
Also known as Auckland's Folly, as a reference to George Eden, first Earl of
Auckland and Governor-General of India, who was responsible for starting it. This
war was fought between the British East India Company and Afghanistan between
1839 and 1842. What was supposed to be an easy conquest ended in a
bloodbath, but the British finally had the upper hand. One of the battles took
place in Herat.
Templar Orders
Search the market area for an estate owned by a certain Hamid. Spy on him to be
sure he is the Assassin we're after. If you ascertain his identity, search his
belongings. He should be hiding a very large diamond. This diamond is very
valuable to the Order. Retrieve it at all costs!
Signed: Major-General Sir William Henry Sleeman.
Chakram
The Chakram is a throwing weapon from India. It is circular, with a sharpened
outer edge, and its size can range from approximately 4 to 12 inches in diameter.
Primarily a throwing weapon, it can also be used in hand-to-hand combat.
Traditionally made out of steel or brass, they were sometimes ornately engraved,
or inlaid with brass, silver or gold.
Blunderbuss
The blunderbuss is a muzzle-loading firearm with a short, large-caliber barrel and
a flared muzzle. It was basically an early version of the shotgun, popular from the
17th to the 19th century, and like his descendant, was mostly useful at short
range, where its power was formidable, but quickly lost accuracy with range. Like
all muzzle-loaded weapons, blunderbusses could be used to fire all kinds of scrap
material, metal, stone, even wood, which often resulted in damaging the weapon
itself. Apart from being a preferred weapon of bandits and pirates, the
blunderbuss was generally associated with mounted or naval forces, since it was
lightweight, and easy to handle in close quarters or with limited mobility.
Brown Bess
Brown Bess is a nickname given to the British Army's flintlock-activated and
muzzle-loaded muskets during the expansion of the British Empire. It was used
over a hundred years of service and was upgraded many times. The origin of the
nickname is uncertain, but some believe it's linked to Elizabeth I of England. The
Brown Bess was one of the first weapons to enter the era of standardization. First,
the classification of those rifles was made by referring to the land of use. These
were called "land patterns." The British India Companies had their own standard,
the "India Pattern," that specified a barrel length and overall weight and length.
Jezail
Jezails were simple, cheap muzzle-loaded rifles commonly used in India and
Middle East. Often handmade, they were more personal than most firearms,
which is why they were very well crafted and decorated. As they were designed
for war, they had long barrels and used large calibers, but some Afghan fighters
were known to fire even nails and pebbles.
With rough bullets, they were both powerful and accurate. British troops took lots
of damage from these weapons during the Anglo-Afghan wars. References to this
weapon are notably found in some of Rudyard Kipling's famous works, including
"The Man Who Would Be King."
Lorenzoni Repeater
The first repeating rifles used a lever-action breech-loading system, invented
by Italian gunsmith Michele Lorenzoni in the early 1600s. This principle has been
used for developing the English-made Cookson repeater, designed by John
Cookson.
Puckle Gun
The Puckle gun was invented by James Puckle, a British inventor of the 18th
century. It was essentially a flintlock revolver gun, mounted on a tripod, using a
single barrel, and operated by a handle, so it's basically the first autocannon. It
was able to deliver shots in quick succession before requiring a reload.
Talwar
The Talwar is a type of curved sword or sabre from the Indian subcontinent, and is
found in the modern countries of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal
and Afghanistan. The Talwar was produced in many varieties, with different types
of blades. The blade profile of the British Pattern 1796 light cavalry sabre is similar
to some examples of the Talwar, and expert opinion has suggested that the
Talwar may have contributed to the design of the British sabre. The hilt is usually
entirely of iron, although brass and silver are sometimes used, and is connected
to the tang of the blade by a very powerful adhesive resin. More ornate examples
of the Talwar often show silver or gilt decoration in a form called koftgari.
Indian 9-Pounder
These guns were built in the East India Company gun foundry at Cossipore, a
major location for British weaponry in India. Lord Auckland had them built
for Ranjit Singh, to encourage him in his invasion plans towards Afghanistan. After
the Maharajah's death, the guns were dispatched all over India. Most of them
were recovered firing at the East India Company during the first Sikh War.