1. G. S. Sardesai, A New History of the Marathas (Bombay: 1948 ). p 477.
2. Marquess of Hastings, The Private Journal of the Marquess of Hastings, Marchioness of Bute, daughter, ed. (London: 1858), p. 47.
3. The etymology of the term Pindaris had been suggested from various terms. The one most commonly suggested is from pinda, an intoxicating drink enjoyed by the Pindaris. The Pindaris themselves claim this was the origin of their name ( see Sir John Malcolm, A Memoir of Central India, and Ross of Bladensburg, The Marquess of Hastings, p. 51). Other origins however are given such as pandour, and pendha or peindhar - meaning a body of stragglers (Sardesai, A New History, p. 474 ). The Pindaris are often compared to the Cossacks who rendered a similar service in the Russian army, and to the Companies which roamed and plundered Europe in the fourteen century.
4. Sardesai, New History, p. 477.
5. Jenkins, memoranda relative to the Pindaris, in the year 1812, found in the Parliamentary Papers, 1818, vol. XI, p. 273.
6. Jenkins, Memoranda. Parli. Papers, 1818, vol. XI, p. 273.
7. Henry T. Prinsep, A Narrative of the Political and Military Transactions of British India, 1313-1818 (London : 1820), p. 25.
8. Jenkins, Memoranda, P. P., 1818, vol. XI p. 271.
9. Prinsep, Narrative, p. 27.
10. George Sydenham, A dispatch dated 24th April 1814 Parliamentary Papers 1818, vol. XI, p. 286-66.
11. Lieutenant Colonel V. Blacker, Memoir of the British Army in India during the Maratha War of 1817, 1818 and 1819 (London : 1821), p. 18.
12. Prinsep, Narrative, p. 26n.
13. Jenkins, Memoranda P. P. 1818, vol. XI, p. 270.
14. C. H. Payne, Malcolm's Memoir of Central India (London: n.d.), p.104.
15. Captain George Sydenham, Memorandum of the Pindaris towards the close of 1809, Parliamentary Papers, 1818, vol. XI, p. 245.
16. Mohan S. Mehta, Lord Hastings and the Indian States, 1813-1823 (Bombay 1930), p. 9.
17. Jenkins lists the land held by the Pindari leaders. and the areas in which they cantoned P. P. 1818, vol. XI, p. 272-275.
18. Prinsep, Narrative, p. 20.
19. Jenkins, Memoranda, P. P.1818, vol. XI, p. 271.
20. Prinsep, Narrative, 22-23.
21. There were various methods of torture which the Pindaris used in order to discover where wealth was hidden. The most common of these was to enclose a a person's head in a bag of dust, ashes, hot ashes, and/or hot chillis, and to pound him on the back or face until he breathed and choked on the ingredients, and until he told where he kept his wealth. Another one was when two heavy wooden beams or yokes where placed one under a person lying down and the other on top of him. Two Pindaris would their sit on the ends and press the beams together, or in this manner hold the person down for a beating. See H. H. Wilson, The History of British India, vol 2 (London : 1896 ), p. 190-191.
22. But Prinsep says of Karim Khan's Durrah, Narrative, p. 29.
23. Extract from a dispatch from the Governor General in Council to the Secret Committee, dated 25th March 1814, Parliamentary Papers 1818, vol. XI, p. 249-60.
24. Ross of Bladensburg feels this was a punitive measure against the Raja for having allowed the troops to pass through his territory. Reports in the Parliamentary Papers seem to indicate that the Raja bad only the alternative of having his area plundered or to let the Pindaris through and therefore that he cannot be blamed.
25. A dispatch from Jenkins in Nagpur to Warden in Bombay dated 25th March, 1814, P. P. 1818, vol. XI, p. 269.
26. Prinsep, Narrative, p.116.
27. Ibid.
28. Dalzell, dispatch to the Madras Secretary: dated 15th March 1816, P. P. 1818, vol. XI, p. 278.
29. Ibid., dated 18th March 1816.
30. Ross dispatched to Board of Revenue, dated 24th March 1816 P.P. 1818 vol. XI, p. 269.
31. Mehta, Lord Hastings, p. 100.
32. Prinsep, Narrative, p. 165.
33. Spottiswoode, letter to the Board of Revenge, dated 6th January 1817 P. P., 1818, vol. XI, p. 285.
34. Prinsep, Narrative, p. 169.
35. Mehta, Lord Hastings, p. 15.
36. Secret letter to Bengal, 29th September 1815 as quoted in Wilson, British India, p. 199.
37. Mehta, Lord Hastings, p. 17-23.
38. Most of these reports have been stated above in letter and dispatches from Dalzell, Mr Ross and Mr Spottiswoode. He also received letters from the various residents at the courts at Hyderabad and Nagpur.
