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Nabob

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A Nabob (Pronunciation:neɪbɒb) is an Anglo-Indian term for an East India Company servant who had become wealthy through corrupt trade and other practices.[1][2][3] It also refers to a conspicuously wealthy man who made his fortune in the Orient - especially in the Indian subcontinent.

Nabob literally means 'deputy governor' or 'viceroy' in the Moghul Empire rule of India. This title was later adapted by British vassals in India, such as Bengal, Oudh, and Arcot.[2] [4][5][6]

Etymology

The word is possibly a derivative of nabab - navab (Hindi), nuwwab (Arabic), or nawab (Urdu), encountered during British Colonial rule in India. Alternatively it might have its roots in nababo (Portuguese). The Portuguese nababo is a possibility because the Portuguese developed a presence in India before the British.[4][7][8][6]

The word entered colloquial usage in England from 1612. Native Europeans used Nabob to refer to those who returned from India after having made a fortune there.[4][7][8][6]

British perception

The European perception of a 'nabob' was a person who having become wealthy in India, or another foreign country, then returned to Europe with considerable power and influence. In England the name was applied to men who made fortunes working for the East India Company and on their return home, used the wealth to purchase seats in Parliament.[2][5]

A common fear was that these individuals - the nabobs, their agents, and those who took their bribes - would use their wealth and influence to corrupt Parliament. The collapse of the Company's finances in 1772 due to bad administration, both in India and Britain, aroused public indignation towards the Company's activities and the behaviour of the Company's employees.[2]

This perception of the pernicious influence wielded by nabobs in both social and political life led to increased scrutiny of the Company. A number of prominent Company men underwent inquiries and impeachments on charges of corruption and misrule in India.[2] Warren Hastings, first Governor-General of India, was impeached in 1788 and acquitted in 1795 after a seven year-long trial. Robert Clive, 1st Baron Clive, MP for Shrewsbury, was forced to defend himself against charges brought against him in the House of Commons.[9][6]

Notes

  1. ^ An authentic copy of the correspondence in India - East India Company, Bengal (India). Supreme Council. J. Debrett. 1787. Retrieved 2012-02-14.
  2. ^ a b c d e "The East India Company and public opinion - Nabobs". parliament.uk. Retrieved 2012-02-14. Cite error: The named reference "UKP" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  3. ^ "British India 1763 - 1815". historyhome.co.uk. Retrieved 2012-02-14. Company paid lucrative dividends, and its servants (the so-called "nabobs") took fortunes from India
  4. ^ a b c "nabobical - Word Origin & History - nabob". dictionary.reference.com. Retrieved 2012-02-14. 1612, "deputy governor in Mogul Empire," Anglo-Indian, from Hindi nabab, from Arabic nuwwab
  5. ^ a b "nawab, English nabob". britannica.com. Retrieved 2012-02-14.
  6. ^ a b c d "Nabob". dictionary.reference.com. Retrieved 2012-02-14.
  7. ^ a b "nabob (governor)". Memidex.com. Retrieved 2012-02-14. Etymology:Hindi nawāb, nabāb, from Arabic nuwwāb, plural of nā'ib, deputy, active...
  8. ^ a b "nabob". oxforddictionaries.com. Retrieved 2012-02-14. from Portuguese nababo or Spanish nabab, from Urdu; see also nawab
  9. ^ "Tillman Nechtman, "Nabobs: Empire and Identity in Eighteenth-Century Britain" Cambridge University Press, 2010". newbooksinsouthasianstudies.com. Retrieved 2012-02-14.


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