Pukka sahib

Pukka sahib(/ˈpʌkəˈsɑː(ɪ)b/PUK-ə SAH(-i)b)is a slang term taken from thePersianateHindiwords for "substantial" and "master". AmongEnglishusers, "pukka" came to signify "first class" or "absolutely genuine", so that the combined phrase can be translated as "true gentleman" or "excellent fellow". The expression was used in theBritish Empireexclusively to refer to White people ofEuropeanextraction and frequently to describe an attitude which British administrators were said to affect, that of an "aloof, impartial, incorruptible arbiter of the political fate of a large part of the earth's surface."

The word "pukka" is still used informally in 21st-century Britain to describe something as excellent.

Occurrence in literature

The term is frequently referenced inE. M. Forster'sA Passage to Indiaand inAgatha Christie'sHercule Poirotseries, as well as inWhy Didn't They Ask Evans?Alexandra Fuller uses the term in her bookCocktail Hour Under the Tree of Forgetfulness,as doesJohn GalsworthyinFlowering Wilderness.

In his anti-Empire novelBurmese Days,George Orwellrefers to "pukka sahib" as a "pose," and one of his characters talks of the difficulty that goes into maintaining it. InNevil Shute’sThe Chequer Board,the term is used in the manner of a backhanded compliment by those wanting Burmese independence from the British: "They’ve spent the last two years getting rid of all the pukka sahibs from the civil service as quick as they could, and then they came along and wanted me to join it. They sort of count me as a Burman now, I think." Paul Scott uses "pukka sahib" sarcastically inThe Raj Quartetto describe comically overbearing behaviour.

In her poem "All One Race", the Indigenous Australian writerOodgeroo Noonuccalemploys "pukka sahib" as an example of how language can be a barrier that prevents different types of people in the world from living in harmony.

In the 1938 filmThe Young in Heart,Roland Young's character Colonel Anthony Carleton assumes the title to enable his career as a card sharp and con man.

See also

• Sahib
• Pukka Pies