mounted bandit; horse bandit
Historical term referring to mounted bandits, especially in northeast China from the late Qing dynasty through the early 20th century. Often associated with the lawless frontier regions of Manchuria.
At the end of the Qing dynasty, mounted bandits raided villages in Manchuria.
They say his grandfather was once captured by horse bandits.
Compound of 馬 (horse) and 賊 (bandit). The term arose in the context of mounted outlaws in the frontier regions of China during the late Qing and early Republican periods.