Some magistrates and local rulers, under such circumstances, have very unwisely adopted the measure of prohibiting the people from carrying or having arms in their houses, the very thing which, above all others, such robbers most wish; for they know, though such magistrates and rulers do not, that it is the innocent only, and the friends to order, who will obey the command.  The robber will always be able to conceal his arms, or keep with them out of reach of the magistrate; and he is now relieved altogether from the salutary dread of a shot from a door or window.  He may rob at his leisure, or sit down like a gentleman and have all that the people of the surrounding towns and villages possess brought to him, for no man can any longer attempt to defend himself or his family.[1] Weak governments are obliged soon to invite back the robber on his own terms, for the people can pay them no revenue, being prevented from cultivating their lands, and obliged to give all they have to the robbers, or submit to be plundered of it.  Jhansi and Jalaun are exceedingly weak governments, from having their territories studded with estates held rent-free, or at a quit-rent, by Pawar, Bundela, and Dhandel barons, who have always the sympathy of the numerous chiefs and their barons of the same class around.

In the year 1832, the Pawar barons of the estates of Noner, Jigni, Udgaon, and Bilhari in Jhansi had some cause of dissatisfaction with their chief; and this they presented to Lord William Bentinck as he passed through the province in December.  His lordship told them that these were questions of internal administration which they must settle among themselves, as the Supreme Government would not interfere.  They had, therefore, only one way of settling such disputes, and that was to raise the standard of bhumiawat, and cry, ‘To your tents, O Israel!’ This they did; and, though the Jhansi chief had a military force of twelve thousand men, they burnt down every town and village in the territory that did not come into their terms; and the chief had possession of only two, Jhansi, the capital, and the large commercial town of Mau,[2] when the Bundela Rajas of Orchha and Datiya, who had hitherto clandestinely supported the insurgents, consented to become the arbitrators.  A suspension of arms followed, the barons got all they demanded, and the bhumiawat ceased.  But the Jhansi chief, who had hitherto lent large sums to the other chiefs in the province, was reduced to the necessity of borrowing from them all, and from Gwalior, and mortgaging to them a good portion of his lands.[3]

Gwalior is itself weak in the same way.  A great portion of its lands are held by barons of the Hindoo military classes, equally addicted to bhumiawat, and one or more of them is always engaged in this kind of indiscriminate warfare; and it must be confessed that, unless they are always considered to be ready to engage in it, they have very little chance of retaining their possessions on moderate terms, for these weak governments are generally the most rapacious when they have it in their power.