Hobson-Jobson: A Glossary of Colloquial Anglo-Indian Words and Phrases, and of Kindred Terms, Etymological, Historical, Geographical and Discursive c10.9348

c10.9348

MEHAUL, s. Hind. from Arab. *maḥall*, being properly the pl. of Arab. *maḥall*. The word is used with a considerable variety of application, the explanation of which would involve a greater amount of technical detail than is consistent with the purpose of this work. On this *Wilson* may be consulted. But the most usual Anglo-Indian application of *maḥall* (used as a singular and generally written, incorrectly, *mahal*) is to ‘an estate,’ in the Revenue sense, *i.e.* ‘a parcel or parcels of land separately assessed for revenue.’ The sing. *maḥall* (also written in the vernaculars *mahal*, and *mahal*) is often used for a palace or important edifice, *e.g.* (see SHISH-MUHULL, TAJ-MAHAL).