Developments in the rest of the world from 5

Battle of Panipat (1526) happened between Ibrahim Lodi and Babur.

Babur had a numerically inferior army but he won due to strategy. Gunpowder was known in India from Vijayanagar days but common use in North India started after this battle when Babur used it in his artillery. The battle was a decisive one in Indian history and it gave Babur control over Delhi and Agra. But Babur had to fight two wars – against Rana Sanga (Mewar) and against eastern Afghans to consolidate his rule.

Sanga’s and Babur’s forces met at Battle of Khanwa (1527). Lodis, ruler of Alwar etc were on Sanga’s side but all were defeated. Sanga was killed. Babur conquered Alwar, Malwa and returned to deal with eastern Afghans (Lodi successors). These Afghans were independent from Lodi (remember they asserted their independence?) and led by Nusrat shah of Bengal. They now rallied under Mahmud Lodi, Ibrahim’s brother. Babur crossed Ganga and met the armies but could not secure a decisive victory and patched up an agreement in order to return to manage Kabul. HE died before reaching Kabul.

Significance of Babur’s advent and Qualities:

1. For the first time afte rKushan empire, Kabul and Qandhar became integral parts of north Indian empire.

2. Economically, access to these regions strengthened foreign trade since these two regions were starting points for caravans going to China in the East and Mediterranean in the West.

3. Balance of power (dealt with earlier) among different kingdoms was destroyed and was a precursor to all-India empire.

4. New mode of warfare introduced. Skilled artillery and cavalry. Popularization of gunpowder.

5. Established the presence of the Crown that had diminished after Lodis became weak. He was a descendant of Changes and Timur and thus set up the Timurid dynasty in India.

6. Endeared himself to his begs and partook of soldiers’ hardships.

7. Jolly and merry but stern disciplinarian. Rewarded loyalty but was cruel with the disloyal.

8. Kept court free from theological and sectarian conflicts. Was a Sunni but not a bigot.

9. Learned in Persian and Arabic. Wrote Tuzuk-i-Baburi, a masnavi and books on flora and fauna. Led a tradition of establishing gardens with water running through them.

10. Introduced a new concept of State backed with strength and prestige of the Crown instead of religious ideology or sectarian bigotry.

LIST OF TERMS AND THEIR MEANINGS [Courtesy: Akbar_Birbal]:

1. 
   Amils—revenue officers
   
2. 
   Amir-i-akhur—amir or officer commanding the horse
   
3. 
   Amir-i-hajib—officer-in-charge of the royal court
   
4. 
   Amirul Mominin—Commander of the Faithful; the Caliph
   
5. 
   Arz-i-mamalik—minister in charge of the army of the whole country
   
6. 
   Abwab miscellaneous cesses, imposts and charges levied by zamindars and public officials
   
7. 
   Adl justice
   
8. 
   Afaqis foreigners (in the Deccan)
   
9. 
   Ahadi gentleman trooper
   
10. 
    Ahl-i-qalam a scribe
    
11. 
    Amil, amalguzar revenue collector
    
12. 
    Amu Darya The River Oxus
    
13. 
    Arraba a wagon, a cart
    
14. 
    Ashraf a person of noble birth, a gentleman
    
15. 
    Ataliq guardian
    
16. 
    Banduqchi musketeer
    
17. 
    Bania, Baniya merchant; in some areas also refers to money-changer or banker; a caste traditionally
    
18. 
    engaged in the above activities
    
19. 
    Banjar waste or fallow-land, fit for cultivation
    
20. 
    Banjara grain and cattle merchant; name of an itinerant tribe
    
21. 
    Baqqal trader, grain-dealer
    
22. 
    Barawardi a recruit on ad-hoc pay
    
23. 
    Bargi, bargir an auxiliary soldier, a plunderer
    
24. 
    Batai division of the crop between the cultivator and the landlord or the government; payments may be
    
25. 
    in kind or cash
    
26. 
    Bayutat House-hold expenses, especially royal karkhanas
    
27. 
    Beg noble
    
28. 
    Bidat innovations in matters of religion, heresy
    
29. 
    Balahar—the lowest grade of the agricultural peasant
    
30. 
    Banjara—a corn merchant
    
31. 
    Barid—intelligence officer appointed by the state to collect information
    
32. 
    Cartaz a permit given by the Portuguese to traders.
    
33. 
    Chachar land out of cultivation for 3-4 years
    
34. 
    Cha’uth or chauthai one-fourth of the land-revenue, Orignally a zamindari charge in Gujarat, demanded
    
35. 
    by Shivaji as war expense.
    
