Chapter CONSOO-HOUSE to COOLICOY of C by The Hobson Jobson Dictionary

CONSOO-HOUSE to COOLICOY

CONSOO-HOUSE, n.p. At Canton this was a range of buildings adjoining the foreign Factories, called also the ‘Council Hall’ of the foreign Factories. It was the property of the body of Hong merchants, and was the place of meeting of these merchants among themselves, or with the chiefs of the Foreign houses, when there was need for such conference (see Fankwae, p. 23). The name is probably a corruption of ‘Council.’ Bp. Moule, however, says: “The name is likely to have come from kung-su, the public hall, where a kung-sz’, a ‘public company,’ or guild, meets.”

CONSUMAH, KHANSAMA, s. P. Khansaman; ‘a house-steward.’ In Anglo-Indian households in the Bengal Presidency, this is the title of the chief table servant and provider, now always a Mahommedan. [See BUTLER.] The literal meaning of the word is ‘Master of the household gear’; it is not connected with khwan, ‘a tray,’ as Wilson suggests. The analogous word Mir-saman occurs in Elliot, vii. 153. The Anglo-Indian form Consumer seems to have been not uncommon in the 18th century, probably with a spice of intention. From tables quoted in Long, 182, and in Seton-Karr, i. 95, 107, we see that the wages of a “Consumah, Christian, Moor, or Gentoo,” were at Calcutta, in 1759, 5 rupees a month, and in 1785, 8 to 10 rupees.

[1609.—“Emersee Nooherdee being called by the Cauncamma.”—Danvers, Letters, i. 24.]

c. 1664.—“Some time after … she chose for her Kane-saman, that is, her Steward, a certain Persian called Nazerkan, who was a young Omrah, the handsomest and most accomplished of the whole Court.” —Bernier, E.T., p. 4; [ed. Constable, p. 13].

1712.—“They were brought by a great circuit on the River to the Chansamma or Steward (Dispenser) of the aforesaid Mahal.” —Valentijn, iv. (Suratte) 288.

1759.—“DUSTUCK or ORDER, under the Chan Sumaun, or Steward’s Seal, for the Honourable Company’s holding the King’s [i.e. the Great Mogul’s]fleet.”

“At the back of this is the seal of Zecah al Doulat Tidaudin Caun Bahadour, who is Caun Samaun, or Steward to his Majesty, whose prerogative it is to grant this, Order.” —R. Owen Cambridge, pp. 231 seq.

1788.—“After some deliberation I asked the Khansaman, what quantity was remaining of the clothes that had been brought from Iran to camp for sale, who answered that there were 15,000 jackets, and 12,000 pairs of long drawers.”—Mem. of Khojeh Abdulkurreem, tr. by Gladwin, 55.

1810.—“The Kansamah may be classed with the house-steward, and butler; both of which offices appear to unite in this servant.”—Williamson, V. M., i. 199.

1831.—“I have taught my khansama to make very light iced punch.”—Jacquemont, Letters, E.T., ii. 104.

COOCH AZO, or AZO simply, n.p. Koch Hajo, a Hindu kingdom on the banks of the Brahmaputra R., to the E. of Koch Bihar, annexed by Jahangir’s troops in 1637. See Blochmann in J.A.S.B. xli. pt. i. 53, and xlii. pt. i. 235. In Valentijn’s map of Bengal (made c. 1660) we have Cos Assam with Azo as capital, and T’Ryk van Asoe, a good way south and east of Silhet.

1753.—“Ceste rivière (Brahmapoutra), en remontant, conduit à Rangamati et à Azoo, qui font la frontière de l’état du Mogol. Azoo est une forteresse que l’Emir Jemla, sous le règne d’Aorengzèbe, reprit sur le roi d’Asham, comme une dependance de Bengale.”—D’Anville, p. 62.

COOCH BEHAR, n.p. Koch Bihar, a native tributary State on the N.E. of Bengal, adjoining Bhotan and the Province of Assam. The first part of the name is taken from that of a tribe, the Koch, apparently a forest race who founded this State about the 15th century, and in the following century obtained dominion of considerable extent. They still form the majority of the population, but, as usual in such circumstances, give themselves a Hindu pedigree, under the name of Rajbansi. [See Risley, Tribes and Castes of Bengal, i. 491 seqq.] The site of the ancient monarchy of Kamrup is believed to have been in Koch Bihar, within the limits of which there are the remains of more than one ancient city. The second part of the name is no doubt due to the memory of some important Vihara, or Buddhist Monastery, but we have not found information on the subject. [Possibly the ruins at Kamatapur, for which see Buchanan- Hamilton, Eastern India, iii. 426 seqq.] 1585.—“I went from Bengala into the countrey of Couche, which lieth 25 dayes iourny Northwards from Tanda.”—R. Fitch, in Hakl. ii. 397.

c. 1596.—“To the north of Bengal is the province of Coach, the Chief of which commands 1,000 horse, and 100,000 foot. Kamroop, which is also called Kamroo and Kamtah (see COMOTAY) makes a part of his dominions.”—Ayeen (by Gladwin), ed. 1800, ii. 3; [ed. Jarrett, ii. 117].

1726.—“Cos Bhaar is a Kingdom of itself, the King