by John Masters
She looked down from him to her son, while the big gelding reared and snorted under her. Then she gathered the reins and galloped for the river. Rodney cried out and ran a few paces after her. She forced the horse over a high bank and plunged into fast deep water. The curtains of mist and rain parted a moment, and he saw her dark head in the river; then it was gone and he saw nothing but the torn water and heard nothing but the hiss of the rain. He turned on his heel and walked away.
A yard ahead of him the little brown boy in the brilliant clothes rode on Piroo’s shoulder, drumming on the old man’s head with his fists, and shouting, “Hola! Get up, elephant! I am the king. Why did my mummy jump in the water?”
Piroo’s whining voice answered, “Your Majesty, Your Excellency . . .”
They could cashier him if they found out, or shoot him perhaps. He’d have to make up a story for the general, and Sir Hector Pierce was a wise and inward-seeing man. The horse might finish up in the shallows of the ford for all to see--and so might Sumitra Lakshmi, Rawan, Rani-Regent of Kishanpur, musk and sandalwood woman, flame of courage.
But he had reached the uttermost end of his strength and must lie down a space and let the storms of the Great Bengal Mutiny roar where they would over the land. He had fought himself, and found himself. He had fought his enemies, who were his friends, and won--and lost. He had fought Caroline, and lost--and won. She must be there to accept his surrender, so that he could lie down at her feet and sleep. He whistled tunelessly and walked faster into the surge of the rain.
Glossary
With the exception of a few well-known names, such as “ Peter the Hermit,” “China,” “Gladstone,” etc., all places and persons mentioned in the story but not covered by notes in this glossary are imaginary.
The meanings given for Hindustani words apply only to this story; other meanings and shades of meaning are not given. Long phrases already translated in the text are not explained.
Inevitably, the expert will consider many of these brief notes inadequate, if not actually misleading; nevertheless, in connection with this story, they may be helpful.
achcha (utcha), good.
Addiscombe, village near Croydon; site of the H.E.I.C.’s military cadet college.
admi (ahdmi), man.
Afghanistan, various references in the book are to the First British-Afghan War, 1839-42.
Agra (Ahgra), city, 27.10 N., 78.00 E.
a-gya (ah-geea), has come.
Al Kadhimain (Al Kadhimain), mosque near Baghdad.
Almora (Al-mora), village, 29.37 N., 79.41 E.
Anglo-India(n), the British community in India; at this time people of mixed British and Indian blood were referred to as “Eurasians.”
ankus (unkas), pointed elephant goad, with a hook on one side.
anna (anna), coin; sixteenth part of a rupee.
Auckland, George Eden, Earl of Auckland; Governor General of India 1835-42.
ayah (eye-ya), children’s nurse.
baba (baba), baby.
babu (bahboo), clerk, educated man (literally, father).
bahadur (b’hahda), brave; used as suffix when addressing military men, e.g., sahib-bahadur.
bahin (bine), sister.
bahut (bote), much, very.
baje (budgey), o’clock.
bannia (bun-ya), merchant.
Bareilly (B’relly), town, 28.30 N., 79.30 E.
barnshoot, corruption of bahin ka chute
Barrackpore, town and military station fifteen miles north of Calcutta.
Bengal Proper, roughly, the modern province of Bengal (in 1857 “Bengal” would usually
have meant the much larger Presidency of that name),
Berhampur (Berram-pore), town and military station, 24.07 N., 88.10 E.
Betwa (Bate-wa), south-bank, tributary of the Jumna; junction at 25.54 N., 80.13 E., forty miles south-south-west of Cawnpore, q.v.
bhi (b’hee), also, too.
Bhowani (B’wahny), imaginary town. To get a geographical bearing on the story it should be imagined to be about where Jhansi really is--25.27 N., 78.33 E.
Bhurtpore (Bhurtpore), town and fortress, 27.13 N., 77.30 E.
Black Water, ocean, sea (direct translation of Hindustani Kala Pant).
B.L.C., Bengal Light Cavalry (Native).
B.N.I., Bengal Native Infantry.
Brahmin (Brahmin), member of the highest Hindu caste.
buddha (boodda), old.
burqa (boorka), shapeless one-piece garment, usually of white cotton, covering the whole person; worn in public by most Mohammedan and some high-caste Hindu women.
