Indian Antiquary Vol 60

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

Page 153

JOLY, 1931)
NOTES ON HOBSON-JOBSON
131
f1623.) “The reason why the bakers, etc., have not come down is the behaviour of the acreivas,' eto, in custom house who will not give them a chittee without some feeling [feeing ?)."-English Factories in India, ed. Foster, 1622-23, p. 266. See also ibid., 1624-1629 p. 191.
Chouse.The earliest English example given by Yule is from Ben Jonson's Alchemist (1610).
[1699.) "And there I staied about my merchandise, till the first of May, 1600,....; upon which day I passed from Constantinople to Scanderone, in Asia, where in the Company of a chaus, and some six other Turks, I tooke my voyage for Aleppo over land."-John Mildenhall, in Early Travels in India, ed. Foster, p. 53.
11609,1 " in which boate the Governer sent a chouse of his owne which was one of his cheife men."-Journal of John Jourdain, ed. Foster, p. 69. See also ibid., p. 354.
Choky.--Yule says that the use of this word in the sense of chair' is almost peculiar to the Bengal Presidency-a doubtful statement. The word is employed with this signifi. cation in the Tabaqdt-i-Akbari. In his description of an entertainment prepared for Akbar, by his foster-brother, 'Aziz Koka, the author writes :
11570.) "Upon the last day, splendid offerings were presented to him. Arab and Persian horses, with saddles of silver, huge elephants with chains of gold and silver .... chairs of gold, and silver 1880B ...and other precious things beyond conception."-Elliot and Dowson, History of India, V, 337. Here the word for 'chair' in the original is chauki .(sve). Lucknow lith. ed., p. 290, 1. 7 from foot.
Chowky-This is one of the many Hindi or Prakritic words adopted by the Musalman officials of this country at an early date. It oocurs in the history of Shams-i-Siraj, which was completed about 1400 A.C. :
“When the Sultan marched the second time for Thatta, many of his mon . . . . went off with their outfits to their homes. On being apprized of this, the Sultan Firüz Tughlag) consulted his officers, who advised him to appoint sentinels, to prevent desertions."-Elliot and Dowson, History of India, III, 329. Here the word for sentinels' is chaukiha, + + Bibl: Indica Text, p. 226, 1. 5; also l. 12, and p. 271, 1. 1 from foot.
Chowry-Yule's first English quotation is of 1809. The following use of the term is two centuries earlier
11632,1 « A servant beatinge away the flyes with a chewrs which is a horse taile on & handle." -The Travels of Peter Mundy, ed. Sir R. Temple, II, 217.
Chucker.-Yule quotes from Barbosa under date 1516, but Varthema also refer to the same weapon:
11603-8,1 « Some of them [scil. Jogis) carry a stick with a ring of iron at the base. Others carry certain iron dishes which cut all round like razors, and they throw these with a sling when they wish to injure any person ; and therefore when these people arrive at any city in Indis, every one tries to please them; for should they even kill the first nobleman of the land, they would not suffer any punishment because they say that they are saints."The Travels of L. di Varthema, trans. Badger, p. 112.
Chunam.-Yule quotes Fryer, but here is an earlier use by an English writer :
[1583-91.) “And all the time which they (the Chinese) mourne they keep the dead in the house, the bowels being taken out and filled with chownam or lime, and coffined ; and when the time is expired they carry them out playing and piping and burne them."-Ralph Fitch, in Early Travels in India, ed. Foster, p. 42.
The word would appear to have come into use among Indian writers of Persian about the end of the fourteenth century, as it is used by Shams-i-Sirkj.