1834] 



History of the Ramoossies. 



240 



troublesome in the year 1 802 ; several of them were caught and sent 

 by Smdiah's authorities to be imprisoned in the foit of Ahmednug- 

 gur. At Pairgaiim there was a Ramoossy named Bhoany, who had 

 about twenty horses employed in Sindiah's pagah, and to whom 

 Mhadjee Sindiah had shown some consideration on account of services 

 he had performed. Among the prisoners in confinr-ment at Ahmed- 

 nuggur, when the fort surrendered to Sir Arthur Wellesly in August 

 1803, were two cousins of this Bhoany's, named Narroo, and Rung- 

 goo, Sindiah's commandant and soobadar Mullabah Dada, set the 

 prisoners at liberty- Mullabah subsequently proceeded in the di- 

 rection of Rasseen, but some valuable jewels, shawls, and treasure, 

 (the plundered property he carried off with hini,) fell into the hands 

 of a body of Pindarries at Chamargcondah in a rather singular 

 manner. Shortly after this, Mullabah, having collected some fol- 

 lowers, commenced plundering the country around Rasseen. 

 Captain Graham the Collector of the district of Ahmednuggur ex- 

 erted himself to capture Mullabah, but this was not to be effected; 

 however when the district was restored to Sindiah, his Mamlutdar 

 Esswunt Row Ghorpora began operations against Mullabah Dada, 

 yet no prospects of success attended his exertions, a. d in conse- 

 quence Esswunt JioYi determined to employ the Ramoossies in pur- 

 suit of this plunderer ; on this account the three Naiks, Bhoany, 

 Narroo, and Runggoo were taken into pay, with a considerable 

 number of their kinsmen and some Sibundies. 



The lower orders of the population, were overwhelmed in distress 

 at this period, in consequence of the dreadful famine that had pre- 

 vailed, and the Ramoossies and their followers, instead of acting 

 against the rebels, that were disturbing the tranquillity of the country, 

 began themselves to levy contributions from the inhabitants, and 

 shortly afterwards plundered in all directions, committing the great- 

 est outrages, violating the women and keeping females of all castes 

 in their houses. The Naiks used to have a Brahmun to expound 

 the shasters to them, and they employed a Mussulman to explain 

 the koran. They dressed after the fashion of the Brahmuns attend- 

 ing minutely to their mode of ablutions, and worshipping their gods 

 daily at the stated times. Esswunt Row was now completely at a 

 loss how to set to work to restore order, and to punish these delin- 

 quents, for all the attempts on his part to apprehend them had fail- 

 ed. He at last resolved on calling in the aid of his friend Amur 

 Singh of Pairgaum who had charge of that district, in order to car- 

 ry into execution a scheme he had concocted for destroying the 



