The following is based on a
glossary
A glossary (from grc, γλῶσσα, ''glossa''; language, speech, wording) also known as a vocabulary or clavis, is an alphabetical list of Term (language), terms in a particular domain of knowledge with the definitions for those terms. Tradi ...
attached to the fifth Report of the Committee of the
House of Commons
The House of Commons is the name for the elected lower house of the bicameral parliaments of the United Kingdom and Canada. In both of these countries, the Commons holds much more legislative power than the nominally upper house of parliament. ...
on Indian affairs, appointed in 1810, comprising
Hindustani words commonly used in the administration of the
British Raj
The British Raj (; from Hindi ''rāj'': kingdom, realm, state, or empire) was the rule of the British Crown on the Indian subcontinent;
*
* it is also called Crown rule in India,
*
*
*
*
or Direct rule in India,
* Quote: "Mill, who was himsel ...
(British India).
English language public instruction began in India in the 1830s during the
rule of the East India Company (India was then, and is today, one of the most linguistically diverse regions of the world). In 1835, English
replaced Persian
Persian may refer to:
* People and things from Iran, historically called ''Persia'' in the English language
** Persians, the majority ethnic group in Iran, not to be conflated with the Iranic peoples
** Persian language, an Iranian language of the ...
as the official language of the Company.
Lord Macaulay
Thomas Babington Macaulay, 1st Baron Macaulay, (; 25 October 1800 – 28 December 1859) was a British historian and Whig politician, who served as the Secretary at War between 1839 and 1841, and as the Paymaster-General between 1846 and 1 ...
played a major role in introducing English and western concepts to education in India. He supported the replacement of Persian by English as the official language, the use of English as the medium of instruction in all schools, and the training of English-speaking Indians as teachers.
[John MacKenzie, "A family empire," ''BBC History Magazine'' (Jan 2013)] Throughout the 1840s and 1850s, primary, middle, and high-schools were opened in many districts of
British India
The provinces of India, earlier presidencies of British India and still earlier, presidency towns, were the administrative divisions of British governance on the Indian subcontinent. Collectively, they have been called British India. In one ...
, with most high-schools offering English language instruction in some subjects. In 1857, just before the end of Company rule, universities modelled on the
University of London
The University of London (UoL; abbreviated as Lond or more rarely Londin in post-nominals) is a federal public research university located in London, England, United Kingdom. The university was established by royal charter in 1836 as a degree ...
and using English as the medium of instruction were established in
Bombay
Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' financial centre of India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Mumbai is the second- ...
,
Calcutta
Kolkata (, or , ; also known as Calcutta , List of renamed places in India#West Bengal, the official name until 2001) is the Capital city, capital of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of West Bengal, on the eastern ba ...
and
Madras
Chennai (, ), formerly known as Madras ( the official name until 1996), is the capital city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost Indian state. The largest city of the state in area and population, Chennai is located on the Coromandel Coast of th ...
. During the
British Raj
The British Raj (; from Hindi ''rāj'': kingdom, realm, state, or empire) was the rule of the British Crown on the Indian subcontinent;
*
* it is also called Crown rule in India,
*
*
*
*
or Direct rule in India,
* Quote: "Mill, who was himsel ...
, lasting from 1858 to 1947, English language penetration increased throughout India. This was driven in part by the gradually increasing hiring of Indians in the
civil services
The civil service is a collective term for a sector of government composed mainly of career civil servants hired on professional merit rather than appointed or elected, whose institutional tenure typically survives transitions of political leaders ...
. At the time of India's independence in 1947, English was the only functional
lingua franca
A lingua franca (; ; for plurals see ), also known as a bridge language, common language, trade language, auxiliary language, vehicular language, or link language, is a language systematically used to make communication possible between groups ...
in the country.
It used British spellings and contemporary interpretations, many which have passed into the English vocabulary.
[Mill, James, The History of British India, Vol. 1 (of 6), 3rd Edition, London, 1826, Glossar]
/ref>
A
*''Adalat'', ''Adawlut'': Justice, equity; a court of justice. The terms ''Dewanny Adawlut'', and ''Foujdarry Adawlut'', denote the civil and criminal courts of justice. See ''Dewanny'' and ''Foujdarry.''
