In Indian English, a clerk, office messenger, or minor government official who handles paperwork and administrative tasks.
From Hindi/Urdu 'chāprāsī,' derived from Persian 'chāprās.' The word entered English during the British colonial period in India to describe a specific administrative role unique to the Indian subcontinent.
Chaprasis were the invisible architects of the British Empire in India—they understood the actual systems that made offices work, often knowing more about bureaucratic procedure than the British officials they served.
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