Here are the answers to the first part of the quiz I set a couple of days ago.
- Abdar: A servant who sets the table.
- Alkalak: The long coat worn by horsemen.
- Angrezi Raj: British Rule.
- Anna: A coin worth one-sixteenth of a rupee.
- Atchan: A uniform jacket.
- Ayah: A female servant, often a nursemaid for young children.
- Baba: A good or loyal person.
- Baba log: Good (loyal, honest) people.
- Baboo (or Babu): A clerk or scribe.
- Badmash: An evil person, insurgent, rioter etc.
- Badshah: A great King.
- Bakhsheesh: Gratuity, alms … or even a bribe!
- Bahadur: When used as a title = champion, hero.
- Bandobast (or Bundobast): Arrangement or organisation.
- Bandook (or Bundock): A long gun such as a matchlock, musket, rifle etc.
- Banya (or Buniah): A corn chandler.
- Barkandaze: A matchlockman.
- Basan (or Basunta): A yellow flowering bush whose flowers are usually the first sign of Spring.
- Begum: A Queen.
- Beyla: A dry river bed.
- Bhang: Hemp when used as a narcoitic.
- Bhagwan Jhanda: The holy standard of the Marathas.
- Bhat: The native dialect.
- Bhisti (or Bishti): A water carrier, such as Gunga Din.
- Bibighar: The women’s quarters. It was often used to describe the Indian wives of British Officers.
- Bilaitee: A Kabuli or Afghan.
- Bowrie: A well.
- Brahman: The highest caste within the cast system. Hindu priests belong to this caste. The majority of Brahmans are land owning farmers.
- Bungalow: A square single storey building. Literally a ‘house in the Bengal style’.
- Bunnia: A money lender.
- Burquha (or Burqua, Burkha, Bourkha, or Burka): a Female garment which covers the wearer from head to toe.
- Chai: Tea made in the Indian manner (i.e. the tea, water, milk, and sugar are all boiled together before serving).
- Chapattis (or Chupattis): Flat discs of unleavened bread.
- Chaprassi: A messenger.
- Chapplis: Native sandals.
- Char (or Cha): Tea made in the English manner (i.e. the tea is added to boiling water, and after it has brewed it is strained, and then milk [or lemon] and sugar are added to suit the taste of the drinker).
- Charpoy: A low, framed bed.
- Chick: A hanging screen.
- Chirag: Clay saucers of oil with a wick that are used as lamps.
- Chit: A note or slip of paper. In the British Army it was used for a note that gave the carrier permission to do something (e.g. an ‘excused boots’ chit).
- Chittak: A measure of weight that was slightly less than two ounces.
- Chota: Little (e.g. Chota Peg = a small drink).
- Chowkiedar: A policeman.
- Coorta: A Muslim women’s clothes.
- Cutcherry (or Kutcheri): A court of law that dealt with civil offences.
- Dacoit: A professional bandit.
- Dai: A nurse and/or midwife.
- Dak: The Postal Service
- Darzee (or Darzi or Derzi): A tailor.
- Dharma: Duty.
- Dhobie: Washing.
- Dhobie Wallah: A laundryman.
- Dholli: Traditional gift given to a landlord in addition to taxes and rent.
- Dhoti: The loin cloth worn by most Indians.
- Dhoolie: A litter for carrying the wounded.
- Doad: Land between two rivers.
- Dogra: A mountain man or mountaineer. Usually used when referring to a Rajput.
- Duffadar: A Native Cavalry Sergeant.
- Duffadar Major: A Native Cavalry Sergeant Major.
- Durbar: The Royal Court.
- Dustoori: An expression meaning ‘Nothing can be done about it’.
- Fakir: A poor holy man.
- Feringhee: An unbeliever (e.g. a Christian).
- Gerbauchs: A type of swivel gun.
- Ghadi: A throne.
- Gharry (or Ghari): A two-wheeled passenger carriage.
- Ghat: A landing place on a river bank.
- Ghazi: A Muslim holy warrior. They were fanatics intent upon dying after killing a non-believer and so qualifying to enter Paradise as a result.
- Ghora Wallah: A groom or carriage driver.
- Gingal (or Jingal): Small bore cannon that were often mounted on walls or tripods.
- Golundaz: A gunner.
- Gonda: A hereditary cowherd.
