A historical Anglo-Indian term for a water-carrier or servant who brought water in India during British colonial times.
From Hindi/Urdu bhisthi or bhisti (water carrier), derived from Sanskrit bhishti (sprinkling water). The word became embedded in English colonial vocabulary in India.
Bahisti was such a crucial colonial job that it had its own elaborate hierarchy—different ranks depending on what type of water they carried and where—showing how colonizers imported entire occupational structures from Indian society.
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