East Ind. Forms: 6–7 catual(l, 7 cutwal(l, coute-, cotoval, 8 cautwaul, catwal, 9 cutwahl, -wal, -waul, kat-, cot-, kutwal, kotwal(l. [Hindī koṭwāl, Urdu and Pers. kotwāl, katwāl, porter or keeper of a castle or fort, magistrate.]
A chief officer of police for a city or town in India; a native town magistrate.
‘The office in Western and Southern India, technically speaking, ceased about 1862. In Bengal the term has been long obsolete’ (Yule).
1582. N. Lichefield, trans. Castanheda’s Conq. E. Ind., 50. The Catuall sent to the Captaine generall a Horse.
1616. Sir T. Roe, in Pinkerton’s Voy. (1811), VIII. 5. I was conducted by the Cutwall to visit the Prince.
1680. trans. Trav. Tavernier, etc. II. 119. The Cotoval, who is, as ‘twer, the great Prevost.
1727. A. Hamilton, New Acc. E. Ind., I. 197. Mr. Boucher … presently knew the Poison, and carried it to the Cautwal or Sheriff.
1763. Orme, Hist. Mil. Trans. Ind. (1803), I. 26. The Catwal is the judge and executor of justice in criminal cases.
1822. R. G. Wallace, 15 Yrs. India, 188. The oldest and most venerable looking man in a village is Cutwal, with a court under him.
1845. Stocqueler, Handbk. Brit. India (1854), 410. The Katwal, or chief officer of justice.
1859. J. Lang, Wand. India, 42. I was enticed away from my home by the Kotwall (native police officer).
Hence ǁ Kotwalee, police station.
1845. Stocqueler, Handbk. Brit. India (1854), 227. In the centre of the city is the cutwallee, police-office.
1884. Mark Thornhill, Advent. Ind. Mut., xvii. 158. We should have to pass the kotwallee to reach the fort.