39. John F. G. Ross of Bladensburg, The Marquess of Hastings and the Final Overthrow of the Maratha Power (Oxford: 1900), p. 91. Also Lord Hastings, Private Journal, p. 113.
40. Ross, The Marquess, p. 96.
41. Governor General, dispatch to the Secret Committee, dated 21st December 1816, Parliamentary Papers, 1819, vol. XVIII, p. 640 - 641.
42. Mehta, Lord Hastings and Edward Thompson, The Making of the Indian Princes (London : 1943).
43. Governor General, dispatch to the Secret Committee, camp two marches west of Julawa, 4th November, 1817, P. P., 1819, vol. XVIII, p. 686-688.
44. Mehta, Lord Hastings, p. 101-103.
45. Blacker, Memoir (1821).
46. Wilson, British India, p. 386.
47. Marquess of Hastings's summary of the operations in India with their results, Parliamentary Papers, 1831-32, vol. VIII, p 186.
48. Sir John Malcolm, dispatch to Mr. Adams, dated 22nd March 1818, P. P. 1819, vol. XVIII, p. 686-688.
49. Wilson, British India, p. 297 n.
50. Baden Powell states (in his Land Revenue Systems of British India, 1892) that the plundering of the Pindaris, Rohillas, and such bands did have an effect, but it was not lasting.
51. Mr Long, Magistrate of Raiamundry, stated that after the Pindaris had raided and the inhabitants of the area fled, "some of the zamindars have represented that the Ryots take advantage of the times to refuse paying their kists," P. P., 1818, Vol. XI, p. 280.
Back to the top 
OR go to a 1966 thesis on Pindaris
1. G. S. Sardesai, A New History of the Marathas (Bombay: 1948 ). p 477.
2. Marquess of Hastings, The Private Journal of the Marquess of Hastings, Marchioness of Bute, daughter, ed. (London: 1858), p. 47.
3. The etymology of the term Pindaris had been suggested from various terms. The one most commonly suggested is from pinda, an intoxicating drink enjoyed by the Pindaris. The Pindaris themselves claim this was the origin of their name ( see Sir John Malcolm, A Memoir of Central India, and Ross of Bladensburg, The Marquess of Hastings, p. 51). Other origins however are given such as pandour, and pendha or peindhar - meaning a body of stragglers (Sardesai, A New History, p. 474 ). The Pindaris are often compared to the Cossacks who rendered a similar service in the Russian army, and to the Companies which roamed and plundered Europe in the fourteen century.
4. Sardesai, New History, p. 477.
5. Jenkins, memoranda relative to the Pindaris, in the year 1812, found in the Parliamentary Papers, 1818, vol. XI, p. 273.
6. Jenkins, Memoranda. Parli. Papers, 1818, vol. XI, p. 273.
7. Henry T. Prinsep, A Narrative of the Political and Military Transactions of British India, 1313-1818 (London : 1820), p. 25.
8. Jenkins, Memoranda, P. P., 1818, vol. XI p. 271.
9. Prinsep, Narrative, p. 27.
10. George Sydenham, A dispatch dated 24th April 1814 Parliamentary Papers 1818, vol. XI, p. 286-66.
11. Lieutenant Colonel V. Blacker, Memoir of the British Army in India during the Maratha War of 1817, 1818 and 1819 (London : 1821), p. 18.
12. Prinsep, Narrative, p. 26n.
13. Jenkins, Memoranda P. P. 1818, vol. XI, p. 270.
14. C. H. Payne, Malcolm's Memoir of Central India (London: n.d.), p.104.
15. Captain George Sydenham, Memorandum of the Pindaris towards the close of 1809, Parliamentary Papers, 1818, vol. XI, p. 245.
16. Mohan S. Mehta, Lord Hastings and the Indian States, 1813-1823 (Bombay 1930), p. 9.
17. Jenkins lists the land held by the Pindari leaders. and the areas in which they cantoned P. P. 1818, vol. XI, p. 272-275.
18. Prinsep, Narrative, p. 20.
19. Jenkins, Memoranda, P. P.1818, vol. XI, p. 271.
20. Prinsep, Narrative, 22-23.
21. There were various methods of torture which the Pindaris used in order to discover where wealth was hidden. The most common of these was to enclose a a person's head in a bag of dust, ashes, hot ashes, and/or hot chillis, and to pound him on the back or face until he breathed and choked on the ingredients, and until he told where he kept his wealth. Another one was when two heavy wooden beams or yokes where placed one under a person lying down and the other on top of him. Two Pindaris would their sit on the ends and press the beams together, or in this manner hold the person down for a beating. See H. H. Wilson, The History of British India, vol 2 (London : 1896 ), p. 190-191.
