Green’s Dictionary of Slang

(Anglo-Ind.) a conceited or self-important fellow; also as v. to acknowledge someone as important (see cite 1893).

1828		[C. D’Oyly] Tom Raw, The Griffin 253: A muslin skull-cap, fringed with gold, was o’er a / Clean close-shaved crown – and, waiting for his order, / A dozen burkendozes stood round the behaudur!
1841		F.J. Bellew ‘Memoirs of a Griffin’ in Asiatic Jrnl & Mthly Register May 52: However, I don’t think we have gained much by his budlee (successor), our new kummadan (commandant) a regular bahadur (great person), who dicks our lives out with kuddum ootou (drill), dumcows (bullies) the native officers, and gallees (abuses) the Jacks (sepoys).
[1846		Times (London) 20 Apr. 6/3: [He] assured his Highness that he should be treated as a son of the Company Saheb Bahadur].
1851		Sydney Morn. Herald 8 Feb. 4/7: [S]uch high rates of passage money as are now exacted by the Peninsular and Oriental of the military and civil ‘bahadurs’ of India.
1855		J.H. Stocqueler ‘The crime of colour’ in Patriotic Fund Jrnl 17 Feb. 165/2: ‘Talk of Warren Hastings and the nabobs of the last century! Toodleton, the Bahadour, would have cut them all out – but it’s all u p with him.’.
1857		D. Forbes Dict. Hindustani & English I 133/1: The English (that is to say, Indian-English) language has adopted this word: a ‘bahauder’ indicates a martinet, or proud and haughty mortal dressed in a little brief authority.
1888		Kipling ‘Three Musketeers’ in Plain Tales from Hills (1889) 74: ‘An’ we three,’ said Mulvaney with a seraphic smile, ‘have dhrawn the par-ti-cu-lar attinshin av Bobs Bahadur more than wanst. But he’s a rale good little man is Bobs’.
1893		J.D. Gordon Work and Play in India and Kashmir 269: To prevent any friction between the numerous servants necessarily employed by two bachelors it is best to have the ‘Sirdar’ or head servant in common, and the more he is respected and ‘bahadured’ the better will the joint household succeed.
1897		S. Jones-Parry Old Soldier’s Memories 198: A dispute was going on as to who should lead the assault. At last it seems that a leader was chosen, and then came the cry from the others, ‘Chullo Bahadoor! Chullo Bahadoor!’‘Go on, sir; lead on, sir!’ At last Bahadoor did lead; he was a very fat Subadar.