Indian Antiquary Vol 58

Author(s): Richard Carnac Temple, Charles E A W Oldham, S Krishnaswami Aiyangar, Devadatta Ramkrishna Bhandarka
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 185

SEPTEMBER, 1929 ]
NOTES ON HOBSON-JOBSON
169
NOTES ON HOBSON-JOBSON. BY PROFESSOR S. H. HODIVALA, M.A.
(Continued from page 146.) Devadasi. All the passages cited in Hobson-Jobson relate to Southern India, but dancing. yirls appear to have been attached to Hindu temples in other parte of this country also in former times. There is a very early reference to them in Alberûni.
c. 1030.1 "The Hindus are not very severe in punishing whoredom. The fault, however, in this lies with the kings, not with the nation. But for this, no Brahman or priest would suffer in their idol-temples the women who sing, dance and play. The kings make them an attraction for their cities, a bait of pleasure for their subjects, for no other but fin. ancial reasons. By the revenues which they derive from the business both as fines and taxes, they want to recover the expenses which their treasury has to spend on the army."
Alberúni's India, Sachau's Translation, II, 157.
And the Arab historian Ibn-al-Athir, writing of the temple of Somnath, sacked by Mahmûd of Ghazna in 1024 A.C., says:
[c. 1230.] "Amongst the other attendants of this temple there were three hundred barbers appointed to shave the heads of the pilgrims. There were also three hundred musicians and five hundred dancing-girls attached to it; and it was customary even for the kings and rájus of India to send their daughters for the service of the temple."
Tarikh-i-Alfi, in Elliot and Dowson, II, 472.
Lastly, Tavernier declares that he had seen near Cambay" a pagoda to which the majority of the courtesans of India come to make their offerings ... When the old courtesans have amassed a sum of money in their youth, they buy with it young slaves, to whom they teach dances and lascivious songs, and all the tricks of their infamous trade. When these young girls have reached the age of eleven or twelve years their mistrosses take them to this pagoda, and they believe that it will be good fortune to them to be offered and abandoned to this idol."
Travels, ed. Ball, I, 71.
The temple has not been identified either by Ball or by Crooke, but the reference is most probably to the temple of Bahtohardji.
Dewaleea.--The derivation given by Yulo on the authority of Drummond's IUustrations of Guzarattee published in 1808, looks like an instance of folk otymology,' but it has this to le said in its favour, that it is vouched for by Manucci, who tells a long story of an Armenian acquaintance of his own making a sham declaration of bankruptcy in Patna, and writes :
“When the time came for paying the merchante, he, in pursuance of the custom of the country, lighted two candles in the morning, as a sign that he had becomie bankrupt; he sat at his house, with no turban on his head . The merchants thronged to learn the cause .. To all he replied with a sad countenance ... by the word Divalia ', which means bankrupt."
Storia do Mogor, Tr. Irvine, II, 84.
Dewally.--In the following extract we have evidence of the feast being called by this name even in the days of Mahmûd of Ghazna.
[c. 1030.1 “The 1st Karttika or new moon's day, when the sun marches in Libra, is called Dibali. . . In the night they light a great number of lamps in every place so that the air is perfectly clear."
Alberini's India, Tr. Sachau, II, 182.
Dhurna.--This curious Hindu custom appears to have arrested the attention of the early Arab travellers.
fc. 1154.] "The Indians are naturally inclined to justice, and never depart from it in their actions... Among other characteristic marks of their love of truth and horror of vice, the following is related :- When a man has a right to demand anything of another, and he happens to meet him, he has only to draw a circular line upon the ground and to