CALLED P'HA'NSrCA'RS. 271 



annnally fallen victims to Fhdmi'gdrs in the foutb of India. The num- 

 ber has varied greatly at different periods. There is reaCon to believe, 

 that from the time of the conquell of Myfore in 1799, to 1807 ^^^ ^ ^^"^t 

 the pradice of P'hinsi'gdri\ in this part of India^ had reached its acme ; 

 and that hundreds of perfons were annually dedroyed. (m) The great 

 political changes, which marked the commeRcement of that period, 

 and the introdu^lion of a new fyilem of government in Myfore, the 

 €eded Bijlricis, and the Carnatic, though infinitely preferable to the for- 

 mer, yet was it in many refpe6ls lefs jealous and vigilant, and afforded 

 facilities of communication before unknown between diftant countries, 

 ©f which the Fhansi'gdrs and Other criminals availed themfelves to 

 -overfpread the country : and it may be conjeBured that many perfons, 

 deprived by the declenfion of the Mokammedaji power of their wonted- 

 refourcesj were tempted to refort to criminal courfes to obtain a 

 dub fide nee. 



The foregoing defcription of the P\dnsi'gqTS is meant to be more 

 particularly applicable to thofe gangs that were iettled m the northern 

 part of the Carnatic and in the Ceded Diflri^s, antecedently to the year 

 1808. Since that time, they have become well known to the Engli/k 

 .courts of juftice, and their habits ha^e undergone fome changes. Many- 

 have left the Company's territories and fled to tholeof the Nizam, and of 

 the Mahrattas. But though the number of them is greatly diminilh- 

 ed, Phansigdrs ftill infeft the dominions of the Company. The gangs, 



(m) In one of his reports, tke img.iftri e of ChittUr obfervci ; — " I beiif vc thai fom: uf the F'hausigars 

 have been concerned in above iwa hunir^d murderi j nor will this eftimats appe.ir eztravagant, if it be rc» 

 infmbereJ, ihit rDarder w»i their |)rofjffijn, Ui(\iinf'j(Ut\i(ii{\!y mftMns irt*" gaining • fubfifteaid : every man 

 .«f fifty years of age, has probably ben aflively engaged during iw^rrty five y^ars of hii lite in murd;r, and 

 on the moft moderate computation, it may be reckoned, thai he hu m.ide one excHtfiofl a year, aad met 

 cath time with ten vid\irai." 



Yet, Francis Bahtocemio fjy», in a note pjge 69.~« Dating a refiience of 13 or 14 yeajs in India, 

 ,S nc»er hejrd of any ttavcUci bciitg itib'jcd or murdered 00 the h'^hway," — Tta-vels in India, iranjlattd bj^ 



