| amildar | a factor or manager in India, a collector of revenues. |
| badmash budmash | a bad character; a worthless person. [Urdu f. Pers., f. bad evil + Arab. ma'as means of livelihood]. |
| baft | a coarse fabric, orig. Oriental. |
| bahadur | a hero, a great one. |
| bandobast bundobust | an organisation. |
| bandook bundook | (Indian army slang) a rifle, a shotgun. |
| basant | a Pakistani spring festival. |
| basti busti | a flimsy hut. |
| begum | in the Indian subcontinent, a Muslim noblewoman or lady of high rank. |
| bhang | cannabis, Indian hemp, used as a weak narcotic. |
| bheestie bheesty bhistee bhisti bhistie | an Indian water-carrier. |
| bhuna | an Indian sauce. |
| biriyani biryani | a spicy rice dish. |
| boorka burka bourkha burqa | an Arab woman's head-covering. |
| chabouk chabuk | a horse-whip. |
| chalan challan | a way-bill; a pass. |
| chaprassi chuprassy | an office messenger, a household attendant. |
| charka charkha | a spinning wheel used in Indian households for spinning cotton. |
| charpai charpoy | a string framed bed. |
| chobdar | in the Indian subcontinent: an usher bearing a staff, attending on a dignitary. |
| chokidar chowkidar | a watchman. |
| circar sircar sirkar | the state or government; the authorities. |
| darogha | a manager. |
| deewan dewan diwan | in India, a financial minister. |
| dewani dewanny | the office of a DEWAN, an Indian financial minister. |
| dhansak | a dish of meat and vegetables braised in water with lentils. |
| doab | a tongue or tract of land included between two rivers; as, the doab between the Ganges and the Jumna. [Persian do-ab, two waters]. |
| doosra | in cricket, a delivery bowled by an off-spinner. |
| durbar | a public levee held by an Indian ruler or by a British ruler in India. [Persian darabar, a prince's court]. |
| gymkhana | a sporting contest, esp. one involving riding or driving skills. [Urdu gendkanah racket-court, f. Hind. ged ball + Pers. kanah house]. |
| havildar | the rank of sergeant in the Indian army. |
| hooka hookah | a pipe with a long, flexible stem, so arranged that the smoke is cooled by being made to pass through water. [Urdu f. Arab. hukka small box, container, pot, jar]. |
| houdah howdah | a seat or covered pavilion on the back of an elephant or camel. |
| huma | a mythical bird similar to the phoenix, supposed to bring luck to any person over whom it hovers on its restless flights. [Pers. & Urdu huma phoenix.] |
| huzoor | an Indian potentate. (Chiefly a title used by Indians in respectful address). [Arabic hudur, the presence]. |
| inqilab | (in India, Pakistan etc.) a revolution. |
| izzat | honor, reputation, prestige. [Urdu from Arabic 'izzah, glory]. |
| jamadar | in the native army of India, an officer of a rank corresponding to that of lieutenant in the English army. Also JEMIDAR. |
| jamdani | a kind of Dacca muslin. Pl. JAMDANIS. |
| jawan | an Indian common soldier. |
| jamadar jemadar jemidar | in the native army of India, an officer of a rank corresponding to that of lieutenant in the English army. |
| jezail | a long heavy Afghan musket. |
| kajawah | a kind of litter for women consisting of a large pannier or wooden frame, a pair of which are carried by a camel. |
| kamees kameeze | in S. Asia, a loose tunic, worn by women. |
| khaki | dust-coloured, dull brownish. [Urdu khaki, dusty]. |
| khansama khansamah | a house-steward or butler in India. [Urdu kansama, Urdu & Pers. kansaman, f. kan master, + saman household goods]. |
| kharif | a crop sown before the monsoon to ripen in autumn. |
| khayal | a kind of classical Indian vocal music. |
| khidmutgar khitmutgar | a table-servant. |
| kincob | a rich silk fabric. [Urdu kimkhab]. |
| koftgar | someone who inlays steel with gold. |
| koftgari | the craft of inlaying steel with gold. |
| maidan | in India, an open plain; an open space near a town. |
| masala | a mixture of ground spices in Indian cookery. |
| maulvi moolvi moolvie | a teacher in Islam. |
| mofussil | in India, the rural localities of a district as distinguished from the chief station or the town. |
| murdabad | death to, in slogans. No —S. |
| nabob | (the title of) any of certain Muslim officials acting as deputy governors of provinces or districts in the Mughal Empire; a governor of an Indian town or district. |
| nabobery | being like a NABOB. |
| nabobess | a female NABOB, a European who has amassed a fortune in the East. |
| nabobism | the system of having NABOBS. |
| nawab | a governor of India under British. |
| numdah | an embroidered felt rug made in India. |
| numnah | a pad placed under a saddle to prevent chafing. |
| pardah purda purdah | seclusion of women from public observation among Muslims and some Hindus. [Urdu pardah, curtain]. |
| rabi | the spring grain harvest in India and Pakistan. [Arabic rabi, spring]. |
| ressaldar risaldar | an Indian troop commander. |
| romal rumal | a handkerchief or headcloth; a silk or cotton fabric. |
| salwar | as in salwar kameez, a kind of long tunic. |
| sardar sirdar | a native chief in Hindostan; a headman. |
| sebundy | in India, an irregular soldier or soldiers. |
| sepoy | an Indian soldier. |
| serang | the boatswain of a Lascar or East Indian crew. [Persian sarhang, a commander]. |
| shalwar | loose-fitting trousers worn by both sexes in many parts of Asia. |
| shikar | hunting, game; (verb) to hunt (animal) as sport. |
| shikaree shikari | a hunter, esp. of big game. |
| shisha | a pipe with a long flexible stem a HOOKAH. |
| silladar | an irregular cavalryman who provided his own horse and arms. |
| sitar sittar | an Indian musical instrument. [Urdu sitar, f. sih three + tar string]. |
| sowar | a mounted soldier. [Urdu sawar, horseman]. |
| sowarree sowarry | a mounted retinue, a cavalcade. [Urdu sawar horseman]. |
| tamasha | in the Indian subcontinent: an entertainment, a show, a spectacle, a public function. |
| zamboorak zumbooruk zomboruk zumbooruck | a small swivel-gun, esp. one mounted on the back of a camel. |
| zanana zenana | in the Indian subcontinent, the part of a house in which high-caste women are or were secluded. |
| zari | a type of thread made of fine gold or silver wire used in traditional Indian and Pakistani garments. |
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