heir headquarters
so far as the Punjab is concerned are in the village of Shahjahanpur,
attached to the Gurgaon District but surrounded on all sides by
Rajputana territory. There they until lately defied our police and even
resisted them with armed force. Their enterprises are on a large scale,
and they are always prepared to use violence if necessary. In Marwar
they are armed with small bows which do considerable execution. They
travel great distances in gangs of from twelve to twenty men,
practising robbery and dacoity even as far as the Deccan. The gangs
usually start off immediately after the Diwali feast and often remain
absent the whole year. They have agents in all the large cities of
Rajputana and the Deccan who give them information, and they are in
league with the carrying castes of Marwar. After a successful foray
they offer one-tenth of the proceeds at the shrine of Kali Devi."

Like other criminals they were very superstitious, and Colonel Tod
records that the partridge and the _maloli_ or wagtail were their chief
birds of omen. A partridge clamouring on the left when he commenced
a foray was a certain presage of success to a Mina. Similarly,
Mr. Kennedy notes that the finding of a dried goatskin, either whole
or in pieces, among the effects of a suspected criminal is said to
be an infallible indication of his identity as a Mina, the flesh of
the goat's tongue being indispensable in connection with the taking
of omens. In Jaipur the Minas were employed as guards, as a method of
protection against their fellows, for whose misdeeds they were held
responsible. Rent-free lands were given to them, and they were always
employed to escort treasure. Here they became the most faithful and
trusted of the Raja's servants. It is related that on one occasion
a Mina sentinel at the palace had received charge of a basket of
oranges. A friend of the same tribe came to him and asked to be shown
the palace, which he had never seen. The sentinel agreed and took him
over the palace, but when his back was turned the friend stole one
orange from the basket. Subsequently the sentinel counted the oranges
and found one short; on this he ran after his friend and taxed him with
the theft, which being admitted, the Mina said that he had been made
to betray his trust and had become dishonoured, and drawing his sword
cut off his friend's head. The ancient treasure of Jaipur or Amber was,
according to tradition, kept in a secret cave in