Chapter SINGAPORE to SIRCAR of S by The Hobson Jobson Dictionary

of Singapoera, called Siri Raja Nagara. …”—Valentijn, v. 331.

1616.—“Found a Dutch man-of-war, one of a fleet appointed for the siege of Malaca, with the aid of the King of Acheen, at the entrance of the Straits of Singapore.”—Sainsbury, i. 458.

1727.—“In anno 1703 I called at Johore on my Way to China, and he treated me very kindly, and made me a Present of the Island of Sincapure, but I told him it could be of no use to a private Person, tho’ a proper Place for a Company to settle a Colony in, lying in the Center of Trade, and being accommodated with good Rivers and safe Harbours, so conveniently situated that all Winds served Shipping, both to go out and come in.”—A. Hamilton, ii. 98; [ed. 1744, ii. 97].

1818.—“We are now on our way to the eastward, in the hope of doing something, but I much fear the Dutch have hardly left us an inch of ground. … My attention is principally turned to Johore, and you must not be surprised if my next letter to you is dated from the site of the ancient city of Singapura.”—Raffles, Letter to Marsden, dated Sandheads, Dec. 12.

SINGARA, s. Hind. singhara, Skt. sringattaka, sringa, ‘a horn.’ The caltrop or water-chestnut; Trapa bispinosa, Roxb. (N.O. Haloragaceae).

[c. 1590.—The Ain (ed. Jarrett, ii. 65) mentions it as one of the crops on which revenue was levied in cash.

[1798.—In Kashmir “many of them … were obliged to live on the Kernel of the singerah, or water- nut. …”—Forster, Travels, ii. 29.

[1809.—Buchanan-Hamilton writes singghara.—Eastern India, i. 241.]

1835.—“Here, as in most other parts of India, the tank is spoiled by the water-chestnut, singhara (Trapa bispinosa), which is everywhere as regularly planted and cultivated in fields under a large surface of water, as wheat or barley is in the dry plains. … The nut grows under the water after the flowers decay, and is of a triangular shape, and covered with a tough brown integument adhering strongly to the kernel, which is wholly esculent, and of a fine cartilaginous texture. The people are very fond of these nuts, and they are carried

often upon bullocks’ backs two or three hundred miles to market.”—Sleeman, Rambles, &c. (1844), i. 101; [ed. Smith, i. 94.]

1839.—“The nuts of the Trapa bispinosa, called Singhara, are sold in all the Bazaars of India; and a species called by the same name, forms a considerable portion of the food of the inhabitants of Cashmere, as we learn from Mr. Forster [loc. cit.] that it yields the Government 12,000l. of revenue; and Mr. Moorcroft mentions nearly the same sum as Runjeet Sing’s share, from 96,000 to 128,000 ass-loads of this nut, yielded by the Lake of Oaller.”—Royle, Him. Plants, i. 211.

SIPAHSELAR, s. A General-in-chief; Pers. sipah-salar, ‘army-leader,’ the last word being the same as in the title of the late famous Minister-Regent of Hyderabad, Sir Salar Jang, i.e. ‘the leader in war.’ c. 1000–1100.—“Voici quelle étoit alors la gloire et la puissance des Orpélians dans le royaume. Ils possédoient la charge de sbasalar, ou de généralissime de toute la Georgie. Tous les officiers du palais étoient de leur dependance.”—Hist. of the Orpélians, in St. Martin, Mem. sur l’Arménie, ii. 77.

c. 1358.—“At 16 my father took me by the hand, and brought me to his own Monastery. He there addressed me: ‘My boy, our ancestors from generation to generation have been commanders of the armies of the Jagtay and the Berlas family. The dignity of (Sepah Salar) Commander-in-Chief has now descended to me, but as I am tired of this world … I mean therefore to resign my public office. …”—Autob. Mem. of Timour, E.T. p. 22.

1712.—“Omnibus illis superior est … Sipah Salaar, sive Imperator Generalis Regni, Praesidem dignitate excipiens. …”—Kaempfer, Amoen. Exot. 73.

1726.—A letter from the Heer Van Maatzuiker “to His Highness Chan Chanaan, Sapperselaar, Grand Duke, and General in Chief of the Great Mogol in Assam, Bengal, &c.”—Valentijn, v. 173.

1755.—“After the Sipahsalar Hydur, by his prudence and courage, had defeated the Mahrattas, and recovered the country taken by them, he placed the government of Seringaputtun on a sure and established basis. …”—Meer Hussein Ali Khan, H. of Hydur Naik, O. T. F. p. 61.

[c. 1803.—In a collection of native letters, the titles of Lord Lake are given as follows: “Ashja - ul - Mulk Khan Dauran, General Gerard Lake Bahadur, Sipahsalar-i-kishwar-i-Hind,” “Valiant of the Kingdom, Lord of the Cycle, Commander-in-chief of the Territories of Hindustan.”—North Indian Notes and Queries, iv. 17.]

SIRCAR, s. Hind. from Pers. sarkar, ‘head (of) affairs.’ This word has very divers applications; but its senses may fall under three heads.

a. The State, the Government, the Supreme authority; also ‘the