GHULAM. ARAB. A slave, a servant; a term in frequent use by persons to indicate their readi ness to obey, as Main ap ka Ghulam hun,' I am your slave ; also often used as a part of a, name, as Ghulam Ali Ghulam Hagan, Ghulam Maho mad, Servant of' Ali, Hasan Mahomed, etc.
Elliot considers that in this word we have the origin of the English gallant, gallantry, gala, etc., Ghulain being derived from the Arabic GhTm, libidinosus, and hence it signifies a comely youth, one chosen as an attendant or page for his per sonal endowments. The Spaniards borrowed it from the Arabs, and called a handsome young man Galanta, from. which are derived Galante, Galanteur Galanteria, all subsequently adopted into the European tongues through the influence of the amatory poetry of the troubadours. In Persia, Ghulam is now applied to an inferior civil officer or policeman, answering to a cavass in Turkey. Several of these are attached to each European embassy in Persia. The Shah has also
a number attached to his person who are called Gulam-i-Shah ; these form a kin'cl of bodyguard. The Russians use their Ghulam only for posting purposes, to accompany members of the embassy, and have a body of Cossacks for escort ; the British embassy Ghulams are used for escort, and also for posting purposes, the regular native Indian cavalry who used to form the escort of the British ambassador having been discontinued during the mission of Sir Gore Ouseley, which lasted from 1812 to 1818.
In Persia the Kooleragassee is the superior of the slaves. Each of the princes, as well as the king, has a certain number of confidential troops, who act as guards or agents on all important occa sions, and who are called Ghulam or slaves.— Elliot ; Fraser's Khorasan, p. 105 ; Ferrier's ,Tourn. p. 21.