CALLED P'HA'NSI'GA'RS, 281 



that the pra<^ics wis of confiderable antiquity ; in which cafe there 

 could hardly have been that prevailing ignorance among the Hindus 

 with regard t-o it, which is found to exift. !t is a pradice more in 

 iinifan with the habits and cuftoms of the Muffe/mans than with thofe 

 of the Hindus, The gangs at ieaft in the fouthcrn parts of 

 Iridia, coniift chiefly of Muffelmans, and limilar pradices, it has ap- 

 peared, prevailed in Hindufian in the time of Shah Jehan and Aurung 

 Zeb, and probably much anterior to the reigns of thcfc monarchsj 

 and Have continued to the prefent day ; and if, as I have been in- 

 formed, Arabia and Perfia be infefted by P'kansigars, little room is left 

 to doubt that thele murderers canfe along with the Mokammcdsm conquer- 

 ors into Jndia^ and that they have followed the progrefs fouthward of 

 the Mohammedan arms. In fupport of this opinion it may be obferved^ 

 further, that in the more fouthern provinces which were never, or 

 which fell latell, a prey to Mohammedan conqxicrors^ Fha-nsigdrs do nol 

 appear even yet to have ellabhfhed themfelves. I have not heard of 

 any gangs being found to the fouth of Salem in Baramahal; and even 

 thefe, there is reafon to believe, but rccendy migrated thither from the 

 Poliums of Chittoor, and the ziUah of Cuddapak. With refpecl to the 

 Hindu ufages, adverting to the difpofition obfervable among the lower 

 orders of both nations to adopt the rites and cuftoms of each other, 

 they may have been introduced and eagerly received among ignorant 

 and fupcrftitioias offenders, ever prone to embrace a fchemc which 

 ferves the purpofe of tranquillizing the' mind without requiging the 

 abandonment of criminal habits, cither hj Hindu converts to IJlaviifmt 

 or by fuch H;Viizi criminals as retaining their religion, attached thcmr 

 felves to bands of Fhdnstgdrs, 



RICHARD C. SHERWOOD, 



Surgeon on the EJlablijhtnent of 

 Daemkr iBi6» Fort St, Georgr^ 



%0 