*'' Emir, Ameer, Meer, Mir, Emir:'' A nobleman. Ameer ul Omrah. Noble of nobles, God of Gods, Lord of lords
*''Anna'': A piece of money, the sixteenth part of a rupee.
*''Aumeen'': Trustee, commissioner. A temporary collector or supravisor, appointed to the charge of a country on the removal of a Zemindar, or for any other particular purpose of local investigation or arrangement.
*''Aumil:'' Agent, officer, native collector of revenue. Superintendent of a district or division of a country, either on the part of the government, ''Zemindar'', or renter.
*''Aumildar:'' Agent, the holder of an office. An intendant and collector of the revenue, uniting civil, military, and financial powers, under the Mahomedan government.
*''Aurung'': A place where goods are manufactured.
B
*''Bala-Ghaut:'' Above the ''Ghauts'', in contradistinction to ''Payeen-Ghaut'', below the ''Ghauts''. The terms are generally applied to the Deccan Plateau
The large Deccan Plateau in southern India is located between the Western Ghats and the Eastern Ghats, and is loosely defined as the peninsular region between these ranges that is south of the Narmada river. To the north, it is bounded by the ...
, a high tableland in the centre of India, towards its southern extremity.
*''Banyan''. A Hindu merchant, or shopkeeper. The term ''Banyan'' is used in Bengal to denote the native who manages the money concerns of the European, and sometimes serves him as an interpreter. At Madras, the same description of persons is called ''Dubash'', which signifies one who can speak two languages.
*''Batta''. Deficiency, discount, allowance. Allowance to troops in the field.
*''Bazaar
A bazaar () or souk (; also transliterated as souq) is a marketplace consisting of multiple small Market stall, stalls or shops, especially in the Middle East, the Balkans, North Africa and India. However, temporary open markets elsewhere, suc ...
'': Daily market, or market place.
*''Bega'': A land measure equal, in Bengal, to about the third part of an acre.
*''Begum
Begum (also begüm, bagum, begom, begam, baigum or beygum) is a royal and aristocratic title from Central and South Asia. It is the feminine equivalent of the title ''baig'' or '' bey'', which in Turkic languages means "higher official". It us ...
'': A lady, princess, woman of high rank.
*''Bice, Vaishya
Vaishya (Sanskrit: वैश्य, ''vaiśya'') is one of the four Varna (Hinduism), varnas of the Hinduism, Hindu social order in India. Vaishyas are classed third in the order of caste hierarchy.
The occupation of Vaishyas consists mainly ...
'': A man of the third Hindu caste, who by birth is a trader, or husbandman.
*''Brahmen, Brahmin
Brahmin (; sa, ब्राह्मण, brāhmaṇa) is a varna as well as a caste within Hindu society. The Brahmins are designated as the priestly class as they serve as priests (purohit, pandit, or pujari) and religious teachers (guru ...
, Brahman, Bramin'': A divine, a priest; the first ''Hindoo'' caste.
*''Brinjarrie, Binjary, Benjary, Banjary'': A grain merchant.
*''Bungalow
A bungalow is a small house or cottage that is either single-story or has a second story built into a sloping roof (usually with dormer windows), and may be surrounded by wide verandas.
The first house in England that was classified as a b ...
'': The name used in Bengal, for a species of country-house, erected by Europeans.
C
*'' Caly Yug, Calyoogum'': The present, or fourth age of the world, according to the chronology of the Hindus.
*''Caste
Caste is a form of social stratification characterised by endogamy, hereditary transmission of a style of life which often includes an occupation, ritual status in a hierarchy, and customary social interaction and exclusion based on cultura ...
, Cast'': A tribe, or class of people.
*''Caravan-Serai'': The ''serai'' of the caravan. See ''Serai'' and ''Choultry''.
*''Cawzi, Cazi, Kazy'': A ''Mahomedan'' judge, or justice, who also officiates as a public notary, in attesting deeds, by affixing his seal. The same as ''Cadi'', in Turkey.
