Chapter SHIBAR to SHINKALI of S by The Hobson Jobson Dictionary

or enclosed preserve. The word has also a technical application to patterns which exhibit a variety of figures and groups of animals, such as are still woven in brocade at Benares, and in shawl-work in Kashmir and elsewhere (see Marco Polo, Bk. I. ch. 17, and notes). [The great areas of jungle maintained by the Amirs of Sind and called Shikargahs are well known. [1831.—“Once or twice a month when they (the Ameers) are all in good health, they pay visits to their different shikargahs or preserves for game.”—J. Burnes, Visit to the Court of Sinde, 103.]

SHIKHÓ, n. and v. Burmese word. The posture of a Burmese in presence of a superior, i.e. kneeling with joined hands and bowed head in an attitude of worship. Some correspondence took place in 1883, in consequence of the use of this word by the then Chief Commissioner of British Burma, in an official report, to describe the attitude used by British envoys at the Court of Ava. The statement (which was grossly incorrect) led to remonstrance by Sir Arthur Phayre. The fact was that the envoy and his party sat on a carpet, but the attitude had no analogy whatever to that of shikho, though the endeavour of the Burmese officials was persistent to involve them in some such degrading attitude. (See KOWTOW.)

1855.—“Our conductors took off their shoes at the gate, and the Woondouk made an ineffectual attempt to induce the Envoy to do likewise. They also at four different places, as we advanced to the inner gate, dropt on their knees and shikhoed towards the palace.”—Yule, Mission to Ava, 82.

1882.—“Another ceremony is that of shekhoing to the spire, the external emblem of the throne. All Burmans must do this at each of the gates, at the foot of the steps, and at intervals in between. …”—The Burman, His Life and Notions, ii. 206.

SHINBIN, SHINBEAM, &c., s. A term in the Burmese teak-trade; apparently a corruption from Burm. shin-byin. The first monosyllable (shin) means ‘to put together side by side,’ and byin, ‘plank,’ the compound word being used in Burmese for ‘a thick plank used in constructing the side of a ship.’ The shinbin is a thick plank, about 15” wide by 4” thick, and running up to 25 feet in length (see Milburn, i. 47). It is not sawn, but split from green trees.

1791.—“Teak Timber for sale, consisting of

Duggis (see DUGGIE).	Maguire planks (?)
Shinbeens.	Joists and Sheathing
Coma planks (?).	Boards.”

Madras Courier, Nov. 10.

SHINKALI, SHIGALA, n.p. A name by which the City and Port of Cranganore (q.v.) seems to have been known in the early Middle Ages. The name was probably formed from Tiru van-jiculam, mentioned by Dr. Gundert below. It is perhaps the Gingaleh of Rabbi Benjamin in our first quotation; but the data are too vague to determine this, though the position of that place seems to be in the vicinity of Malabar.

c. 1167.—“Gingaleh is but three days distant by land, whereas it requires a journey of fifteen days to reach it by the sea; this place contains about 1,000 Israelites.”—Benjamin of Tudela, in Wright’s Early Travels, p. 117.

c. 1300.—“Of the cities on the shore (of Malibar) the first is Sindábúr (Goa), then Faknúr (see BACANORE), then the country of Manjarúr (see MANGALORE … then Chinkali (or Jinkali), then Kúlam (see QUILON).”—Rashiduddin, see J. R. As. Soc., N.S., iv. pp. 342, 345.

c. 1320.—“Le pays de Manîbâr, appelè pays du Poivre, comprend les villes suivantes.

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“La ville de Shinkli, dont la majeure partie de la population est composée de Juifs.

“KAULAM est la dernière ville de la côte de Poivre.”—Shemseddin Dimishqui, by Mehren (Cosmographie du Moyen Age), p. 234.

c. 1328.—“… there is one very powerful King in the country where the pepper grows, and his kingdom is called Molebar. There is also the King of Singuyli. …”—Fr. Jordanus, p. 40.

1330.—“And the forest in which the pepper groweth extendeth for a good 18 days’ journey, and in that forest there be two cities, the one whereof is called Flandrina (see PANDARANI), and the other Cyngilin. …—Fr. Odoric, in Cathay, &c., 75–76.

c. 1330.—“Etiam Shâliyât (see CHALIA) et Shinkala urbes Malabaricae sunt, quarum alteram Judaei incolunt. …”—Abulfeda, in Gildemeister, 185.

c. 1349.—“And in the second India, which is called Mynibar, there is Cynkali, which signifieth Little India” (Little China) “for Kali is ‘little.’ ”—John Marignolli, in Cathay, &c., 373.

1510.—“Scigla alias et Chrongalorvocatur, ea quam Cranganorium dicimus Malabariae urbem, ut testatur idem Jacobus Indiarum episcopus ad calcem Testamenti Novi ab ipso exarati anno