Chapter GOGOLLA to GOMBROON of G by The Hobson Jobson Dictionary

GOGOLLA to GOMBROON

GOGOLLA, GOGALA, n.p. This is still the name of a village on a peninsular sandy spit of the mainland, opposite to the island and fortress of Diu, and formerly itself a fort. It was known in the 16th century as the Villa dos Rumes, because Melique Az (Malik Ayaz, the Mahom. Governor), not much trusting the Rumes (i.e. the Turkish Mercenaries), “or willing that they should be within the Fortress, sent them to dwell there.” (Barros, II. iii. cap. 5).

1525.—“Paga dyo e gogolla a el. Rey de Cambaya treze layques em tangas…xiij laiques.”

—Lembrança, 34.

1538.—In Botelho, Tombo, 230, 239, we find “Alfandegua de Guogualaa.”

1539.—“…terminating in a long and narrow tongue of sand, on which stands a fort which they call Gogala, and the Portuguese the Villa dos Rumes. On the point of this tongue the Portuguese made a beautiful round bulwark.”—João de Castro, Primeiro Roteiro, p. 218.

GOLAH, s. Hind. gola (from gol, ‘round’). A store-house for grain or salt; so called from the typical form of such store-houses in many parts of India, viz. a circular wall of mud with a conical roof. [One of the most famous of these is the Gola at Patna, completed in 1786, but never used.]

[1785.—“We visited the Gola, a building intended for a public granary.”—In Forbes, Or. Mem. 2nd ed. ii. 445.]
1810.—“The golah, or warehouse.”—Williamson, V. M. ii. 343.

1878.—“The villagers, who were really in want of food, and maddened by the sight of those golahs stored with grain, could not resist the temptation to help themselves.”—Life in the Mofussil, ii. 77.

GOLD MOHUR FLOWER, s. Caesalpinia pulcherrima, Sw. The name is a corruption of the H. gulmor, which is not in the dictionaries, but is said to mean ‘peacock-flower.’

[1877.—“The crowd began to press to the great Gool-mohur tree.”—Allardyce, City of Sunshine, iii. 207.]

GOLE, s. The main body of an army in array; a clustered body of troops; an irregular squadron of horsemen. P.—H. ghol; perhaps a confusion with the Arab. jaul (gaul), ‘a troop’: [but Platts connects it with Skt. kula, ‘an assemblage’]. 1507.—“As the right and left are called Berânghâr and Sewânghâr…and are not included in the centre which they call ghul, the right and left do not belong to the ghul.”—Baber, 227.

1803.—“When within reach, he fired a few rounds, on which I formed my men into two gholes.…Both gholes attempted to turn his flanks, but the men behaved ill, and we were repulsed.”—Skinner, Mil. Mem. i. 298.

1849.—“About this time a large gole of horsemen came on towards me, and I proposed to charge; but as they turned at once from the fire of the guns, and as there was a nullah in front, I refrained from advancing after them.”—Brigadier Lockwood, Report of 2nd Cavalry Division at Battle of Goojerat.

GOMASTA, GOMASHTAH, s. Hind. from Pers. gumashtah, part. ‘appointed, delegated.’ A native agent or factor. In Madras the modern application is to a clerk for vernacular correspondence.

1747.—“As for the Salem Cloth they beg leave to defer settling any Price for that sort till they can be advised from the Goa Masters (!) in that Province.”—Ft. St. David Consn., May 11. MS. Records in India Office.

1762.—“You will direct the gentleman, Gomastahs, Muttasuddies (see MOOTSUDDY), and Moonshies, and other officers of the English Company to relinquish their farms, taalucs (see TALOOK), gunges, and golahs.”—The Nabob to the Governor, in Van Sittart, i. 229.

1776.—“The Magistrate shall appoint some one person his gomastah or Agent in each Town.”—Halhed’s Code, 55.

1778.—“The Company determining if possible to restore their investment to the former condition…sent gomastahs, or Gentoo factors in their own pay.”—Orme, ed. 1803, ii. 57.

c. 1785.—“I wrote an order to my gomastah in the factory of Hughly.”—Carraccioli’s Life of Clive, iii. 448.

1817.—“The banyan hires a species of broker, called a Gomastah, at so much a month.”—Mill’s Hist. iii. 13.

1837.—“…(The Rajah) sent us a very good breakfast; when we had eaten it, his gomashta (a sort of secretary, at least more like that than anything else) came to say…”—Letters from Madras, 128.