*''Cauzy-ul-Cazaut'': Judge of judges; the chief judge, or justice.
*''Cauvery'': The Kaveri
The Kaveri (also known as Cauvery, the anglicized name) is one of the major Indian rivers flowing through the states of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. The Kaveri river rises at Talakaveri in the Brahmagiri range in the Western Ghats, Kodagu dis ...
river.
*''Chandala'': One of the names for the most degraded Hindu casts.
*''Choky, Chokee:'' A chair, seat; guard, watch. The station of a guard or watchman. A place where an officer is stationed to receive tolls and customs.
*''Chokidar, Chowkidaar'': A watchman.
*''Choultry'': A covered public building, for the accommodation of passengers.
*''Chout'': A fourth: a fourth part of sums litigated. ''Mahratta'' ''chout''; a fourth xxii
22 (twenty-two) is the natural number following 21 and preceding 23.
In mathematics
22 is a palindromic number and the eighth semiprime; its proper divisors are 1, 2, and 11. It is the second Smith number, the second Erdős–Woods numb ...
of the revenues, exacted as tribute by the ''Mahrattas''.
*''Chubdar'': Staff-bearer. An attendant on a man of rank. He waits with a long staff, plated with silver, announces the approach of visitors, and runs before his master, proclaiming aloud his titles.
*''Chunam'': Lime.
*''Circar'': Head of affairs; the state or government; a grand division of a province; a head man; a name used by Europeans in Bengal, to denote the Hindu writer and accountant, employed by themselves, or in the public offices.
*''Colluries, Colerees'': Saltworks, the places where salt is made.
*''Coolites, Cooly'': Porter, labourer.
*''Coss'': A term used by Europeans, to denote a road-measure of about two miles, but differing in different parts of India.
*''Crore
A crore (; abbreviated cr) denotes ten million (10,000,000 or 107 in scientific notation) and is equal to 100 lakh in the Indian numbering system. It is written as 1,00,00,000 with the local 2,2,3 style of digit group separators (one lakh is e ...
'': A unit in the Indian numbering system
The Indian numbering system is used in all South Asian countries (Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Afghanistan) to express large numbers. The terms ''lakh'' or 1,00,000 (one hundred thousand, written as ''100,00 ...
equal to 100 ''lac
Lac is the resinous secretion of a number of species of lac insects, of which the most commonly cultivated is ''Kerria lacca''.
Cultivation begins when a farmer gets a stick that contains eggs ready to hatch and ties it to the tree to be infes ...
'' i.e. ten million or 107 in scientific notation
Scientific notation is a way of expressing numbers that are too large or too small (usually would result in a long string of digits) to be conveniently written in decimal form. It may be referred to as scientific form or standard index form, o ...
, and written as “1,00,00,000” (rather than “10,000,000”) in the Indian convention of digit grouping
A decimal separator is a symbol used to separate the integer part from the fractional part of a number written in decimal form (e.g., "." in 12.45). Different countries officially designate different symbols for use as the separator. The choi ...
.
*''Crishnah, Crishna:'' The '' Krishna River.''
*''Csnatriya, Kshatriya, Chetterie, Khetery'': A man of the second or military ''caste''.
*''Cutcherry'': Court of justice; also the public office where the rents are paid, and other business respecting the revenue transacted.
*''Cutwal, Katwal'': The chief officer of police in a large town or city, and superintendent of the markets.
D
*''Dar:'' Keeper, holder. This word is often joined with another, to denote the holder of a particular office or employment, as ''Chob-dar, staff-holder; Zemin-dar'', land-holder. This compound word, with i, ee, y, added to it, denotes the office, as ''Zemindar-ee''.
*''Darogah'': A superintendent, or overseer; as of the police, the mint.
*''Daum, Dam:'' A copper coin, the fortieth part of a rupee.
*''Deccan
The large Deccan Plateau in South India, southern India is located between the Western Ghats and the Eastern Ghats, and is loosely defined as the peninsular region between these ranges that is south of the Narmada river. To the north, it is bou ...
:'' Literally, the south. A term employed by ''Mahomedan'' writers, to denote the country between the rivers ''Nerbuddah'' and ''Crishna''.
