1834] 



History of the RamoossieB. 



234 



Raggoo, accompanied by his son, and also his cousin Oomiah, 

 with several of the Poorunder Ramoossies, afterwards proceeded to 

 the eastward ; and in A. D. 1815, in a skirmish between the Ra» 

 moossies and a detail of the Nizam's troops, in the vicinity of the fort 

 of Parinda, Raggojee and his son were most desperately wounded, 

 and both died a few days afterwards. Shortly after his return to 

 Poorundur, Oomiah imitating the chivalrous example of his spirited 

 kinsmen, threw away his turban and determined to fulfil his cou- 

 sin's vow. 



The various petitions presented by the displaced Naiks to the 

 Peshwah's Government at Poona subsequent to this, imploring and 

 entreating that their forfeited lands and rights might be restored to 

 them, never received the slightest attention from Bajee Row, or his 

 ministers, until the end of the month of December 1817 and January 

 1818, when the Peshwah was involved in hostilities, with the Bri- 

 tish Government and he v/as flying before the British troops. The 

 Ramoossies judging that the present state of circumstances would 

 be favorable to their views, presented a petition to the Pesbwab 

 tendering their services to him, and at the same time, praying for a 

 restoration of their rights. Bajee Row directed Gokia to issue or- 

 ders to the Mamlutdar of Poorundur to assemble the Ramoossies 

 and Kolies, and to restore all the freehold lands and rights belong- 

 ing to them, that had been sequestrated upon their expulsion frdrfs. 

 the fort of Poorunder in the year A. D. 1803. He also ordered that 

 a certain number of both classes should be immediately employed to 

 guard the approaches to the fort. I have had this information 

 from the Brahmun who received the order from Gokla, and had the 

 carrying of it into execution. Two months afterwards the country 

 was put under the management of different British authorities. 



For several years after Bajee Row's return to Poona from Bassin, 

 (A. D. 1803,) the Ramoossies were guilty of many outrages both 

 in the Satara territory, and the country east of Poona, and along 

 the banks of the Bheema river. The Ramoossy Naiks of Jejoory 

 had also become very formidable, plundering the surrounding villa- 

 ges, and rendering it unsafe for travellers to pass along any of the 

 roads in the vicinity, unless they were armed, and able to face these 

 lawless bands. However, sometime in A. D. 1806 when * Gokla 



* The Ramoossy Naiks 6f Nandgerry, a few miles nerth of Satara, had be- 

 come very formidable a few years before this. They had assembled a body 

 of two hundred horsemen, and about as many infantry, and supported these 

 by plundering in the surrounding country. They were anxious to retain the 

 fort of Nandgerry in their own possession, as a strong-hold for them to retire 

 to in case of their being attacked by the Government troops* The outrages 