Canning, Charles John, Earl Canning, Governor General of India 1856-62.
Carnatic (Car-nattic), name formerly used for a part of the southeast coast of the Indian peninsula.
Cawnpore, city on the Ganges, 26.28 N., 80.30 E.
Chandernagore (Chundra-n’gore), small territory belonging to France; on the Hooghly twenty miles north of Calcutta.
Chillianwallah (Chillyun-wolla), town in the Punjab, 32.45 N., 73.35 E. Site of a hard-fought battle, January 1849, between British and Sikhs.
chhe (chay), six.
cheetah (cheeta), hunting leopard.
cheetal (cheetle), common spotted deer of India, Cervus axis.
cholera (choke-ra), youth, boy.
chor do (chor doe), let go!
chupatti (ch’patty), flat disk of unleavened wheat bread.
chute (choot), vulva.
civil, the, non-military officials of the government (Anglo-Indian jargon). Stemming down from the Governor General there were governors (of presidencies); lieutenant governors (of provinces); commissioners (of divisions); collectors, or deputy commissioners (of districts). A resident was the Governor General’s ambassador to a princely state, and thus not part of the administration of British India, In the story, Mr. Dellamain’s job was that of a collector, but he is ranked as commissioner because he was also resident to Kishanpur under the peculiar circumstances of that (imaginary) state.
collector, see civil.
Colvin, John Russell, Lieutenant Governor of the N.W. Provinces of Bengal, 1853-57.
commissioner, see civil.
cornet, see ranks.
Cuddalore (Cudda-lore), town and seaport, 11.44 N., 79.45 E.; site of many battles between the French and English.
daffadar (duffa-dah), see ranks.
Dalhousie, James Andrew Broun Ramsay, 10th Earl and 1st Marquess of Dalhousie, Governor General of India 1848-56.
Deccan (Dekk’n), unofficial name for the part of peninsular India south of the Nerbudda River.
dekhana (d’khahna), to show (tr.).
dewan (D’wahn), chief minister of an Indian ruler.
Dinapore (Dinah-pore), town and military station near Patna, q.v.
down country, closer to a Presidency capital (Anglo-Indian jargon).
dum (dum), breath.
Dum-Dum, town, military station and arsenal four and a half miles northeast of Calcutta.
ek (eck), one.
ek dum (eck dum), at once (literally, one breath).
ensign, see ranks.
follower, one of the noncombatants, usually of low caste, who accompany armies in India to carry out menial tasks.
gaddi (guddy), throne (literally, heavy cushion).
gaonwala (gown-wolla), villager.
ghat (gaht), step, platform.
ghi (ghee), clarified butter.
ghusl (ghoosl), bath.
Goa, town and territory belonging to Portugal, 15.28 N., 73.50 E.
gold-mohur (mo-hoor), tree, Poinciana regia.
Gond (Goand), member of aboriginal race inhabiting jungles of central India.
gora (gora), pale-faced.
gurdwara (goord-wahra), Sikh place of worship.
guru (goorroo), teacher.
Gwalior (Gwollyor), princely state; also, its capital city, 26.13 N., 78.10 E.
hai (hay), is.
havildar (huvvle-dah), see
ranks.
hazri (hahzri), breakfast.
Hearsey, Major-General commanding Presidency Division of Bengal in 1857.
H.E.I.C., the Honourable East India Company.
Hindi (Hindy). Aryan dialect of northeast India; now the lingua franca of the Republic of India.
hogya (hoe-geea), finished, done.
Holi (Holy), Hindu religious festival, in early spring.
howdah (howdah), framework for carrying passengers on elephant back.
hut!, exclamation.
huzoor (h’zoor), honorific term of address (literally, presence).
Hyderabad (Hydra-bad), city and state of the Deccan, between Bombay and Madras; not to be confused with the town of Hyderabad, Sind.
Jaipur (Jye-poor), princely state of Rajputana, intersected by 27 N., 76 E.
jai ram! (jye rahm!), a form of greeting.
jata (jahta), going.
Jattra (Juttra), a pilgrimage.
jemadar (jemma-dah), see ranks.
