Brigands
Brigands are members of armed bands that commit robbery and violence, often in rural or mountainous regions. The term covers a range of outlaw groups across different eras and geographies, from medieval and early modern Europe to other contexts where centralized authority was weak or contested. Brigandage typically involved organized looting of caravans, villages, or travelers, as well as extortion, kidnapping, and sometimes cattle rustling. Some brigand bands operated under a clear hierarchy and code of conduct, while others were loosely affiliated groups of criminals.
Historically, brigands emerged where state power extended unevenly, or during wars and peasant unrest. They could
In culture, brigands have appeared in folklore and literature, sometimes romanticized as noble outlaws or symbols