36. 
    Chetti, Chettiar merchant caste of South India
    
37. 
    Charai—a tax on cattle
    
38. 
    Chatr—royal umbrella
    
39. 
    Dadni giving of advances (dadan) to artisans by merchants
    
40. 
    Dagh System of branding of horses and animals
    
41. 
    Dahsala Revenue settlement based on assessment of ten (dah) years revenue
    
42. 
    Dalai, Dallal Broker
    
43. 
    Dam A copper coin, considered 1/40* of a silver rupee for official purposes
    
44. 
    Darogha a minor officer in charge of a local office
    
45. 
    Dar-ul-harb Land not owing allegiance to Muslim rule, enemy land
    
46. 
    Dastur rule, assessment circle
    
47. 
    Dastur-al-amal Rule book
    
48. 
    Dhimmi A non-Muslim client or subject
    
49. 
    Diwan chief financial minister, a department, a book of verses
    
50. 
    Doab land between the Jumna and the Ganges
    
51. 
    Du-aspa sih-aspa A technical term meaning twice the number of sawars entertained otherwise
    
52. 
    Dagh—mark of branding
    
53. 
    Dallals—brokers
    
54. 
    Darogha—a minor officer in charge of a local office
    
55. 
    Darul Adl—the market of Delhi or cloth and other commodities; literally, place of justice
    
56. 
    Darul Mulk—capital
    
57. 
    Doab—land between the Jumna and the Ganges
    
58. 
    Farman a royal order
    
59. 
    Farr-i-izadi Divine Light communicated to ideal rulers
    
60. 
    Gazz-i-Sikandari—the yard of Sultan Sikandar Lodi
    
61. 
    Gumashta—agent or representative
    
62. 
    Gajnal A swivel gun born by an elephant (gaj)
    
63. 
    Garhi A hill fort, mud fort made of thick clay
    
64. 
    Ghalla-bakshi One mode of batai (q.v.)
    
65. 
    Gharib Foreigners (in the Deccan)
    
66. 
    Ghazi A hero, a soldier fighting against infidels
    
67. 
    Ghusal-Khana Private audience hall near the bathroom
    
68. 
    Gumashta agent or representative
    
69. 
    Gunj; ganj Mart
    
70. 
    Habshi Abyssinian, East African
    
71. 
    Hadis acts or words of the Arabian prophet
    
72. 
    Hakim A governor, a commander
    
73. 
    Hakim A physician, a sage
    
74. 
    Hammam Room for Bath of hot and cold water
    
75. 
    Haram Forbidden
    
76. 
    Harmandir The Sikh golden Temple at Amritsar.
    
77. 
    Hasil Actual realization (of land revenue)
    
78. 
    Hun A gold coin
    
79. 
    Hundi bill of exchange
    
80. 
    Ijara revenue-farming
    
81. 
    Ijaradar farmer of any item of public revenue, mainly land
    
82. 
    Imam supreme commander, leader; also the person leading the congregation Muslim prayers
    
83. 
    Inam gift; benefaction; land held free of revenue or at low rates of revenue
    
84. 
    Jagir income from a piece of land assigned to officers by the ruler
    
85. 
    Jagirdar holder of a jagir
    
86. 
    Jama total sum; total land revenue levied from an estate or division of country
    
87. 
    Jamabandi settlement of the amount of revenue assessed upon an estate, village or district.
    
88. 
    Jama-dami Assessed income in terms of dams
    
89. 
    Jama-i-kamil Maximum assessment
    
90. 
    Jamiat A military following
    
91. 
    Jarib A measurement, land measurement or survey
    
92. 
