A History of the Mahrattas v1.c17.175

v1.c17.175

¹ Mankuree literally means a great man. It was originally, as above used, the name by which those Mahrattas who had been Munsubdars under the old Mahomedan monarchies in the Deccan were, and still are, distinguished. Latterly, however, it was assumed by every Mahratta at the head of a body of horse, who could boast of being a Wutundar. Man-pan, or rights and privileges, are words in the mouth of every Wutundar; and these rights and privileges, which, from the manner in which they are talked of and maintained, an Englishman might suppose involved the safety of their lives and properties, or the liberty of the subject at the least, are very often merely slight forms of that kind of respect indicated by precedence on particular occasions.