Chapter BANYAN of B by The Hobson Jobson Dictionary

much with Banians and merchants in the larger trading towns of India, that their moral character cannot be held in high estimation.”—Forbes, Or. Mem. ii. 456.

1877.—“Of the Wani, Banyan, or trader-caste there are five great families in this country.”—Burton, Sind Revisited, ii. 281.

b.—

1761.—“We expect and positively direct that if our servants employ Banians or black people under them, they shall be accountable for their conduct.”—The Court of Directors, in Long, 254.

1764.—“Resolutions and Orders. That no Moonshee, Linguist, Banian, or Writer, be allowed to any officer, excepting the Commander-in-Chief.”—Ft. William Proc., in Long, 382.

1775.—“We have reason to suspect that the intention was to make him (Nundcomar) Banyan to General Clavering, to surround the General and us with the Governor’s creatures, and to keep us totally unacquainted with the real state of the Government.”—Minute by Clavering, Monson, and Francis, Ft. William, 11th April. In Price’s Tracts, ii. 138.

1780.—“We are informed that the Juty Wallahs or Makers and Vendors of Bengal Shoes in and about Calcutta…intend sending a Joint Petition to the Supreme Council…on account of the great decay of their Trade, entirely owing to the Luxury of the Bengalies, chiefly the Bangans (sic) and Sarcars, as there are scarce any of them to be found who does not keep a Chariot, Phaeton, Buggy or Pallanquin, and some all four…”—In Hicky’s Bengal Gazette, June 24th.

1783.—“Mr. Hastings’ bannian was, after this auction, found possessed of territories yielding a rent of £140,000 a year.”—Burke, Speech on E. I. Bill, in Writings, &c., iii. 490.

1786.—“The said Warren Hastings did permit and suffer his own banyan or principal black steward, named Canto Baboo, to hold farms…to the amount of 13 lacs of rupees per annum.”—Art. agst. Hastings, Burke, vii. 111.

“A practice has gradually crept in among the Banians and other rich men of Calcutta, of dressing some of their servants…nearly in the uniform of the Honourable Company’s Sepoys and Lascars.…”—Notification, in Seton Karr, i. 122.

1788.—“Banyan—A Gentoo servant employed in the management of commercial affairs. Every English gentleman at Bengal has a Banyan who either acts of himself, or as the substitute of some great man or black merchant.”—Indian Vocabulary (Stockdale).

1810.—“The same person frequently was banian to several European gentlemen; all of whose concerns were of course accurately known to him, and thus became the subject of conversation at those meetings the banians of Calcutta invariably held.…”—Williamson, V. M. i. 189.

1817.—“The European functionary…has first his banyan or native secretary.”—Mill, Hist. (ed. 1840), iii. 14. Mr. Mill does not here accurately interpret the word.

(2). BANYAN, s. An undershirt, originally of muslin, and so called as resembling the body garment of the Hindus; but now commonly applied to under body-clothing of elastic cotton, woollen, or silk web. The following quotations illustrate the stages by which the word reached its present application. And they show that our predecessors in India used to adopt the native or Banyan costume in their hours of ease. C. P. Brown defines Banyan as “a loose dressing-gown, such as Hindu tradesmen wear.” Probably this may have been the original use; but it is never so employed in Northern India.

1672.—“It is likewise ordered that both Officers and Souldiers in the Fort shall, both on every Sabbath Day, and on every day when they exercise, weare English apparel; in respect the garbe is most becoming as Souldiers, and correspondent to their profession.”—Sir W. Langhorne’s Standing Order, in Wheeler, iii. 426.

1731.—“The Ensign (as it proved, for his first appearance, being undressed and in his banyon coat, I did not know him) came off from his cot, and in a very haughty manner cried out, ‘None of your disturbance, Gentlemen.’ ”—In Wheeler, iii. 109.

1781.—“I am an Old Stager in this Country, having arrived in Calcutta in the Year 1736…. Those were the days, when Gentlemen studied Ease instead of Fashion; when even the Hon. Members of the Council met in Banyan Shirts, Long Drawers (q.v.), and Conjee (Congee) caps; with a Case Bottle of good old Arrack, and a Gouglet of Water placed on the Table, which the Secretary (a Skilful Hand) frequently converted into Punch…”—Letter from An Old Country Captain, in India Gazette, Feb. 24th.

[1773.—In a letter from Horace Walpole to the Countess of Upper Ossory, dated April 30th, 1773 (Cunningham’s ed., v. 459) he describes a ball at Lord Stanley’s, at which two of the dancers, Mr. Storer and Miss Wrottesley, were dressed “in banians with furs, for winter, cock and hen.” It would be interesting to have further details of these garments, which were, it may be hoped, different from the modern Banyan.]

1810.—“…an undershirt, commonly called a banian.”—Williamson, V.M. i. 19.