Glossary

• babti

  any additional item of revenue

• badi

  dark half of the lunar month

  when the moon is waning

• badshah

  emperor

  alternately, padshah

• bahadur

  brave, valiant, courageous; an honorific

• bahi

  a register or book

• banjara

  itinerant grain and cattle merchant

• berat

  a government order; in the Ottoman Empire, it referred to an order of grant or appointment from the Sultan, but in the Deccan, it often referred to an order enjoining the payment of a sum of money

• bhai

  a term of respect

  literally, brother

• Bhandari

  a Jain subcaste

  members of this community were prominent officials in the Rajput kingdom of Marwar

• bigha

  a measure of land, corresponding to between 1600 and 3200 acres depending upon the region

• biswa

  one-twentieth of a bigha; used to indicate a share or portion in the rights to a village