The Thugs did not apparently ever constitute a distinct caste
like the Badhaks, but were recruited from different classes of the
population. In northern and southern India three-fourths or more, and
in Central India about a half, were Muhammadans, whether genuine or
the descendants of converted Hindus. The Muhammadan Thugs consisted
of seven clans, Bhais, Barsote, Kachuni, Hattar, Garru, Tandel and
Rathur: "And these, by the common consent of all Thugs throughout
India, whether Hindus or Muhammadans, are admitted to be the most
ancient and the great original trunk upon which all the others have
at different times and in different places been grafted." [678]
These names, however, are of Hindu and not of Muhammadan origin; and
it seems probable that many of the Thugs were originally Banjaras or
cattle-dealers and Kanjars or gipsies. One of the Muhammadan Thugs
told Colonel Sleeman that, "The Arcot gangs will never intermarry with
our families, saying that we once drove bullocks and were itinerant
tradesmen, and consequently of lower caste." [679] Another man said
[680] that at their marriages an old matron would sometimes repeat
as she threw down the _tulsi_ or basil, "Here's to the spirits of
those who once led bears and monkeys; to those who drove bullocks
and marked with the _godini_ (tattooing-needle); and those who
made baskets for the head." These are the regular occupations of
the Kanjars and Berias, the gipsy castes who are probably derived
from the Doms. And it seems not unlikely that these people may have
been the true progenitors of the Thugs. There is at present a large
section of Muhammadan Kanjars who are recognised as members of the
caste by the Hindu section. Colonel Sleeman was of opinion that the
Kanjars also practised murder by strangling, but not as a regular
profession; for this would have been too dangerous, as they were
accustomed to wander about with their wives and all their belongings,
and the disappearance of many travellers in the locality of their camps
would naturally excite suspicion. Whereas the true Thugs resided in
villages and towns and many of them had other ostensible occupations,
their periodical excursions for robbery and murder being veiled under
the pretence of some necessary journey. But the Kanjars may have
changed their mode of life on taking to this profession, and their
adroitness in other forms of crime, such as killing and carrying
off cattle, would make them likely persons to have discovered the
advantages of a system of murder of travellers by strangulation. The
existing descendants of the Thugs at Jubbulpore appear to be mainly
Kanjars and Berias. For such a life it is clear that the profession
of the Muhammadan religion would be of much assistance in maintaining
the disguise; for it set a man free from many caste obligations and
ties and also from a host of irksome restrictions as to eating and
drinking with others. We may therefore conjecture, though without
certain knowledge, that many of the Thugs may originally have become
Muhammadans for convenience; and this is supported by the well-known
fact that the principal deity of all of them was the Hindu goddess
Kali. Many bodies of Thugs were also recruited from other Hindu
castes, of whom the Lodhas or Lodhis were perhaps the most numerous;
others of the fraternity were Rajputs, Brahmans, Tantis or weavers,
Goalas or cowherds, Multanis or Muhammadan Banjaras, as well as the
Sansias and Kanjars or criminal vagrants and gipsies. These seem
to have observed their caste rules and to have intermarried among
themselves; sometimes they obtained wives from other families who had
no connection with Thuggee and kept their wives in ignorance of their
nefarious trade; occasionally a girl would be spared from a murdered
party and married to a son of one of the Thugs; while boys were more
frequently saved and brought up to the business. The Thugs said [681]
that the fidelity of their wives was proverbial and they were not less
loving and dutiful than those of other men, while several instances are
recorded of the strong affection borne by fathers to their children.