*''Decoits'': Gang-robbers.
*''Decoity, Decoitry'': gang-robbery.
*''Dewan
''Dewan'' (also known as ''diwan'', sometimes spelled ''devan'' or ''divan'') designated a powerful government official, minister, or ruler. A ''dewan'' was the head of a state institution of the same name (see Divan). Diwans belonged to the el ...
, Duan'': Place of assembly. Native minister of the revenue department; and chief justice, in civil causes, within his jurisdiction; receiver-generad of a province. The term is also used, to designate the principal revenue servant under a European collector, and even of a ''Zemindar''. By this title, the East India Company are receivers-general of the revenues of Bengal, under a grant from the Great ''Mogul''.
*''Dewanny, Duannee:'' The office, or jurisdiction of a ''Dewan''.
* ''Dewanny Court of Adawlut'': A court for trying revenue, and other civil causes.
*''Doab, Doowab'': Any tract of country included between two rivers.
*''Dhobi, Dhoby'': A laundryman in India and Pakistan; a washerman
*''Droog'': A fortified hill or rock.
*''Dubash'': See ''Banyan''.
* ''Durbar'': The court, the hall of audience; a levee.
F
*''Faqueer, Fakir:'' A poor man, mendicant, a religious beggar.
*''Firmaun, Phirmaund'': Order, mandate. An imperial decree, a royal grant, or charter.
*''Foujdar, Fojedar, Phousdar, Fogedar'': Under the ''Mogul'' government, a magistrate of the police over a large district, who took cognizance of all criminal matters within his jurisdiction, and sometimes was employed as receiver-general of the revenues.
*''Foujdarry, Fojedaree'': Office of a ''Foujdar''.
*''Foujdarry Court:'' A court for administering the criminal law.
G
*''Ghaut:'' A pass through a mountain; applied also to a range of hills, and the ford of a river.
*''Ghee:'' Clarified butter, in which state they preserve that article for culinary purposes.
*''Ghirdawar, Girdwar'': An overseer of police, under whom the , or informers, act.
*''Gomastah'': A commissioner, factor, agent.
*''Gooroo, Guru
Guru ( sa, गुरु, IAST: ''guru;'' Pali'': garu'') is a Sanskrit term for a "mentor, guide, expert, or master" of certain knowledge or field. In pan-Indian traditions, a guru is more than a teacher: traditionally, the guru is a reverentia ...
'': Spiritual guide.
*''Goyenda: An inferior officer of police; a spy, informer.
*''Gunge'': A granary, a depot, chiefly of grain for sale. Wholesale markets, held on particular days. Commercial depots.
*''Gurry'': A name given to a wall flanked with towers.
H
*''Haram
''Haram'' (; ar, حَرَام, , ) is an Arabic term meaning 'Forbidden'. This may refer to either something sacred to which access is not allowed to the people who are not in a state of purity or who are not initiated into the sacred knowle ...
, Harem'': Seraglio, the place where the ladies reside.
*''Hindoo, Hindou'': Hindus
Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism.Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...
, followers of Hinduism
Hinduism () is an Indian religion or '' dharma'', a religious and universal order or way of life by which followers abide. As a religion, it is the world's third-largest, with over 1.2–1.35 billion followers, or 15–16% of the global p ...
.
*''Hircarra, Harcarrah'': A guide, a spy, a messenger.
*''Howda'': The seat of great men fixed on an elephant, not much unlike the body of a sedan in shape.
J
*''Jaghire, Jagheer:'' Literally, the place of taking. An assignment, to an individual, of the government share of the produce of a portion of land. There were two types of ''jaghires''; one, personal, for the use of the grantee; another, in trust, for some public service, most commonly, the maintenance of troops.
*''Jamma, Jumma'': Total, amount, collection, assembly. The total of a territorial assignment.
*''Jammabundy, Jummabundy'': A written schedule of the whole of an assessment.
*''Jeel, Keel'': A shallow lake, pond or morass.
*''Jinjal'': A large musket, fixed on a swivel, used in Indian forts, and fired with great precision.
