Word Meaning
फ़ौजदारी
faujdārī
Meaning
Criminal litigation or the domain of criminal courts and offenses.
Detailed Meaning
Historically referring to the office and jurisdiction of a military commandant (faujdār), the word evolved in South Asian jurisprudence to mean criminal law or penal proceedings. In the quoted verse by Ghalib, it evokes a bustling criminal court where lovers stand accused or battered by the beloved's lethal coquetry and flirtatious tyranny.
Etymology
Arabic 'fawj' (regiment, troop) combined with Persian '-dār' (keeper, holder) and the abstract noun suffix '-ī'.
Usage
In classical Urdu poetry, penal and judicial terms like 'faujdārī' are employed metaphorically to dramatize the lethal, cruel judgments inflicted by the beloved.
Examples
garm-bāzār-e-faujdārī (a bustling court of criminal disputes)
muqaddama-e-faujdārī (a criminal case)