-ji (-jee), polite suffix added to, e.g., babu, guru.
jildi (jildy), quickly (British soldiers’ corruption of Hindustani jaldi),
Jodhpur (Joad-poor), princely state of Rajputana, intersected by 26 N., 72 E.; also the Rajput type of trousers.
John Company, nickname of the H.E.I.C.
Johnny Sepoy, generic term for sepoys.
Jubbulpore (Jubble-poor), city, 23.10 N., 80.03 E.
ka (ka), postposition, meaning “of” (cf. “‘s” in English).
Kalpi (Kulpy), town, 26.07 N., 79.45 E.
ke mwafik (k’mwahfik), postposition, meaning “like,” “similar to.”
Ken (Ken), south-bank tributary of the Jumna River--junction fifty miles south-southeast of Cawnpore, q.v., at 25.48 N., 80.32 E.
khabbar (khubber), news, information.
kih (k’), that (conj.).
koi hai (kwa hi), a call for service (literally, is anyone there?); used instead of “boy!” etc.
Konkan (Konkahn), a region on the western coast of the Indian peninsula.
Kotdwara (Coat-dwahra), town, 29.48 N., 78.33 E.
lagao (l’gow), put on!
Lake, Gerard, Viscount Lake, Commander-in-Chief in India 1800-1805.
lalkurti (lahl-koorty), redcoats; hence British soldiers as opposed to Indian sepoys, though many of the latter also wore red coats.
Laswari (L’swahry), village seventy-eight miles south-southwest of Delhi. Here, November 1, 1803, the British under Lord Lake defeated the Mahrattas.
liya (leeah), brought.
log (loag), people.
mahout (ma-hoot), elephant driver.
Mahratta (ma-hratta), member of Hindu race inhabiting the western and central parts of the Indian peninsula; at times they overran India.
maila (mile-ah), dirty.
Mangal Pande (Mungle Pundy), sepoy, 34th B.N.I.; attacked the adjutant of his regiment March 29, 1857; tried April 6, executed April 8.
Meerut (Mare-oot), town and military station, 29.00 N., 77.43 E. (twenty miles northeast of Delhi).
Monghyr (Mung-geer), town and military station on the Ganges, 25.22 N., 86.29 E.
mullah (moolla), Mohammedan priest.
murari sanp (m’rahry sahnp), milk snake.
mynah (mine-ah), bird of starling family.
Nagpur (Nahg-pore), city, 21.10 N., 79.10 E.
nahin (na’ee or nay), no, not.
naik (nike), see ranks.
namaste (n’musty), gesture of obeisance made by putting hands to forehead, palms inward.
nautch (nawtch), dance.
Nawab (N’wahb), princely ruler (always a Mohammedan).
-ne (-nay), meaningless appositive used after the subject of a sentence when the verb is in the past tense.
neem (neem), tree, Azadirachta indica.
Nerbudda (Nerbudda), river, flowing westward into the Gulf of Cambay about lat. 21.35 N.
nini (ninny), sleep (baby-talk for Hindustani nind).
Nizam (Nye-zam), ruler of the princely State of Hyderabad in the Deccan.
Oudh (Ood), kingdom; capital Lucknow, 26.52 N., 80.55 E.; annexed by the British, February 7, 1856.
panchh (pahnch), five.
Pande (Pundy), name of Brahmin sub-caste.
pandit (pundit), teacher, wise man (also used as title).
pani (pahny), water.
Pashupatti (Pushoo-puttee), one of the eight principal manifestations of Shiva; represented under the material form of fire.
Patna (Putna), town, 25.35 N., 85.12 E.
peepul (peeple), large fig tree, Ficus religiosa (the Bodhi under which Lord Buddha sat was a peepul).
pice (pice), coin; one-fourth of an anna.
pie (pie), coin; one-twelfth of an anna.
pher (fair), again, once more.
Plassey, village on the Hooghly eighty-five miles north of Calcutta. Here, June 23, 1757, the British under Clive defeated Suraj-ud-Dowlah.
Pramathas (Pr’mahtas), demons, servants of Shiva.
punkah (punkah), fan.
Queen’s, the epithet denoted that the official, officer, soldier, regiment, etc., was based in the United Kingdom; it would be contrasted with, e.g., “local,” or “colonial,” or (in India) “Company’s.”