*''Jug:'' See ''Yug''.
*''Jungle
A jungle is land covered with dense forest and tangled vegetation, usually in tropical climates. Application of the term has varied greatly during the past recent century.
Etymology
The word ''jungle'' originates from the Sanskrit word ''jaṅ ...
, Jangle'': A wood, or thicket; a country overrun with shrubs, or long grass.
K
* ''Khalsa:'' Pure, unmixed. An office of government, in which the business of the revenue department is transacted: the exchequer. ''Khalsa'' lands, are lands, the revenue of which is paid into the exchequer.
*'' Khan, Cawn:'' A title, similar to that of Lord.
*''Khilaut, Kelaut'': A robe of honour, with which princes confer dignity.
*''Killader, Kelladar'': Warder of a castle commander of a fort.
*''Kist'': Stated payment, instalment of rent.
*''Kushoon, Cushogn'': A body of military, corresponding nearest to our term brigade; varying from one to six or eight thousand.
L
*''Lac
Lac is the resinous secretion of a number of species of lac insects, of which the most commonly cultivated is ''Kerria lacca''.
Cultivation begins when a farmer gets a stick that contains eggs ready to hatch and ties it to the tree to be infes ...
, (also spelt ‘Lakh
A lakh (; abbreviated L; sometimes written lac) is a unit in the Indian numbering system equal to one hundred thousand (100,000; scientific notation: 105). In the Indian 2,2,3 convention of digit grouping, it is written as 1,00,000. For ex ...
’)'': In the Indian numbering system
The Indian numbering system is used in all South Asian countries (Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Afghanistan) to express large numbers. The terms ''lakh'' or 1,00,000 (one hundred thousand, written as ''100,00 ...
a unit of one hundred thousand or 105 in scientific notation
Scientific notation is a way of expressing numbers that are too large or too small (usually would result in a long string of digits) to be conveniently written in decimal form. It may be referred to as scientific form or standard index form, o ...
, and written as “1,00,000” (rather than “100,000”) in the Indian convention of digit grouping
A decimal separator is a symbol used to separate the integer part from the fractional part of a number written in decimal form (e.g., "." in 12.45). Different countries officially designate different symbols for use as the separator. The choi ...
.
*''Lascar'': Properly a camp-follower, but applied to native sailors and artillery-men.
*''Limber'': A low two-wheeled carriage, on which the trial of a gun is fixed when travelling: it is released in a moment if wanted to fire, which is called unlimbering; the cattle being yoked to the limber, guns are of course always dragged breech first.
M
*''Maal, Mahl, Mehal, Mhal:'' Places, districts, departments. Places, or sources of revenue, particularly of a territorial nature; lands.
*''Maha:'' Great.
*Mahratta: The Maratha
The Marathi people (Marathi: मराठी लोक) or Marathis are an Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group who are indigenous to Maharashtra in western India. They natively speak Marathi, an Indo-Aryan language. Maharashtra was formed as a M ...
caste.
*''Mocurrery'': As applied to lands, it means lands let on a fixed lease.
*''Mofussil'': Separated, particularized; the subordinate divisions of a district, in contradistinction to ''Saddur'', or ''Sudder'', which implies the chief seat of government.
*''Mofussil Dewanny Adawlut'': Provincial court of civil justice.
*''Mogul'': The Mughal Empire
The Mughal Empire was an early-modern empire that controlled much of South Asia between the 16th and 19th centuries. Quote: "Although the first two Timurid emperors and many of their noblemen were recent migrants to the subcontinent, the d ...
.
*''Mohammedan, Mahomedan, Moslem:'' Muslims
Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abraha ...
, followers of the religion of Islam
Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic Monotheism#Islam, monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God in Islam, God (or ...
.
*''Molungee'': Manufacturer of salt.
*'' Moofty, Muftee, Mufti'': The Mahomedan law-officer who declares the sentence.
*''Monsoon
A monsoon () is traditionally a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by corresponding changes in precipitation but is now used to describe seasonal changes in atmospheric circulation and precipitation associated with annual latitudinal oscil ...
:'' The rainy season. The periodical winds and rains.