22. But Prinsep says of Karim Khan's Durrah, Narrative, p. 29.
23. Extract from a dispatch from the Governor General in Council to the Secret Committee, dated 25th March 1814, Parliamentary Papers 1818, vol. XI, p. 249-60.
24. Ross of Bladensburg feels this was a punitive measure against the Raja for having allowed the troops to pass through his territory. Reports in the Parliamentary Papers seem to indicate that the Raja bad only the alternative of having his area plundered or to let the Pindaris through and therefore that he cannot be blamed.
25. A dispatch from Jenkins in Nagpur to Warden in Bombay dated 25th March, 1814, P. P. 1818, vol. XI, p. 269.
26. Prinsep, Narrative, p.116.
27. Ibid.
28. Dalzell, dispatch to the Madras Secretary: dated 15th March 1816, P. P. 1818, vol. XI, p. 278.
29. Ibid., dated 18th March 1816.
30. Ross dispatched to Board of Revenue, dated 24th March 1816 P.P. 1818 vol. XI, p. 269.
31. Mehta, Lord Hastings, p. 100.
32. Prinsep, Narrative, p. 165.
33. Spottiswoode, letter to the Board of Revenge, dated 6th January 1817 P. P., 1818, vol. XI, p. 285.
34. Prinsep, Narrative, p. 169.
35. Mehta, Lord Hastings, p. 15.
36. Secret letter to Bengal, 29th September 1815 as quoted in Wilson, British India, p. 199.
37. Mehta, Lord Hastings, p. 17-23.
38. Most of these reports have been stated above in letter and dispatches from Dalzell, Mr Ross and Mr Spottiswoode. He also received letters from the various residents at the courts at Hyderabad and Nagpur.
39. John F. G. Ross of Bladensburg, The Marquess of Hastings and the Final Overthrow of the Maratha Power (Oxford: 1900), p. 91. Also Lord Hastings, Private Journal, p. 113.
40. Ross, The Marquess, p. 96.
41. Governor General, dispatch to the Secret Committee, dated 21st December 1816, Parliamentary Papers, 1819, vol. XVIII, p. 640 - 641.
42. Mehta, Lord Hastings and Edward Thompson, The Making of the Indian Princes (London : 1943).
43. Governor General, dispatch to the Secret Committee, camp two marches west of Julawa, 4th November, 1817, P. P., 1819, vol. XVIII, p. 686-688.
44. Mehta, Lord Hastings, p. 101-103.
45. Blacker, Memoir (1821).
46. Wilson, British India, p. 386.
47. Marquess of Hastings's summary of the operations in India with their results, Parliamentary Papers, 1831-32, vol. VIII, p 186.
48. Sir John Malcolm, dispatch to Mr. Adams, dated 22nd March 1818, P. P. 1819, vol. XVIII, p. 686-688.
49. Wilson, British India, p. 297 n.
50. Baden Powell states (in his Land Revenue Systems of British India, 1892) that the plundering of the Pindaris, Rohillas, and such bands did have an effect, but it was not lasting.
51. Mr Long, Magistrate of Raiamundry, stated that after the Pindaris had raided and the inhabitants of the area fled, "some of the zamindars have represented that the Ryots take advantage of the times to refuse paying their kists," P. P., 1818, Vol. XI, p. 280.
Back to the top OR go to a 1966 thesis on Pindaris
2. Marquess of Hastings, The Private Journal of the Marquess of Hastings, Marchioness of Bute, daughter, ed. (London: 1858), p. 47.
3. The etymology of the term Pindaris had been suggested from various terms. The one most commonly suggested is from pinda, an intoxicating drink enjoyed by the Pindaris. The Pindaris themselves claim this was the origin of their name ( see Sir John Malcolm, A Memoir of Central India, and Ross of Bladensburg, The Marquess of Hastings, p. 51). Other origins however are given such as pandour, and pendha or peindhar - meaning a body of stragglers (Sardesai, A New History, p. 474 ). The Pindaris are often compared to the Cossacks who rendered a similar service in the Russian army, and to the Companies which roamed and plundered Europe in the fourteen century.
4. Sardesai, New History, p. 477.
5. Jenkins, memoranda relative to the Pindaris, in the year 1812, found in the Parliamentary Papers, 1818, vol. XI, p. 273.
6. Jenkins, Memoranda. Parli. Papers, 1818, vol. XI, p. 273.
7. Henry T. Prinsep, A Narrative of the Political and Military Transactions of British India, 1313-1818 (London : 1820), p. 25.
8. Jenkins, Memoranda, P. P., 1818, vol. XI p. 271.
9. Prinsep, Narrative, p. 27.
10. George Sydenham, A dispatch dated 24th April 1814 Parliamentary Papers 1818, vol. XI, p. 286-66.
11. Lieutenant Colonel V. Blacker, Memoir of the British Army in India during the Maratha War of 1817, 1818 and 1819 (London : 1821), p. 18.