    Jharoka darshan Showing of the Emperor to the Public from the Palace
    
93. 
    Jihad holy war
    
94. 
    Jihat Extra cesses
    
95. 
    Jizya has two meanings: (a) in the literature of the Delhi Sultanat, any tax which is not kharaj or land tax;
    
96. 
    (b) in the shari’at, a personal and yearly tax on non-Muslims
    
97. 
    Junglah Horses of mixed breed
    
98. 
    Kafir non-Muslim (literally, one who is ngrateful to God)
    
99. 
    Kankut Estimation of land revenue
    
100. 
     Karinda Agent
     
101. 
     Karkhanas royal factories or enterprises for producing or collecting commodities required by the state
     
102. 
     Karori A revenue official
     
103. 
     Khalifa Caliph, Commander of the Faithful, or successor of a sufi
     Khalisa land land held and managed directly by the state
     Khalsa The Sikh order set up by Guru Govind
     Khanazad One born in the house, old (Turkish) employees
     Khanqahs a house of mystics but more commodious than the jama’at khana
     Kharif winter crop
     Khil’at robe of honour
     Khilafat Caliphate; commander of the faithful
     Khiraj, kharaj tax; especially land revenue
     Khud-kasht Owner of land who cultivates with his own ploughs and bullock and some hired labour,
     resident cultivator
     Kufr Disbelief
     Kulkarni village accountant
     Kunbi caste of cultivators in Maharashtra
     Liwan Ante chamber
     Madad- i-ma’ash assignment of revenue by the government for the support of learned or religious
     persons, or benevolent institutions.
     Madrasa an educational institution
     Mahajan merchant, banker
     Mahal a group of lands regarded as a unit for land revenue purposes
     Mahawara-un-Nahart Transoxiana
     Mahzar A declaration signed by ulama
     Malik Owner
     Malikana special allowance assigned to zamindar or landowner
     Malikut-Tujjar literally, chief of merchants; a title given to one of the highest officer of the state
     Mansab military rank conferred by the Mughal Government
     Mansabdar holder of a mansab
     Mapillah Muslim community in Kerala
     Math Monastery
     Mauza revenue term for a village
     Mihrab High alter from which the priest prays.
     Miras hereditary right
     Mirasdar holder of miras lands
     Mokasa Grant of land for military service, rent-free land.
     Muhtasib an officer appointed to maintain regulations in a municipality
     Mujannas Mixed breed of Arabi and Iraqi horses.
     Mujtahid One entitled to interpret holy laws
     Mulhid A heretic, one who renounces the faith.
     Mullahs persons claiming to be religious leaders of the Musalmans
     Muqaddam village headman; literally the first or senior man
     Murid Disciple
     Mustaufi An auditor of accounts specially of those collecting land revenue.
     Mutasaddi A writer, a clerk
     Nabud Remission of land revenue on account of natural disasters.
     Nabuwat Prophethood
     Naib deputy, assistant, agent, representative
     Na-Khuda Commander or captain of a ship
     Narnal Swivel gun carried by men
     Nasaq A mode of assessment
     Naukar, Nokar Servant, term used by Timurid rulers for their nobles
     Nawab viceroy, governor; title of rank
     Nazrana gift, usually from inferior to superior; forced contribution
     Nilgai A kind of deer
     