*''Moolavy, Mohlavee, Maulvi:'' A learned and religious man, an interpreter of the ''Mahomedan'' law.
*''Moonshee, Munshi:'' Letter-writer, secretary. Europeans give this title to the native who instructs them in the Persian language.
*''Mosque
A mosque (; from ar, مَسْجِد, masjid, ; literally "place of ritual prostration"), also called masjid, is a place of prayer for Muslims. Mosques are usually covered buildings, but can be any place where prayers ( sujud) are performed, ...
'', ''Musjid'', ''Masjid'': The ''Mahomedan'' place of worship.
*''Musnud'': The place of sitting; a seat; a throne, or chair of state.
*''Mutseddey, Mutaseddee'': Iutent upon. Writer, accountant, secretary.
N
*''Nabob
A nabob is a conspicuously wealthy man deriving his fortune in the east, especially in India during the 18th century with the privately held East India Company.
Etymology
''Nabob'' is an Anglo-Indian term that came to English from Urdu, poss ...
, Nawab'': A Deputy or vicegerent. The governor of a province under the ''Mogul'' government.
*''Naib'': A deputy.
*''Naib Nazim:'' Deputy of the ''Nazim'', or Governor.
*''Naig, Naik'': A petty military officer.
*''Nair'': Chief. The ''Nairs'' are a peculiar description of Hindus, on the Malabar coast.
*''Nazim
Subahdar, also known as Nazim or in English as a "Subah", was one of the designations of a governor of a Subah (province) during the Khalji dynasty of Bengal, Mamluk dynasty (Delhi), Khalji dynasty, Tughlaq dynasty, Mughal era ( of India who w ...
'': Composer, arranger, adjuster. The first officer of a province, and minister of the department of criminal justice.
*''Nerbudda'': The Narmada River.
*''Nizam'': Order, arrangement; an arranger.
*''Nizam-ul-Mulk'': The administrator of the empire.
*''Nizamut'': Arrangement, government; the office of the Nazim, or Nizam.
*''Nizamut Adawlut'': The court of criminal justice.
*Nulla. Streamlet, water-course.
*Nuzzer. A vow, an offering; a present made to a superior.
O
*''Omrah'': A lord, a grandee, under the Mogul government.
*''Omra, Oomra, Umra'': The yearly ''Mahommedan'' pilgrimage to Mecca
Mecca (; officially Makkah al-Mukarramah, commonly shortened to Makkah ()) is a city and administrative center of the Mecca Province of Saudi Arabia, and the Holiest sites in Islam, holiest city in Islam. It is inland from Jeddah on the Red ...
.
P
*''Pagoda
A pagoda is an Asian tiered tower with multiple eaves common to Nepal, India, China, Japan, Korea, Myanmar, Vietnam, and other parts of Asia. Most pagodas were built to have a religious function, most often Buddhist but sometimes Taoist, ...
'': A temple; also the name of a gold coin, in the south of India, valued at eight shillings.
*''Palankeen, Palanquin:'' A litter in which gentleman in India recline, and are carried on the shoulders of four men.
* ''Pariar'': A term used by Europeans in India to denote the outcasts of the Hindu tribes.
*''Pariah'': A social outcast. Also a breed of dog
A breed is a specific group of domestic animals having homogeneous appearance (phenotype), homogeneous behavior, and/or other characteristics that distinguish it from other organisms of the same species. In literature, there exist several slight ...
.
*''Parsee, Parusi'': Parsis
Parsis () or Parsees are an ethnoreligious group of the Indian subcontinent adhering to Zoroastrianism. They are descended from Persians who migrated to Medieval India during and after the Arab conquest of Iran (part of the early Muslim co ...
, adherents of Zoroastrianism
Zoroastrianism is an Iranian religions, Iranian religion and one of the world's History of religion, oldest organized faiths, based on the teachings of the Iranian peoples, Iranian-speaking prophet Zoroaster. It has a Dualism in cosmology, du ...
, with Persian ancestry.
*''Patan, Pathan'': A name applied to the Afghaun tribes.
*''Peshwa, Peishwa'': Guide, leader. The prime minister of the ''Mahratta'' government.
