BAZEEGURS, a tribe of Indians, inhabiting dif ferent parts of the peninsula of I lindostan. The ap pearance and manners of mankind are so much diver sified in the various countries where they dwell, that animated controversies have been excited, whether all have had a common origin ; or whether they have sprung from Protoplasts, whose conformation, at the beginning of the world, was dissimilar. Some main• tain, that, in consequence of the changes produced by situation, climate, and circumstances, the pre sent generations may possibly exhibit figures and proportions altogether different from those that distinguished their ancestors thousands of years ago ; while others hold that no such differences could appear, unless they had actually formed a part of the original conformation of a race. The partisans of either theory have appealed to that uniformity of features and customs known to be continued among tribes, who preserve their own de scent pure and unmixed with others, of' which the Jews constitute a striking example ; and a case some thing similar, though not equally prominent, is that of the Bazeegurs. '1 his class of people is recog nised by several appellations, as Bazeegurs, Panch peree, Kunjura, or Nuts; they follow a mode of life, distinguishing them from the Hindoos, among whom they dwell ; they also abstain from intermix ing their families with them, and from any inter course by which they can be united. The name Bazeegur is said to signify a juggler ; some etymo logists find a probabe derivation of conjuror from Kunjura, which might certainly find a corroboration from the similarity of professions. In India, they are dispersed throughout the whole country, partly in wandering tribes, partly adhering to fixed residences, but the greater proportion lead a nomadic life.
The l3azeegurs are divided into seven casts. Charee, Athbhyeea, Bynsa, Purbuttee, Kalkoor, Dorkinee, and Gurgwar ; but are the same people, intermarry ing as such, and avoiding alliances with other tribes. According to.their own traditions, they descend from four brothers, who, findiug it difficult to provide for their numerous followers, resolved to separate, and • to direct their course respectively to each quarter of ' the world ; in consequence of which, one of them, named Sa, arrived in Bengal from Gazeepour or Al lahabad. He took up his abode at Hoogly, and
having governed his tribe peaceably during many years, died at Uucourpoor, whither his posterity still repair to offer 'up their prayers to his manes. Sa left three sons who succeeded each other, and the suc cession having afterwards regularly passed through several generations, at length devolved to Mun bliungee, about fifteen or twenty years ago. At the same time, some of the casts considered a woman] called Toots as the chief of the whole; but the' power ascribed to the chief seems merely nominal, scarcely amounting to restraint, and not at all to co ercion. Munbhuagee only resisted the entrance of any of the people, acknowledging the superiority of Toots, to seek a livelihood in the territory occupied by his own sect ; and the latter were under the same prohibition- with respect to the places frequented by her and her dependents. Besides those who are united into sets or casts, there are individuals who wander about endeavouring-4o gain a precarious live lihood.
It is not evident, although the Bazeegurs are certainly distinguished by their manners and cus toms ftom the natives of Hindostan, that their fea tures discriminate them as a separate race. Some of their women are reputed to be very beautiful, and are thence sought after in those temporary alliances common in the East. The manners of the Panchperee are somewhat different froth those of the Baseegurs; and some of the sects are mote civi lised than others. It has already been observed, that they are not in the exclusive occupation of any din. that in particular, but their villages or respective quarters are found in the same places as those of the Hindoos or British settlers. The Panchperee form neat little encampments in the upper provinces; their huts are small and reviler, and each is sur rounded by a small inclosere or court-yard, gene rally disposed in such a manner that the whole ham let, formed of portable matting, obtains a kind of circuinvallatien by means of them.