Rajputs (Rahjpoots), Hindus, divided into numerous clans, who regard themselves as descended from the ancient Kshatriya or Warrior caste; also the rank below Brahmins in the Hindu religious hierarchy.
ram ram (rahm rahm), a form of greeting.
rani (rahny), wife of princely ruler; also, a woman ruling in her own right.
ranks. British officers’ ranks were the same as to-day, except that the lowest rank, corresponding to modern second lieutenant, was ensign in infantry and cornet in cavalry. Below the British Officers there were three grades of Native Officers, the titles of which again varied in infantry and cavalry: infantry--subadar-major, subadar, jemadar; cavalry--rissaldar-major, rissaldar, jemadar. The three-striped non-com was havildar (inf.) or daffadar (cav.); the two-striper was naik (inf.) or lance-daffadar (cav.). The private soldier was sipahi (sepoy) in infantry, sowar in cavalry.
regiments. The 19th, 24th, and 34th B.N.I, were real and did the things they are said in the story to have done. All other regiments mentioned are imaginary.
resident, see civil.
rissaldar, see ranks.
Rohilkand (Roe-ill-kund), the district round Bareilly, q.v.
roko (roe-koe), stop!
sab (sub), all, every.
sadhu (sahdoo), religious mendicant.
sal (sahl), large tree, Shorea ro-busta.
sambhur (sahmba), the Indian elk, Rusa aristotelis.
sanp (sahnp), snake.
sarhe (sahray), half-past; and a half.
sari (sahry), female outer garment.
schapska, lancer’s headdress, shaped rather like a scholar’s mortarboard.
secondary jungle, jungle which has once been cleared: marked by denseness of undergrowth.
Shaiva (Shye-va), one of a sect of Hindus who regard Shiva as principal member of the divine triad, and identify him with creation and reproduction as well as with destruction.
shikari (sh’kahry), professional hunter, hence sportsman.
Shiva (Sheeva), third god of the Hindu triad, later regarded as the Destroyer.
Shiva Parana (Sheeva P’rahna), a tale of Hindu mythology.
Sholingur (Sho-ling-gur), town, 13.08 N., 79.26 E.
Simla, hill town 31.07 N., 77.05 E.; was the hot-weather capital of British India.
Sind, a large area of western India astride the Indus River.
Sinigaglia, town in Italy seventeen miles north-west of Ancona; here in 1501-1502 Cesare Borgia murdered Vitelozzo Vitelli, Oliverotto da Fermo, the Signor Pagolo, and the Duke di Gravina Orsini.
sirdar (sir-dar), title of honour, particularly of and to Native Officers.
state (in this book), a territory ruled by an Indian prince--rajah, maharajah, Nawab, Nizam, etc.--and thus not part o
f British India. All the states mentioned are imaginary, except Hyderabad, though there are in fact villages named Kiloi, Purkhas, etc., in various parts of India.
Subadar(-major) (sooba-dah), see ranks.
subordinate, an Anglo-Indian or Eurasian below commissioned rank or its civil equivalent (Anglo-Indian jargon).
sunta (soonta), hearing (pres. part, of verb).
suraj (soor’j), sun.
Suraj-ud-Dowlah (S’rahja Dowla), Nawab of Bengal; responsible for the Black Hole of Calcutta, 1756; defeated by Clive at Plassey, 1757.
suttee (suttee), custom of Hindu widow immolating herself on her husband’s funeral pyre; a woman so acting. (Suttee was abolished by Lord William Bentinck, Governor General of India, in December 1829.)
sweeper, domestic servant, always of untouchable caste; employed to clean out toilets and incidentally to sweep floors.
thug(-gee) (thug, thuggee), member of religious association that lived by highway murder and robbery; the association and its acts. (Thuggee was in reality destroyed by several men under the leadership of William Sleeman.)
topi (topey), hat.
up country, farther away from a Presidency capital, cf. down country (Anglo-Indian jargon).
Varuna (Va-roona), the supreme god among those of the Hindu Veda; the deity of the waters.
Vauban, Sebastien le Prestrejde, 1633-1707; French military engineer and marshal.
Vishnu (Vishnoo), the second member of the Hindu triad; the Preserver.
Yama (Yahma), the Hindu god of death and penance.
zenana (z’nahna), women’s apartments, also called harem.