*''Peon'': A lootmon, a foot soldier; an inferior officer or servant employed in the business of the revenue, police, or judicature.
*''Pergunnah, Paragana'': A small district, consisting of several villages.
*''Peshcush'': A present, particularly to government, in consideration of an appointment, or as an acknowledgment for any tenure. Tribute, fine, quit-rent, advance on the stipulated revenues.
*''Pettah'': The suburbs of a fortified town.
*''Polligar, Polygar'': Head of a village district. Military chieftain in the Peninsula, similar to hill ''Zemindar'' in the northern circars
The Northern Circars (also spelt Sarkars) was a division of British India's Madras Presidency. It consisted of a narrow slip of territory lying along the western side of the Bay of Bengal from 15° 40′ to 20° 17′ north latitude, in the pr ...
.
*''Pollam'': A district held by a ''Polligar''.
*''Potail'': The head man of a village. The term corresponds with that of ''Mocuddim'' and ''Mundul'' in Bengal.
*''Pottah'': A lease granted to the cultivators on the part of government, either written on paper, or engraved with a style on the leaf of the fan palmira tree
*''Pundit
A pundit is a person who offers mass media opinion or commentary on a particular subject area (most typically politics, the social sciences, technology or sport).
Origins
The term originates from the Sanskrit term ('' '' ), meaning "knowledg ...
'': A learned ''Brahmen''.
*''Purana, Pooran'': Literally ancient: the name given to such Hindu books as treat of creation in general, with the history of their gods and ancient heroes.
*''Pyke:'' A foot messenger. A person employed as a night-watch in a village, and as a runner or messenger on the business of the revenue.
R
* ''Rajah, Maharaja'': King, prince, chieftain, nobleman; a title in ancient times given to chiefs of the second or military Hindu tribe only.
*''Rajepoot, Rajput'': Literally, son of a king. The name of a warlike race of Hindus.
*''Rana'': A type of ''rajah''.
*''Ranny, Ranee'': Queen, princess, wife of a ''rajah''.
*''Roy Royan'': A Hindu title given to the principal officer of the ''Khalsa'', or chief treasurer of the exchequer.
*''Rupee
Rupee is the common name for the currencies of
India, Mauritius, Nepal, Pakistan, Seychelles, and Sri Lanka, and of former currencies of Afghanistan, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, the United Arab Emirates (as the Gulf rupee), British East Africa, B ...
'': The name of a silver coin; rated in the Company's accounts, the current (1810) rupee at 2s.; the Bombay rupee at 2s. 3d.
*''Ryot'': Peasant, subject; tenant of house or land.
S
*''Sayer'': What moves; variable imposts, distinct from land rent or revenue; consisting of customs, rolls, licences, duties on goods, also taxes on houses, shops, ''bazars''.
*''Scinde, Sind'': The Sindh
Sindh (; ; ur, , ; historically romanized as Sind) is one of the four provinces of Pakistan. Located in the southeastern region of the country, Sindh is the third-largest province of Pakistan by land area and the second-largest province ...
region.
*''Scindia, Shinde'': A family of nobility.
*''Sepoy
''Sepoy'' () was the Persian-derived designation originally given to a professional Indian infantryman, traditionally armed with a musket, in the armies of the Mughal Empire.
In the 18th century, the French East India Company and its oth ...
'': A native soldier.
*''Serai'': The same as ''Choaltry''.
*''Shaster'': The instrument of government or instruction; any book of instruction, particularly containing divine ordinances.
*''Shroff, Shrof'': A banker, or money-changer.
*''Sirdar, Sardar'': Chief, captain, head man.
*''Soucar'': A merchant, or banker; a money-lender.
*''Subah'': A province such as Bengal. A grand division of a country, which is again divided into , and villages.
*''Subahdar'', Subedar: The holder of the ''subah'', the governor or viceroy.
*''Subahdary'': The office and jurisdiction of a ''subahdar''.
*''Sudder'': The breast; the fore-court of a house; the chief seat of government, contradistinguished from ''Mofussil'', or interior of the country; the presidency.
