Chapter PUNJAUB to PUNKAH of P by The Hobson Jobson Dictionary

ago, and put out his eyes.”—Wellington, Desp. under March 17:

1815.—“He (Subagtageen)…overran the fine province of the Punjaub, in his first expedition.”—Malcolm, Hist. of Persia, i. 316.

PUNKAH, s. Hind. pankha.

a. In its original sense a portable fan, generally made from the leaf of the palmyra (Borassus flabelliformis, or ‘fan-shaped.’), the natural type and origin of the fan. Such pankhas in India are not however formed, as Chinese fans are, like those of our ladies; they are generally, whether large or small, of a bean-shape, with a part of the dried leaf-stalk adhering, which forms the handle.

b. But the specific application in Anglo-Indian colloquial is to the large fixed and swinging fan, formed of cloth stretched on a rectangular frame, and suspended from the ceiling, which is used to agitate the air in hot weather. The date of the introduction of this machine into India is not known to us. The quotation from Linschoten shows that some such apparatus was known in the 16th century, though this comes out clearly in the French version alone; the original Dutch, and the old English translation are here unintelligible, and indicate that Linschoten (who apparently never was at Ormuz) was describing, from hearsay, something that he did not understand. More remarkable passages are those which we take from Dozy, and from El-Fakhri, which show that the true Anglo-Indian punka was known to the Arabs as early as the 8th century.

a.—

1710.—“Aloft in a Gallery the King sits in his chaire of State, accompanied with his Children and chiefe Vizier…no other without calling daring to goe vp to him, saue onely two Punkaws to gather wind.”—W. Finch, in Purchas, i. 439. The word seems here to be used improperly for the men who plied the fans. We find also in the same writer a verb to punkaw:

“…behind one punkawing, another holding his sword.”—Ibid, 433.

Terry does not use the word:

1616.—“…the people of better quality, lying or sitting on their Carpets or Pallats, have servants standing about them, who continually beat the air upon them with Flabella’s, or Fans, of stiffned leather, which keepe off the flyes from annoying them, and cool them as they lye.”—Ed. 1665, p. 405.

1663.—“On such occasions they desire nothing but…to lie down in some cool and shady place all along, having a servant or two to fan one by turns, with their great Pankas, or Fans.”—Bernier, E.T., p. 76; [ed. Constable, 241].

1787.—“Over her head was held a punker.”—Sir C. Malet, in Parl. Papers, 1821, ‘Hindoo Widows.’

1809.—“He…presented me…two punkahs.”—Lord Valentia, i. 428.

1881.—“The chair of state, the sella gestatoria, in which the Pope is borne aloft, is the ancient palanquin! of the Roman nobles, and, of course, of the Roman Princes…the fans which go behind are the punkahs of the Eastern Emperors, borrowed from the Court of Persia.”—Dean Stanley, Christian Institutions, 207.

b.—

c. 1150–60.—“Sous le nom de Khaich on entend des étoffes de mauvais toile de lin qui servent à différents usages. Dans ce passage de Rhazès (c. A.D. 900) ce sont des ventilateurs faits de cet étoffe. Ceci se pratique de cette manière: on en prend un morceau de la grandeur d’un tapis, un peu plus grand ou un peu plus petit selon les dimensions de la chambre, et on le rembourre avec des objets qui ont de la consistance et qui ne plient pas facilement, par exemple avec du sparte. L’ayant ensuite suspendu au milieu de la chambre. on le fait tirer et lacher doucement et continuellement par un homme placé dans le haut de l’appartement. De cette manière il fait beaucoup de vent et rafraichit l’air. Quelquefois on le trempe dans de l’eau de rose, et alors il parfume l’air en même temps qu’il le rafraichit.”—Glossaire sur le Mançouri, quoted in Dozy et Engelmann, p. 342. See also Dozy, Suppt. and Dictt. Arabes, s.v. Khaich.

1166.—“He (Ibn Hamdun the Katib) once recited to me the following piece of his composition, containing an enigmatical description of a linen fan: (¹)

“ ‘Fast and loose, it cannot touch what it tries to reach; though tied up it moves swiftly, and though a prisoner it is free. Fixed in its place it drives before it the gentle breeze; though its path lie closed up it moves on in its nocturnal journey.’ ”—Quoted by Ibn Khallikan, E.T. iii. 91.

“(¹) The linen fan (Mirwaha-t al Khaish) is a large piece of linen, stretched on a frame, and suspended from the ceiling of the room. They make use of it in Irâk. See de Sacy’s Hariri, p. 474.”—Note by MacGuckin de Slane, ibid. p. 92.

c. 1300.—“One of the innovations of the Caliph Mansur (A.D. 753–774) was the Khaish of linen in summer, a thing which was not known before his time. But the Sasanian Kings used in summer to have an apartment freshly plastered (with clay) every day, which they inhabited, and on the morrow another apartment was plastered for them.”—El-Fakhri, ed. Ahlwardt, p. 188.

1596.—“And (they use) instruments like swings with fans, to rock the people in, and to