Glossary

• pahar

  a unit of approximately three hours

  a day and a night consisted of four pahars each

• paimayish

  measurement

• panchayat

  judicial assembly

  Today, it refers more generally to a local governing body.

• pandit

  a scholar or learned person, usually a man of Brahman caste

• Panduranga

  a Hindu deity, also called Vithobha

• pargana

  district

• parvana

  order

• patil

  village headman

• patra

  letter or document

• patta

  deed of land rights

  This can be a deed of lease or a deed of gift. It is also sometimes used for deeds for official posts.

• pattayat

  landlord or one who holds a patta

  Most widely used in Rajasthan, especially Mewar, where pattayats were similar to jagirdars.

• patwari

  village accountant

  similar to a kulkarni

• peth

  market

• pir

  an elder; often refers to the head of a Sufi religious order

• pirzada

  a descendant of a Muslim holy man, often an officiant or attendant at a Sufi shrine

• pishgi-giri

  taking money paid in advance, rent

• pishkash

  tribute

• pradhan

  minister

  "Mukhya pradhan" along with "pant pradhan" and "peshwa" were titles routinely assumed by the chief minister of the Maratha empire.

• prant

  province