Rearrangement and cyclization of a series of p-nitrophenyl and heteroaryl thiohydrazonates ArSCAr'= NNHC6H3XY (2, 4), where the displaced substituent X is Br or F and the remaining substituent Y is Br or NO2, occurs under suitable basic conditions to the corresponding 7-substituted 2-aryl-4-p-nitrophenyl-and-4-heteroaryl-4 H-1, 3, 4- benzothiadiazines, eg 13→ 19. Under these or suitable acidic conditions, the 4, 6- ...