ZABITA, s. Hind. from Ar. ẓābitā. An exact rule, a canon, but in the following it seems to be used for a tariff of assessment:
1799.—"I have established the Zabeta for the shops in the Fort as fixed by Macleod. It is to be paid annually."—Wellington, i. 49.
ZAMORIN, s. The title for many centuries of the Hindu sovereign of Calicut and the country round. The word is Malayāl. Sāmūtiri, Sāmūri, Tāmātiri, Tāmūri, a tadbhava (or vernacular modification) of Skt. Sāmundri, 'the Sea-King.' (See also Wilson, Mackenzie MSS. i. xcvii.) [Mr. Logan (Malabar, iii. Gloss. s.v.) suggests that the title Samudri is a translation of the Rāja's ancient Malayāl. title of Kunnalakkon, i.e. 'King (kon) of the hills (kunnu) and waves (ala).' The name has recently become familiar in reference to the curious custom by which the Zamorin was attacked by one of the candidates for his throne (see the account by A. Hamilton (ed. 1744, i. 309 seq. Pinkerton, viii. 374) quoted by Mr. Frazer (Golden Bough, 2nd ed. ii. 14 seq.).]
c. 1343.—"The sultan is a Kāfir called the Sāmarī.... When the time of our departure for China came, the sultan, the Sāmarī equipped for us one of the 13 junks which were lying in the port of Calicut."—Ibn Batuta, iv. 89-94.
1442.—"I saw a man with his body naked like the rest of the Hindus. The sovereign of this city (Calicut) bears the title of Sāmari. When he dies it is his sister's son who succeeds him."—Abdurrazzāk?, in India in the XVth. Cent. 17.
1498.—"First Calicut whither we went.... The King whom they call Camolim (for Çamorim) can muster 100,000 men for war, with the contingents that he receives, his own authority extending to very few."—Roteiro de Vasco da Gama.
1510.—"Now I will speak of the King here in Calicut, because he is the most important King of all those before mentioned, and is called Samory, which in the Pagan language means God on earth."—Varthema, 134. The traveller confounds the word with tamburān, which does mean 'Lord.' [Forbes (see below) makes the same mistake.]
1516.—"This city of Calicut is very large.... This King became greater and more powerful than all the others: he took the name of Zomodri, which is a point of honour above all other Kings."—Barbosa, 103.
[1552.—"Samarao." See under [CELEBES].]
1553.—"The most powerful Prince of this Malebar was the King of Calecut, who par excellence was called Camarij, which among them is as among us the title Emperor."—Barros, I. iv. 7.