Chapter MAYLA to MELINDE of M by The Hobson Jobson Dictionary

MAYLA to MELINDE

MAYLA, s. Hind. mela, ‘a fair,’ almost always connected with some religious celebration, as were so many of the medieval fairs in Europe. The word is Skt. mela, melaka, ‘meeting, concourse, assembly.’

[1832.—“A party of foreigners … wished to see what was going on at this far-famed mayllah. …”—Mrs. Meer Hassan Ali, Observations, ii. 321–2.]

1869.—“Le Mela n’est pas précisément une foire telle que nous l’entendent; c’est le nom qu’on donne aux réunions de pèlerins et des marchands qui … se rendent dans les lieux considérés comme sacrés, aux fêtes de certaine dieux indiens et des personnages reputés saints parmi les musulmans.”—Garcin de Tassy, Rel. Mus. p. 26.

MAZAGONG, MAZAGON, n.p. A suburb of Bombay, containing a large Portuguese population. [The name is said to be originally Mahesagrama, ‘the village of the Great Lord,’ Siva.]

1543.—

“Mazaguãao, por 15,000 fedeas,

Monbaym (Bombay), por 15,000.” S. Botelho, Tombo, 149.

1644.—“Going up the stream from this town (Mombaym, i.e. Bombay) some 2 leagues, you come to the aldea of Mazagam.”—Bocarro, MS. f. 227.

1673.—“… for some miles together, till the Sea break in between them; over against which lies Massegoung, a great Fishing Town. … The Ground between this and the Great Breach is well ploughed and bears good Batty. Here the Portugals have another Church and Religious House belonging to the Franciscans.”—Fryer, p. 67.

[MEARBAR, s. Pers. mirbahr, ‘master of the bay,’ a harbour-master. Mirbahri, which appears in Botelho (Tombo, p. 56) as mirabary, means ‘ferry dues.’

[1675.—“There is another hangs up at the daily Waiters, or Meerbar’s Choultry, by the Landing-place. …”—Fryer, 98.]

[1682.—“… ordering them to bring away ye boat from ye Mearbar.”—Hedges, Diary, Hak. Soc. i. 34.]

MECKLEY, n.p. One of the names of the State of Munneepore.

MEEANA, MYANNA, s. H.—P. miyana, ‘middle-sized.’ The name of a kind of palankin; that kind out of which the palankin used by Europeans has been developed, and which has been generally adopted in India for the last century. [Buchanan Hamilton writes: “The lowest kind of palanquins, which are small litters suspended under a straight bamboo, by which they are carried, and shaded by a frame covered with cloth, do not admit the passenger to lie at length, and are here called miyana, or Mahapa. In some places, these terms are considered as synonymous, in others the Miyana is open at the sides, while the Mahapa, intended for women, is surrounded with curtains.” (Eastern India, ii. 426).] In Williamson’s Vade Mecum (i. 319) the word is written Mohannah.

1784.—“… an entire new myannah, painted and gilt, lined with orange silk, with curtains and bedding complete.”—In Seton-Karr, i. 49.

„ “Patna common chairs, couches and teapoys, two Mahana palanquins.”—Ibid. 62.

1793.—“To be sold … an Elegant New Bengal Meana, with Hair Bedding and furniture.”—Bombay Courier, Nov. 2.

1795.—“For Sale, an Elegant Fashionable New Meanna from Calcutta.”—Ibid. May 16.

MEERASS, s., MEERASSY, adj.,

MEERASSIDAR, s. ‘Inheritance,’ ‘hereditary,’ ‘a holder of hereditary property.’ Hind. from Arab. mirus, mirasi, mirasdar; and these from waris, ‘to inherit.’

1806.—“Every meerassdar in Tanjore has been furnished with a separate pottah (q.v.) for the land held by him.”—Fifth Report (1812), 774.

1812.—“The term meerassee … was introduced by the Mahommedans.”—Ibid. 136.

1877.—“All miras rights were reclaimable within a forty years’ absence.”—Meadows Taylor, Story of My Life, ii. 211.

„ “I found a great proportion of the occupants of land to be mirasdars,—that is, persons who held their portions of land in hereditary occupancy.”—Ibid. 210.