104. 
     Pahar One-eigth of a day i.e. three hours
     Pahi A non-resident cultivator, temporary cultivator
     Paibaqi Land reserved for allotment in jagir
     Paibos kissing the feet, a ceremony generally reserved for God
     Patar mistress, kept woman, common law wife.
     Patel village headman
     Patta document given by collector of revenue to the revenue payer stating terms on which the land is
     held and the amount payable
     Patwari village accountant
     Peshkar Agent, manager of finances
     Peshkash Tribute from subordinate rulers
     Polaj Land constantly in cultivation
     Qasba small town
     Rabi the winter crop
     Rahdari Protection money paid by travelers
     Rai a Hindu chief, usually one having his own territory and army
     Raiyat Subjects, payers of land-revenue
     Raiyati Areas without a zamindar, or where cultivation of land-revenue was easy, productive.
     Ray A schedule
     Rekh Assessed land revenue in Rajasthan
     Riyayati Sections assessed at a concessional rate
     Sair, sayer taxes other than land revenue; transit duties
     Sama music, some time accompanied by dance for the mystics
     Saranjam Lane allotted in lieu of military service
     Sardeshmukhi One-tenth of the assessed income
     Sarrafs money-changers, bankers
     Sayurghal Rent-free land
     Shahbandar Official in charge of a port
     Shariat Muslim religious law
     Shroff banker and moneylender; moneychanger
     Sijdah Prostration, theoretically before God
     Sufis Mystics
     Tappa small estate or a group of villages
     Taqavi Advance of money for sowing or extend ing cultivation.
     Taqlid Religious show without real piety, hypocricy
     Tasawwuf Mysticism
     Tauhid unity of God
     Upari temporary occupant; tenant-at-will
     Usar barren land
     Vatan, watan hereditary lands
     Wahdat-al-Wajud Unity of God and the beings
     Wajh money, salary
     Wajhdar a salaried officer
     Wali governor, guardian
     Wali Successor
     Wali-ahad heir-presumptive
     Wazir-i-mutlnq wazir with full powers, who could administer without interference by the king
     Yassa Regulations or code book of Chingiz
     Zabtjzabti System of assessment based on measurement
     Zawabit Secular laws
     Zimmi, dhintmi protected non-Muslim
     Zor-talab Areas of turbulence often held by powerful zamindars.
     Hadis—acts or words of the Arabian Prophet
     Imam—supreme commander, leader; also the person leading the congregational Muslim prayers
     Inam—gift; reward
     Iqta—a governorship; or grant of revenues of a piece of land
     Iqtadar—governor or a person in whose charge an iqta has been placed
     Jagir—a piece of land assigned to a government officer by the state
     Jama’at’ Khana—a house of mystics
     jitals—Copper coins of the Delhi sultanat
     Jizya—has two meanings: (a) in the literature of the Delhi sultanat, any tax which is not kharaj or land
     tax; (b) in the shari’at: a personal and yearly tax on non-Muslims
     Kafir—non-Muslim (literally, one who is ungrateful to God)
     Karkhanas—royal factories or enterprises for producing or collecting commodities required by the state
     Khalifa—Caliph, Commander of the Faithful, or successor of a sufi
     Khalisa—income which went directly went to the king
     Khanqahs—a house of mystics but more commoditous than the jama’at khana
     Kharif—a winter crop in India
     Khil’at—robe of honour
     Khilafat—caliphate; commander of the faithful
     Kharaj—land revenue; also tribute paid by a subordinate ruler
     Khuts—class of village headmen
     Kufr—disbelief
     Madad-i-Maash—grant of land or pension to religious or deserving persons
     Madrasa—an educational institution
     Malikut-Tujjar—literally, chief of merchants; a title given to one of the highest officers of the state
     Mameluks—slave-officers
     Mohalla—a section or part of a town; quarter of a city
     Muhtasib—an officer appointed to maintain regulations in a municipality
     Mullahs—persons claiming to be religious leaders of the Musalmans
     Muqaddam—village headman; literally the first or senior man
     Mushrif-i-mamalik—accountant for all provinces
     Naib—deputy, assistant, agent, representative
     Nawisandas—clerks
     Nabuwat—prophethood
     Paibos—kissing the feet, a ceremony generally reserved for God
     Pir—spiritual guide
     Qalandars—a class of Muslim mendicants, generally uneducated, who did not believe in private
     property and wandered about from place to place and lived by persistent begging
     Qasbas—towns
     Qazi—a Muslim judge
     Rabi’—the winter crop in India, as opposed to the kharif or rainy season crop
     Rai—a Hindu chief, usually one having his own territory and army
     Rai Rayan—the Rai of Rais; the title given by Alauddin Khalji to Rama Deo of Deogir
     Ra’iyyat—subjects
     Sadah—literally, one hundred; the term sadah amirs meant officers controlling territory containing
     about a hundred villages
     Sadr-i jahan—title of the central officer of the Delhi sultanat, who was in charge of religious and
     charitable endowments
     Sama—an audition party of the mystics
     Sarrafs—money-changers, bankers
     Sarai—inn
     Sarai-Adl—name given to Alauddin Khalji’s market in Delhi for the sale of cloth and other specified
     commodities
     Shahr—city, used for the capital, Delhi
     Shari’at—Muslim religious law
     Shiqdar—an officer-in-charge of an area of land described as a shiq
     Shuhna—head of the police, mayor, provost
     Shuhna-i mandi—officer-in-charge of the grain-market
     Sufis—mystics
     Tanka—silver coin of the Delhi sultanat
     Tauhid—unity of God
     Ulema—Muslims of religious learning; plural of alim
     Umara—Plural of amir; amir means ruler or commander
     Usar—saline land
     Wajh—money, salary
     Wajhdar—a salaried officer
     Wali—governor
     Wali-‘ahad—heir-presumptive
     Wazir-i mutlaq—wazir with full powers, who could administer without interference by the king
     Zawabits—state laws
     Zimmis—protected non-Muslims
     

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