Also 7 fous-, 8 phous-, 9 fouge-, faoja-. [Pers. f. Arab. fauj troop.]
‘In India, an officer of the Moghul Government, who was invested with the charge of the police, and jurisdiction in criminal matters. Also, used in Bengal last century for a criminal judge’ (Yule).
1683. Sir W. Hedges, Diary, 8 Nov. (Hakluyt Soc.), I. 136. The Fousdar received another Perwanna … forbidding any Merchant whatsoever trading with any Interlopers.
1702. in Wheeler, Madras (1861), I. 405. Do promise to give them our perwannas directed to all Foujdars, [etc.].
1763. Orme, Hist. Milit. Trans. Indostan, I. v. 374. The Phousdar of Velore, soon after he released captain Smith in April, made overtures, offering to acknowledge Mahomed-ally.
1809. Ld. Valentia, Voy. & Trav. India, I. viii. 409. The Faojadar [printed Foojadar] being now in his capital, sent me an excellent dinner of fowls, and a pillau.
1828. Heber, Journ. India, I. xvi. 419. A messenger came from the ‘Foujdar’ (chatellain) of Suromunuggur, asking why we were not content with the quarters at first assigned us.
1862. Beveridge, Hist. India, II. V. v. 369. The majority proceeded with the same recklessness as before, and, on the most insufficient evidence, both dismissed the fougedar and found the charge proved.
Hence ǁ Foujdary a. [Pers.], pertaining to a foujdar.
1862. Beveridge, Hist. India, II. V. vi. 413. Each zemindar or farmer in possession was ‘to exercise a fougedary jurisdiction, and be made answerable for murders and robberies committed in his district, agreeable to the old constitution of the empire.’
1892. Wharton’s Law-Lex., Foujdarry-court, a tribunal for administering criminal law. Indian.