- Goojur: A hereditary brigand or thief.
- Goomtasha: An envoy, or agent acting for an important person.
- Guru: A teacher and/or wise man.
- Hafiz: A Muslim who knows the entire Koran by heart.
- Halwi: A sweetmeat seller.
- Havildar: A Native Infantry Sergeant.
- Havildar Major: A Native Infantry Sergeant Major.
- Hookah: A hubble-bubble pipe.
- Hookah burdwar: The servant who recharges the hookah with tobacco and rosewater.
- Howdah: An elephant carriage fixed to the back of the animal.
- Hurkara: A runner or foot messenger.
- Imam: A Muslim elder and/or priest.
- Jang dida: Someone who has experienced war; a campaign veteran.
- Jangli: A forest.
- Jat: The hereditary warrior tribe of Rajputs.
- Jellabi: Sweets.
- Jemadar: A Native Infantry Lieutenant.
- Jheel: A swamp.
- Juldi (or Juldee): Hurry up
- Kala Pani: The sea (literally ‘Black Water’).
- Kansama: A butler.
- Kalakasi: Someone employed to pitch tents.
- Khitmagar: A bearer or male servant.
- Khotwal (or Kotwal): A Native Official or Magistrate of the Bazaar.
- Khud: A Steep slope, precipice, or abyss.
- Kit (or Khit): Equipment.
- Kootub (or Kutub): A small village.
- Koss: The Indian measurement for a distance of two miles.
- Kot Duffadar: A Native Cavalry NCO.
- Ksatriya: The Lordly or Warrior caste. The second highest caste in the caste system.
- Kurta: A frock coat.
- Lakh: One hundred thousand rupees (A lakh of rupees was worth about £10,000 in 1857).
- Lascar: A camp follower, general labourer, or native sailor.
- Lat: Great, big, or large.
- Loot: Plunder.
- Lotah: A drinking vessel.
- Maidan: The plains or any large, flat area.
- Maharajah: A King.
- Mahout: A hereditary elephant driver.
- Mall: The main street in a town or city.
- Maulvi: A learned man, often a doctor. (Usually used to describe a Muslim.)
- Maund: A measure of weight of approximately 80 pounds.
- Memsahib: A lady; the term was common usage for an British Official’s or Officer’s wife.
- Mistry: A workman, builder, or mason.
- Mleccha: The casteless ‘Untouchables’ who were outside the caste system. They were usually employed doing the most menial and/or degrading tasks that no Indian of caste would do.
- Mofussil: The countryside.
- Mohur: A gold coin worth sixteen rupees.
- Muezzin: The man who calls Muslims to prayer from the minaret of a mosque.
- Mufti: Civilian clothes as opposed to uniform.
- Mullah: A Muslim religious leader.
- Muggar: A river crocodile.
- Munshi: A tutor or teacher.
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Many of these words remind me of the books I have read about India over the years. Kipling comes to mind (of course) but also the excellent fiction works such as by Talbot Mundy,Francis Yeats-Brown (Lives of a Bengal Lancer) and other literature of and about the British Raj era. There are others that come to mind too: The Jewel in the Crown, George MacDonald Frasier’s Flashman Series, E. M. Forester’s A Passage to India, Kayne’s The Far Pavallions and Paul Scott’s Raj Quartet.
ReplyDeleteI recommend among the many military and historical non-fiction book James Morris’ Heaven’s Command which is both an overview and a social narrative about what it was to be a colonial Victorian and how it grew from its Georgian East India Company roots.
CoastConFan,
ReplyDeleteThe is a lot of 'forgotten' literature about British India ... and I hope that I have done my 'bit' to try to revive interest in it.
John Masters is one author whose books seem to be less read these days, and yet I think that they are excellent.
All the best,
Bob
Masters' works have never been commonly available here in the US outside of a few imports. It's one of those things: "England and America are two countries divided by a common language." George Bernard Shaw. He also touched on wargames (I suspect) when he said, "We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing." Keep on playing!
ReplyDeleteCoastConFan,
ReplyDeleteI did not realise that John Masters's books were not readily available in the US.
I like the Bernard Shaw quote ... and it certainly does apply to wargaming, although I suspect that as a confirmed pacifist GBS might not have seen wargaming as a suitable hobby!
All the best,
Bob