The following is based on a
glossary attached to the fifth Report of the Committee of the
House of Commons on Indian affairs, appointed in 1810, comprising
Hindustani words commonly used in the administration of the
British Raj (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[1]). In 1835, English
replacedPersian as the official language of the Company.
Lord Macaulay 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.[2] Throughout the 1840s and 1850s, primary, middle, and high-schools were opened in many districts of
British India, 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 and using English as the medium of instruction were established in
Bombay,
Calcutta and
Madras. During the
British Raj, 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. At the time of India's independence in 1947, English was the only functional
lingua franca in the country.
It used British spellings and contemporary interpretations, many which have passed into the English vocabulary.[3]
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.
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, 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.
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. Mahrattachout; a fourth [xxxii] 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.
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: 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, 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.
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 goyendas, or informers, act.
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, 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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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: 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.
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 circars, chucklas, pergunnahs, 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 [xxxv] Company'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.
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, Vizier: Under the Mogul government, the prime minister of the sovereign.
Vedas, Veds, Beeds: Science, knowledge. The sacred scriptures of the Hindus.
W
Wallah: 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: 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.