The system of Thuggee reached its zenith during the anarchic period
of the decline of the Mughal Empire, when only the strongest and most
influential could obtain any assistance from the State in recovering
property or exacting reparation for the deaths of murdered friends
and relatives. Nevertheless, the Thugs could hardly have escaped
considerable loss even from private vengeance had they been compelled
to rely on themselves for protection. But this was not the case, for,
like the Badhaks and other robbers, they enjoyed the countenance and
support of landholders and ruling chiefs in return for presenting
them with the choicest of their booty and taking holdings of land at
very high rents. Sir W. Sleeman wrote [694] that, "The zamindars and
landholders of every description have everywhere been found ready to
receive these people under their protection from the desire to share
in the fruits of their expeditions, and without the slightest feeling
of religious or moral responsibility for the murders which they know
must be perpetrated to secure these fruits. All that they require
from them is a promise that they will not commit murders within their
estates and thereby involve them in trouble." Sometimes the police
could also be conciliated by bribes, and on one occasion when a body
of Thugs who had killed twenty-five persons were being pursued by
the Thakur of Powai [695] they retired upon the village of Tigura,
and even the villagers came out to their support and defended them
against his attack. Another officer wrote: [696] "To conclude, there
seems no doubt but that this horrid crime has been fostered by all
classes in the community--the landholders, the native officers of
our courts, the police and village authorities--all, I think, have
been more or less guilty; my meaning is not, of course, that every
member of these classes, but that individuals varying in number in
each class were concerned. The subordinate police officials have in
many cases been _practising Thugs_, and the _chaukidars_ or village
watchmen frequently so."