mihaffah

Noun

mihaffa (plural mihaffas)

1. (Central-Asia, East, India, Middle, historical) Various forms of covered animal-borne litters, chiefly for female passengers.
   • Shir Khān... alleged as a pretext that he had a large number of families with him, and having placed two thousand armed Afghāns in closed litters⁷ sent them towards the fort.
     7 The Mihaffa is, as its name implies, a litter so closed in that the curtains surround on all sides the sitter upon it...1898, George Speirs Alexander Ranking translating 'Abd al-Qadir ibn-Muluk Shah al-Bada'uni as Muntakhabu-t-Tawārīkh, Vol. I, p. 457
2. (India, historical) Various forms of covered human-borne litters and sedan chairs, chiefly for female passengers.
   • Mohafa. This is the palanquin of rich females... it is entirely covered with a red lianging, and has no other ornament than a ball of copper at the top of the bambou... The Mohafa is carried by four servants, and attended by a number proportioned to the rank of the lady... Nevertheless the women...1811, F. Baltazard Solvyns, Les Hindoûs, Vol. III, Plate IV