Chapter TABASHEER to TAHSEELDAR of T by The Hobson Jobson Dictionary

throne, of exquisite beauty, and much admired.”—Bernier, ed. Constable, 128; in 370, tact-ravan.

[1753.—“Mahommed Shah, emperor of Hindostan, seated in a royal litter (takht revan, which signifies a moving throne) issued from his camp.…” —Hanway, iv. 169.]

TAEL, s. This is the trade-name of the Chinese ounce, viz., 1/16 of a catty (q.v.); and also of the Chinese money of account, often called “the ounce of silver,” but in Chinese called liang. The standard liang or tael is, according to Dr. Wells Williams, = 579·84 grs. troy. It was formerly equivalent to a string of 1000 tsien, or (according to the trade-name) cash (q.v.). The China tael used to be reckoned as worth 6s. 8d., but the rate really varied with the price of silver. In 1879 an article in the Fortnightly Review puts it at 5s. 7½d. (Sept. p. 362); the exchange at Shanghai in London by telegraphic transfer, April 13, 1885, was 4s. 9 3/8d.; [on Oct. 3, 1901, 2s. 7md.]. The word was apparently got from the Malays, among whom taïl or tahil is the name of a weight; and this again, as Crawfurd indicates, is probably from the India tola (q.v.). [Mr. Pringle writes: “Sir H. Yule does not refer to such forms as tahe (see below), taies (plural in Fryer’s New Account, p. 210, sub Machawo), Taye (see quotation below from Saris), tayes (see quotation below from Mocquet), or taey, and taeys (Philip’s translation of Linschoten, Hak. Soc. i. 149). These probably come through the medium of the Portuguese, in which the final l of the singular tael is changed into s in the plural. Such a form as taeis might easily suggest a singular wanting the final s, and from such a singular French and English plurals of the ordinary type would in turn be fashioned” (Diary Ft. St. Geo., 1st ser. ii. 126).]

The Chinese scale of weight, with their trade- names, runs: 16 taels = 1 catty, 100 catties = 1 pecul = 133½ lbs. avoird. Milburn gives the weights of Achin as 4 copangs (see KOPANG) = 1 mace, 5 mace = 1 mayam, 16mayam = 1 tale (see TAEL), 5 tales = 1 buncal, 20 buncals = 1 catty, 200 catties = 1 bahar; and the catty of Achin as = 2 lbs. 1 oz. 13 dr. Of these names, mace, tale and bahar (qq.v.) seem to be of Indian origin, mayam, bangkal, and kati Malay.

1540.—“And those three junks which were then taken, according to the assertion of those who were aboard, had contained in silver alone 200,000 taels (taeis), which are in our money 300,000 cruzados, besides much else of value with which they were freighted.”—Pinto, cap. xxxv.

1598.—“A Tael is a full ounce and a halfe Portingale weight.”—Linschoten, 44; [Hak. Soc. i. 149].

1599.—“Est et ponderis genus, quod Tael vocant in Malacca. Tael unum in Malacca pendet 16 masas.”—De Bry, ii. 64.

„ “Four hundred cashes make a cowpan (see KOBANG). Foure cowpans are one mas. Foure masses make a Perdaw (see PARDAO). Four Perdaws make a Tayel.”—Capt. T. Davis, in Purchas, i. 123.

c. 1608.—“Bezar stones are thus bought by the Taile … which is one Ounce, and the third part English.”—Saris, in do., 392.

1613.—“A Taye is five shillinge sterling.”—Saris, in do. 369.

1643.—“Les Portugais sont fort desireux de ces Chinois pour esclaves … il y a des Chinois faicts à ce mestier … quand ils voyent quelque beau petit garçon ou fille … les enleuent par force et les cachent … puis viennent sur la riue de la mer, ou ils sçcauent que sont les trafiquans à qui ils les vendent 12 et 15 tayes chacun, qui est enuiron 25 escus.”—Mocquet, 342.

c. 1656.—“Vn Religieux Chinois qui a esté surpris auec des femmes de debauche … l’on a percé le col avec vn fer chaud; à ce fer est attaché vne chaisne de fer d’enuiron dix brasses qu’il est obligé de traisner jusques à ce qu’il ait apporté au Couuent trente theyls d’argent qu’il faut qu’il amasse en demandant l’aumosne.”—In Thevenot, Divers Voyages, ii. 67.

[1683.—“The abovesaid Musk weyes Cattee 10: tahe 14: Mas 03.…” —Pringle, Diary Ft. St. Geo., 1st ser. ii. 34.]

TAHSEELDAR, s. The chief (native) revenue officer of a subdivision (tahsil, conf. Pergunnah, Talook) of a district (see ZILLAH). Hind. from Pers. tahsildar, and that from Ar. tahsil, ‘collection.’ This is a term of the Mahommedan administration which we have adopted. It appears by the quotation from Williamson that the term was formerly employed in Calcutta to designate the cash-keeper in a firm or private establishment, but this use is long obsolete. [Possibly there was a confusion with tahvildar, ‘a cashier.’]

[1772.—“Tahsildar, or Sezawaul, an officer employed for a monthly salary to collect the revenues.”—Glossary, in Verelst, View of Bengal, s.v.]

1799.—“… He (Tippoo) divided his country into 37 Provinces under Dewans (see DEWAUN) … and he subdivided these again into 1025 inferior districts, having each a Tisheldar.”—Letter of Munro, in Life, i. 215.

1808.—“… he continues to this hour tehsildar of the