Glossary of Names and Terms
Rent from DeepDyve- Glossary of Names and Terms
- aalam.
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Spear-headed black banner of Imam Husain, carried in procession during the Muharram festival.
- akhara.
-
Wrestling groundl.
- azakhana.
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Mourning chamber in a Shia imambaral.
- baniya.
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Merchant class or castel.
- beta / betay / betey.
-
Son; used affectionately for any young boyl.
- dargah.
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Sufi shrine or meeting placel.
- dastaan / dastan.
-
Fable; storyl.
- doab.
-
Land between two riversl.
- fakir / faqir.
-
Muslim or Hindu mendicantl.
- farangi.
-
Foreigner; a (white) European; an Englishmanl.
- ghadar.
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Mutiny of 1914–1917 against British colonial rule in Indial.
- haji.
-
Honorific given to a pilgrim who has traveled to Meccal.
- Hatamtai / Hatim Tai.
-
Hero of a popular Urdu romancel.
- hazrat.
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Title of veneration, esp. for a religious personl.
- hijrat.
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Exile; migration; ref. to the Prophet Muhammad’s flight from Mecca to Medinal.
- idgah.
-
Building where Muslims offer prayers, esp. during Idl.
- imambara.
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Lit., “the place of Imam”; Shia congregation hall, esp. where Muharram festival is celebratedl.
- jhatka.
-
Non-kosherl.
- kafir.
-
Non-Muslim personl.
- kevra.
-
Scented water used in cookingl.
- khaddar.
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Hand-woven clothl.
- malishya.
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Masseur. [End Page 257]
- marsia / marsiha / marsiya.
-
Elegy sung during Muharram to mourn the martyrdom of Imam Husainl.
- maya.
-
Illusionl.
- mian / miyan.
-
Respectful way of addressing a Muslim manl.
- mohajir.
-
Migrant; refugeel.
- Moharram / Moharrum / Muharram.
-
First month of the Muslim calendar; esp. a time of mourning the martyrdom of Imam Husain with rituals and prayersl.
- mussalmani.
-
Identity as a Musliml.
- panja.
-
Standard usually made in the shape of an open hand, carried at the head of the Muharram procession and representing the Five Holy Onesl.
- saheb / sahib.
-
Honorific after man’s name, used as a mark of respect; sir; masterl.
- samadhi.
-
Meditationl.
- satyagraha.
-
Policy of non-violent resistance developed by Mahatma Gandhi as a means of pressing for political reform in South Africa and India; non-harml.
- Savan.
-
Height of the rainy seasonl.
- shanti.
-
Peacel.
- Sheikh Chilli.
-
Braggart; name of a popular folklore characterl.
- sishya.
-
Student; disciplel.
- tal.
-
Small storerooml.
- tazia.
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Paper replica of the tomb of Imam Husain at Karbala, esp. that used in the Muharram processionl.
- tilak.
-
Mark on the forehead made with paste, indicating the Hindu wearer’s sectl.
- ustad.
-
Boss; guru; gang leaderl.
- vihara.
-
Buddhist shrine or templel.
- yaar.
-
Friendl.
- zamindar.
-
Feudal lord; landlordl.
- zindabad.
-
Shout of encouragement meaning “long life,” sometimes used as a slogan. [End Page 258]