12. Prinsep, Narrative, p. 26n.
13. Jenkins, Memoranda P. P. 1818, vol. XI, p. 270.
14. C. H. Payne, Malcolm's Memoir of Central India (London: n.d.), p.104.
15. Captain George Sydenham, Memorandum of the Pindaris towards the close of 1809, Parliamentary Papers, 1818, vol. XI, p. 245.
16. Mohan S. Mehta, Lord Hastings and the Indian States, 1813-1823 (Bombay 1930), p. 9.
17. Jenkins lists the land held by the Pindari leaders. and the areas in which they cantoned P. P. 1818, vol. XI, p. 272-275.
18. Prinsep, Narrative, p. 20.
19. Jenkins, Memoranda, P. P.1818, vol. XI, p. 271.
20. Prinsep, Narrative, 22-23.
21. There were various methods of torture which the Pindaris used in order to discover where wealth was hidden. The most common of these was to enclose a a person's head in a bag of dust, ashes, hot ashes, and/or hot chillis, and to pound him on the back or face until he breathed and choked on the ingredients, and until he told where he kept his wealth. Another one was when two heavy wooden beams or yokes where placed one under a person lying down and the other on top of him. Two Pindaris would their sit on the ends and press the beams together, or in this manner hold the person down for a beating. See H. H. Wilson, The History of British India, vol 2 (London : 1896 ), p. 190-191.
22. But Prinsep says of Karim Khan's Durrah, Narrative, p. 29.
23. Extract from a dispatch from the Governor General in Council to the Secret Committee, dated 25th March 1814, Parliamentary Papers 1818, vol. XI, p. 249-60.
24. Ross of Bladensburg feels this was a punitive measure against the Raja for having allowed the troops to pass through his territory. Reports in the Parliamentary Papers seem to indicate that the Raja bad only the alternative of having his area plundered or to let the Pindaris through and therefore that he cannot be blamed.
25. A dispatch from Jenkins in Nagpur to Warden in Bombay dated 25th March, 1814, P. P. 1818, vol. XI, p. 269.
26. Prinsep, Narrative, p.116.
27. Ibid.
28. Dalzell, dispatch to the Madras Secretary: dated 15th March 1816, P. P. 1818, vol. XI, p. 278.
29. Ibid., dated 18th March 1816.
30. Ross dispatched to Board of Revenue, dated 24th March 1816 P.P. 1818 vol. XI, p. 269.
31. Mehta, Lord Hastings, p. 100.
32. Prinsep, Narrative, p. 165.
33. Spottiswoode, letter to the Board of Revenge, dated 6th January 1817 P. P., 1818, vol. XI, p. 285.
34. Prinsep, Narrative, p. 169.
35. Mehta, Lord Hastings, p. 15.
36. Secret letter to Bengal, 29th September 1815 as quoted in Wilson, British India, p. 199.
37. Mehta, Lord Hastings, p. 17-23.
38. Most of these reports have been stated above in letter and dispatches from Dalzell, Mr Ross and Mr Spottiswoode. He also received letters from the various residents at the courts at Hyderabad and Nagpur.
39. John F. G. Ross of Bladensburg, The Marquess of Hastings and the Final Overthrow of the Maratha Power (Oxford: 1900), p. 91. Also Lord Hastings, Private Journal, p. 113.
40. Ross, The Marquess, p. 96.
41. Governor General, dispatch to the Secret Committee, dated 21st December 1816, Parliamentary Papers, 1819, vol. XVIII, p. 640 - 641.
42. Mehta, Lord Hastings and Edward Thompson, The Making of the Indian Princes (London : 1943).
43. Governor General, dispatch to the Secret Committee, camp two marches west of Julawa, 4th November, 1817, P. P., 1819, vol. XVIII, p. 686-688.
44. Mehta, Lord Hastings, p. 101-103.
45. Blacker, Memoir (1821).
46. Wilson, British India, p. 386.
47. Marquess of Hastings's summary of the operations in India with their results, Parliamentary Papers, 1831-32, vol. VIII, p 186.
48. Sir John Malcolm, dispatch to Mr. Adams, dated 22nd March 1818, P. P. 1819, vol. XVIII, p. 686-688.
49. Wilson, British India, p. 297 n.
50. Baden Powell states (in his Land Revenue Systems of British India, 1892) that the plundering of the Pindaris, Rohillas, and such bands did have an effect, but it was not lasting.
51. Mr Long, Magistrate of Raiamundry, stated that after the Pindaris had raided and the inhabitants of the area fled, "some of the zamindars have represented that the Ryots take advantage of the times to refuse paying their kists," P. P., 1818, Vol. XI, p. 280.
Back to the top
OR go to a 1966 thesis on Pindaris
