OF THE INDIAN YEAR BOOK, 1928. THE Editors have to thank many correspondents who improvement of this book. The Indian Year Book is intended above all to be a book of reference, and its completeness and convenience of arrangement must necessarily depend to a great extent on the part taken in its editing by the members of the public who most use it. The help extended to the Editors by various officials, and more particularly by the Indian Commercial Intelli.. gence Department, has again been readily given and is most gratefully acknowledged. Without such help it would be impossible to produce the Year Book with up-to-date statistics. Suggestions for the improvement or correction of the Year Book may be sent to the Editors at any time, but those which reach them before October have a better chance of being adopted than later suggestions which only reach them after the work of revision has been partly completed. The Times of India, Bombay, January, 1928. 2 ABKARI.-Excise of liquors and drugs. AFSUR.-A corruption of the English'officer." AHLUWALIA. - Name of a princely family resident at the village of Ahlu, near Lahore. AIN. A timber tree TERMINALIA TOMENTOSA. AKALI.-Originally, a Sikh devotee, one of a band founded by Guru Govind Singh (who died 1708): now, a nember of the politico-religious army (dal) of reforming Sikhs. AKHUNDZADA. - Son of a Head Officer. ALIGHOL.-Literally a Mahomedan circle. A kind of athletic club formed for purposes of self defence, ALI RAJA-Sea King (Laccadives). AMIL.-A name given in Sind to educated members of the Lohana community, a Hindu caste consisting principally of bankers, clerks and minor officials. AMIR (corruptly EMIR). - A Mohammedan Chief often also a personal name. ANICUT.-A dam or weir across a river for irrigation purposes, Southern India. ANJUMAN. A communal gathering of Maho medans. Aus. The early rice crop, Bengal, syn. Ahu, Assam. AVATAR. An incarnation of Vishnu. BABA.-Lit. "Father," a respectful" Mr." Irish Your Honour." BABU.-(1) A gentleman in Bengal, corresponding to Pant in the Deccan and Konkan. (2) Hence used by Anglo-Indians of a clerk or accountant. Strictly a 5th or still younger son of a Raja but often used of any son younger than the heir, whilst it has also grown into a term of address Esquire. There are, however, one or two Rajas whose sons are known respectively as-1st, Kunwar; 2nd, Diwan, 3rd, Thakur; 4th, Lal; 5th Babu. BABUL. A common thorny tree, the bark of which is used for tanning, ACACIA ARABICA. BADMASH-A bad character: a rascal. BHADOI.-Early autumn crop, Northern India. reaped in the month Bhadon. BHANG. The dried leaves of the hemp plant, CANNABIS SATIVA, a narcotic. BHANWAR.-Light sandy soil; syn. bhur. BHARAL.-A Himalayan wild sheep, OVIS NAHURA. BHENDI. A suculent vegetable (HIBISCUS ESCULENTUS). BHONSLE.- Name of a Maratha dynasty. BHUP. Title of the ruler of Cooch Behar. BHUGTI.--Name of a Baluch tribe. BHUSA. Chaff, for fodder. BHUT. The spirit of departed persons. BIDRI.-A class of ornamental metalwork, in which blackened pewter is inlaid with silver, named from the town of Bidar, Hyderabad. BIGHA. A measure of land varying widely; the standard bigha is generally five-eights of an acre. BIR (BID).-A grassland-North India. BLACK COTTON SOIL. A dark-coloured soil, very retentive of moisture, found in Centrai and Southern India. BOARD OF REVENUE. The chief controlling revenue authority in Bengal, the United Pro vinces and Madras. BOR. See BER. Note. According to the Hunterian system of transliteration here adopted the vowels have the following values:--a either long as the a in' father or short as the u in 'cut,' e as the ai in 'gain,' i either short as the i in bib,' or long as the ee in' feel,' o as the o in 'bone,' u either short as the oo in 'good,' or long as the oo in boot,' ai as the i in' mile,' au as the ou in 'grouse." This is only a rough guide. The vowel values vary in different parts of India in a marked degree. The consonantal values are too intricate for discussion here. BRINGAL. A vegetable, SOLANUM MELON- BUNDER, or bandar.-A harbour or fort. CADJAN-Palm leaves used for thatch. CHABUTRA. A platform of mud or plaster CIRCLE. The area in charge of (1) A Conservator of forests; (2) A Postmaster or Deputy Postmaster-General; (3) A Superintending Engineer of the Public Works Department. CIVIL SURGEON. - The officer in medical charge of a District. COGNIZABLE. - An offence for which the cul 1 ed brick, used for social gatherings, Northern prit can be arrested by the police without a India. CHAPATI-A cake of unleavened breads Chaupatti.) CHAPRASI. An orderly or messenger, Northern India; syn. pattawala, Bombay; peon, Mairas. CHARAS.-The resin of the hemp plant. CANNABIS SATIVA, used for smoking. CHARKHA. A spinning wheel. CHARPAI (charpoy). -A bedstead with four legs, and tape stretched across the frame for a mattress. CHAUDHRI.- Under native rule, a subordinate revenue official; at present the term is applied to the headman or representative of a trade guild. CHAUKIDAR.- The village watchman and rural policeman. CHAUTH. The fourth part of the land revenue, exacted by the Marathas in subject territories. CHELA. A pupil, usually in connexion with religious teaching. CHHAONI.- A collection of thatched huts or barracks; hence a cantonment. warrant. COMPOUND.-The garden and open land attached to a house. An Anglo-Indian word perhaps derived from 'kuripar, a hedge. CONSERVATOR. - The Supervising Officer in charge of a Circle in the Forest Department. COUNCIL BILLS. -Bills or telegraphjo transfers drawn on the Indian Government by the Secretary of State in Council. COUNT. Cotton yarns are described as 20's, 30's, etc., counts when not more than a like number of hanks of 840 yards go to the pound avoirdupois. COURT OF WARDS.- An establishment for managing estates of minors and other disqualiBed persons. CRORE, karor. Ten millions. DADA. Lit." grandfather" (paternal); any venerable person. DAFFADAR.-A non-commissioned officer in the army or police. native DAH OR DAO.-A cutting instrument with no point, used as a sword, and also as an axe, Assam and Burma. DAK (dawk). - A stage on a stage coach route. Dawk bungalow is the travellers' bungalow maintained at such stages in days before rail. ways came. DAKAITI, DACOITY. -Robbery by five or more persons. DAL. A generic term applied to various pulses. DAM.-An old copper coin, one-fortieth of a rupee. DARBAR.-(1) A ceremonial assembly, especially one presided over by the Ruler of a State hence (2) the Government of a Native State. DARGAH.- A Mahomedan shrine or tomb of a saint. DARI, Dhurrie-A rug or carpet, usually of cotton, but sometimes of wool. DAROGHA. The title of officials in various departments; now especially applied to subordinate controlling Officers in the Police and Jail Departments. DARWAN.-A door-keeper. DAULA AND DAULAT.-State, also one in Office. |