Chapter MOBED to MOGUL of M by The Hobson Jobson Dictionary

MOBED to MOGUL

MOBED, s. P. mubid, a title of Parsee Priests. It is a corruption of the Pehlevi magô-pat, ‘Lord Magus.’

[1815.—“The rites ordained by the chief Mobuds are still observed.”—Malcolm, H. of Persia, ed. 1829, i. 499.]

MOCUDDUM, s. Hind. from Ar. mukaddam, ‘praepositus,’ a head-man. The technical applications are many; e.g. to the headman of a village, responsible for the realisation of the revenue (see LUMBERDAR); to the local head of a caste (see CHOWDRY); to the head man of a body of peons or of a gang of labourers (see MAT.), &c. &c. (See further detail in Wilson). Cobarruvias (Tesoro de la Lengua Castellana, 1611) gives Almocaden, “Capitan de Infanteria.” c. 1347.—“… The princess invited … the tandail (see TINDAL) or mukaddam of the crew, and the sipahsalar or mukaddam of the archers.”—Ibn Batuta, iv. 250.¹

1538.—“O Mocadão da mazmorra q era o carcereiro d’aquella pris ão, tanto q os vio mortos, deu logo rebate disso ao Guazil da justiça. …”—Pinto, cap. vi.

„ “The Jaylor, which in their language is called Mocadan, repairing in the morning to us, and finding our two companions dead, goes away in all haste therewith to acquaint the Gauzil, which is as the Judg with us.”—Cogan’s Transl., p. 8.

1554.—“E a hum naique, com seys piães (peons) e hum mocadão, com seys tochas, hum bóy de sombreiro, dous mainatos,” &c.—Botelho, Tombo, 57.

1567.—“… furthermore that no infidel shall serve as scrivener, shroff (xarrafo) mocadam (mocadão), naique (see NAIK), peon (pião) parpatrim (see PARBUTTY), collector of dues, corregidor, interpreter, procurator or solicitor in court, nor in any other office or charge in which he can in any way hold authority over Christians.”—Decree of the Sacred Council of Goa, Dec. 27. In Arch. Port. Orient. fascic. 4.

[1598.—“… a chief Boteson … which they call Mocadon.”—Linschoten, Hak. Soc. i. 267.

[c. 1610.—“They call these Lascarys and their captain Moncadon.”—Pyrard de Laval, Hak. Soc. ii. 117.

[1615.—“The Generall dwelt with the Makadow of Swally.”—Sir T. Roe, Hak. Soc. i. 45; comp. Danvers, Letters, i. 234.]

1644.—“Each vessel carries forty mariners and two mocadons.”—Bocarro, MS.

1672.—“Il Mucadamo, cosi chiamano li Padroni di queste barche.”—P. Vincenz. Maria, 3rd ed. 459.

1680.—“For the better keeping the Boatmen in order, resolved to appoint Black Tom Muckadum or Master of the Boatmen, being Christian as he is, his wages being paid at 70 fanams per mensem.”—Fort St. Geo. Consn., Dec. 23, in Notes and Exts. No. iii. p. 42.

1870.—“This headman was called the Mokaddam in the more Northern and Eastern provinces.”—Systems of Land Tenure (Cobden Club), 163.

MOCCUDDAMA, s. Hind. from Ar. mukaddama, ‘a piece of business,’ but especially ‘a suit at law.’

MODELLIAR, MODLIAR, s. Used in the Tamil districts of Ceylon (and formerly on the Continent) for a native head-man. It is also a caste title, assumed by certain Tamil people who styled themselves Sudras (an honourable assumption in the South). Tam. mudaliyar, muthaliyar, an honorific pl. from mudali, muthali, ‘a chief.’

c. 1350.—“When I was staying at Columbum (see QUILON) with those Christian chiefs who are called Modilial, and are the owners of the pepper, one morning there came to me …”—John de Marignolli, in Cathay, &c., ii. 381.

1522.—“And in opening this foundation they found about a cubit below a grave made of brickwork, white-washed within, as if newly made, in which they found part of the bones of the King who was converted by the holy Apostle, who the natives said they heard was called Tani (Tami) mudolyar, meaning in their tongue ‘Thomas Servant of God.’ ”—Correa, ii. 726.

1544.—“… apud Praefectum locis illis quem Mudeliarem vulgo nuncupant.”—S. Fr. Xaverii Epistolae, 129.

1607.—“On the part of Dom Fernando Modeliar, a native of Ceylon, I have received a petition stating his services.”—Letter of K. Philip III. in L. das Monçõoes, 135.

1616.—“These entered the Kingdom of Candy … and had an encounter with the enemy at Matalé, where they cut off five-and-thirty heads of their people and took certain araches and modiliares who are chiefs among them, and who had … deserted and gone over to the enemy as is the way of the Chingalas.”—Bocarro, 495.

1648.—“The 5 August followed from Candy the Modeliar, or Great Captain … in order to inspect the ships.”—Van Spilbergen’s Voyage, 33.

1685.—“The Modeliares…and other great men among them put on a shirt and doublet, which those of low caste may not wear.”—Ribeiro, f. 46.

1708.—“Mon Révérend Père. Vous êtes tellement accoûtumé à vous mêler des affaires de la Compagnie, que non obstant la prière que je vous ai réitérée plusieurs fois de nous laisser en