*'' Sudder Dewanny Adawlut'': The chief civil court of justice under the xxvCompany's government, held at the presidency.
*''Sudder Nizamut Adawlut:'' The chief criminal court of justice, under the Company's government.
*''Shudra, Sudra, Sooder'': A Hindu of the fourth, or lowest tribe.
*''Sonnud'': A prop, or support; a patent, charter, or written authority for holding either land or office.
T
*''Talookdar'': A holder of a talook, which is a small portion of land; a petty land-agent.
*''Tank'': Pond, reservoir.
*''Tannahdar'', ''Thanadar'': A petty police officer.
*''Teed'': A note of hand; a promissory note given by a native banker, or money-lender, to Zemindars and others, to enable them to furnish government with security for the payment of their rents.
*''Tehsildar:'' Who has charge of the collections. A native collector of a district, acting under a European or Zemindar.
*''Topashes'': Native black Christians, the remains of the ancient Portuguese.
*''Tope'': A grove of trees.
*''Tuncaw, Tunkha'': An assignment on the revenue, for personal support, or other purposes.
*''Tumbril
A tumbrel (alternatively tumbril) is a two-wheeled cart or wagon typically designed to be hauled by a single horse or ox. Their original use was for agricultural work; in particular they were associated with carrying manure. Their most infamous ...
'': A carriage for the gun ammunition.
V
*''Vackbel, Vaqnibl'': One endowed with authority to act for another. Ambassador, agent sent on a special commission, or residing at a court. Native law pleader, under the judicial system of the Company.
*''Vizir
A vizier (; ar, وزير, wazīr; fa, وزیر, vazīr), or wazir, is a high-ranking political advisor or minister in the near east. The Abbasid caliphs gave the title ''wazir'' to a minister formerly called ''katib'' (secretary), who was a ...
, Vizier'': Under the Mogul government, the prime minister of the sovereign.
*''Vedas
upright=1.2, The Vedas are ancient Sanskrit texts of Hinduism. Above: A page from the '' Atharvaveda''.
The Vedas (, , ) are a large body of religious texts originating in ancient India. Composed in Vedic Sanskrit, the texts constitute the ...
, Veds, Beeds'': Science, knowledge. The sacred scriptures of the Hindus.
W
*''Wallah
, or or ( fem.), is a suffix used in a number of Indo-Aryan languages, like Hindi/Urdu, Gujarati, Bengali or Marathi. It forms an adjectival compound from a noun or an agent noun from a verb. For example, it may indicate a person involved i ...
'': A servant or other person responsible for something, often specified before it, for example kitchen wallah
Y
*''Yogies, Jogies'': Hindu devotees.
*''Yug, Jug, Yoog'': An age; a great period of the Hindus; also a religious ceremony.
Z
*''Zemindar
A zamindar ( Hindustani: Devanagari: , ; Persian: , ) in the Indian subcontinent was an autonomous or semiautonomous ruler of a province. The term itself came into use during the reign of Mughals and later the British had begun using it as a ...
'': From two words signifying, earth, land, and holder or keeper. Land-keeper. An officer who, under the ''Mahomedan'' government, was charged with the superintendence of the lands of a district, financially considered; the protection of the cultivators, and the realization of the government's share of its produce, either in money or kind.
*''Zemindarry'': The office or jurisdiction of a ''Zemindar''.
*''Zenana'': The place where the ladies reside.
*''Zillah, Zila, Jilla'': Side, part, district, division. A local division of a country having reference to personal jurisdiction.
See also
*
References
{{Reflist, 2
British India
British Raj
The British Raj (; from Hindi ''rāj'': kingdom, realm, state, or empire) was the rule of the British Crown on the Indian subcontinent;
*
* it is also called Crown rule in India,
*
*
*
*
or Direct rule in India,
* Quote: "Mill, who was himsel ...
British Raj
The British Raj (; from Hindi ''rāj'': kingdom, realm, state, or empire) was the rule of the British Crown on the Indian subcontinent;
*
* it is also called Crown rule in India,
*
*
*
*
or Direct rule in India,
* Quote: "Mill, who was himsel ...
Urdu