The Thugs also worshipped the spirits of their ancestors. One
of these was Dadu Dhira, an ancient Thug of the Barsote class,
who was invoked at certain religious ceremonies, when liquor was
drunk. Vows were made to offer libations of ardent spirits to him,
and if the prayer was answered the worshipper drank the liquor, or if
his caste precluded him from doing this, threw it on the ground with
an expression of thanks. Another deity was the spirit of Jhora Naik,
who was a Muhammadan. He and his servant killed a man who had jewels
and other articles laden on a mule to the value of more than a lakh
and a half. They brought home the booty, assembled all the members
of their fraternity within reach, and honestly divided the whole as
if all had been present The Thugs also said that Nizam-ud-din Aulia,
a well-known Muhammadan saint, famed for his generosity, whose shrine
is near Delhi, had been a Thug, at any rate in his younger days. He
distributed so much money in charity that he was supposed to be endowed
with a Dustul Ghib or supernatural purse; and they supposed that he
obtained it by the practice of Thuggee. Orthodox Muhammadans would,
however, no doubt indignantly repudiate this.