REMOVAL TO CAWNPORE.—CONFESSIONS OF A THUG.
“WHAT VARIETY OF HERBS SOEVER ARE SHUFFLED TOGETHER IN THE DISH, YET THE
WHOLE MASS IS SWALLOWED UP IN ONE NAME OF _sallet_. IN LIKE MANNER I WILL
MAKE A HODGE-PODGE OF DIFFERING ARTICLES.”
1830.—Removal to Cawnpore—Failure of Messrs. Palmer and Co.—An
Appointment at Cawnpore—Removal from Allahabad—The Mowa
Tree—Futtehpore—Dead Body in a Well—The Kutcherry—Confessions
of a Thug.
_Jan. 1830._—The failure of Messrs. Palmer and Co., early in this month,
caused the greatest consternation in India, and fell most severely on
the widows and orphans of military men, who, having left their little
portions in Palmer’s house, had returned to England.
_9th._—My husband gave over charge of his office to Mr. N⸺, who had
returned from the Cape, and we began to speculate as to our destiny.
_March 1st._—My husband, having applied to remain up the country,
was informed he might proceed to Cawnpore as acting-collector
for eight months, on condition that he consented to give up the
deputation-allowance, to which he was entitled by the rules of the Civil
Service. The conditions were hard, although offered as a personal favour,
and were accepted in preference to returning to Calcutta.
Cawnpore, 150 miles from Allahabad, and 50 from Lucnow, a large station,
is on a bleak, dreary, sandy, dusty, treeless plain, cut into ravines by
torrents of rain; if possible, the place is considered hotter than Prāg.
Like the patriarchs of old we travelled with our flocks and herds, or,
rather, we sent them on in advance, and followed dāk.
_March 27th._—We quitted Allahabad, and drove the first stage to
Allumchund, where we were kindly received by friends. At this place I
first remarked the mowa-tree (bassia longifolia). The fruit was falling,
and the natives were collecting it to make bazār srāb (ardent spirits).
The fruit, which is white, only falls during the day-time; when dried,
it is given to cows as cheap food—from it the butter takes a fine yellow
colour.
In the evening we proceeded dāk, and arrived the next morning at the
house of the judge of Futtehpore. Just before entering his compound,
(grounds around a house,) I stopped my palanquin, and desired a bearer to
draw me a lota full of water from a well at the road side. The man took
the brass vessel, which was fastened to a very long string, and threw it
into the well; then drawing it up, he poured the contents on the ground,
saying, “A thuggee has been committed, you cannot drink that water. Did
you not hear the lota—bump—bump upon a dead body in the well[51]?” I
reported the circumstance on my arrival, and not having before heard of
the Thugs, was very much interested in the following account of “The
Confessions of a Thug.”
These fellows, it appears, roam about the country in gangs, strangling
people for their money; it is their only employment. During the three
weeks of my stay at Futtehpore, the bodies of three men were found in
the neighbouring wells—_thugged_, that is, strangled. Some years ago
the Thugs were in great force, but they were well looked after by the
police, and a _thuggee_ was seldom committed: within a few months they
have become very daring, especially around Cawnpore, Humeerpore, and
Futtehpore.
A KUTCHERRY OR KACHAHRĪ.
The sketch represents the examination of a criminal before the judge of
the station, who is taking notes. The fat moonshee on his right hand
is reading the deposition, and the native officers of the court are in
attendance. The scene of the kachahrī, or court of justice, is a room
in the house of the magistrate. The duffadār stooping by the side of
the table is putting the seal of office to the paper that will consign
the criminal for trial to the suddur dewani. The hooqŭ bārdar with his
snow-white beard, standing behind his master’s chair, has just brought
a fresh chilam for the hooqŭ, which the gentleman has laid aside during
the examination of the Thug. The criminal, who appears to have suffered
from a blow on the head from one of those iron shod lātees, of which a
description is given in the next chapter, is attempting to prove his
innocence; and the man to the right, who was speaking in his defence to
the judge, has stopped in the midst of his sentence, and is cocking his
ear to catch the words of the defendant. A sketch of the lātee is in the
plate entitled “The Thug’s Dice,” Fig. 2.
Copy of “The Confessions of a Thug,” from a circular dated August, 1829,
sent by the Governor-general to the judges of the different stations on
this subject. The reason for the Governor-general sending this circular
to all the judges and magistrates, was to induce them to be on the alert
after Thugs, in consequence of a party of them having been seized up the
country by Captain Borthwick, four of whom turned evidence against the
others. They were examined separately, and their confessions compared.
The following is the confession and statement of the principal witness:—
“My father was a cultivator of land in Buraicha and other neighbouring
villages, and I followed the same occupation until I entered my thirtieth
year, when I joined the Thugs, with whom I have been more or less
connected ever since, a period of upwards of thirty years.
“During this time, however, I have not accompanied them on every
excursion; but, on the contrary, for intervals of two, three, and even
six years, have remained at home and earned a subsistence by cultivating
land, so that I have been engaged in only six predatory excursions:
four under a leader, since dead, called Oo-dey Singh, and two under my
present chief and fellow-prisoner, Mokhun Jemadar.
“Whilst residing at home during the last interval alluded to, I was
apprehended on suspicion of being a Thug, but the proofs I adduced of
having been for so many years employed in husbandry were the means which
restored me to liberty.
“By this event, however, my circumstances became so greatly embarrassed,
that I was forced to go to Salany to borrow money from Mokhun Jemadar,
who I knew had generally some at command; but he would not agree to
relieve my wants except on condition of my engaging to bring my family to
Salany and becoming one of his gang. These conditions I was forced by my
destitute state to comply with, and I accordingly accompanied him in his
last two excursions.
“Oo-dey Singh my former leader was, at the period of my joining his
gang, beyond the prime of life, although, at the same time, active and
enterprising; but gradually becoming unfit for the exertion required of
him by his situation, and his son Roman being seized, with other Thugs,
and cast into prison at Jubbalpore, he abandoned his former course of
life, and shortly after died.
“At the time I was serving under Oo-dey Singh, tranquillity had not been
established throughout the country, and our excursions were neither
carried to so great a distance, nor were they so lucrative or certain as
they have since been; for in those days travellers, particularly those
possessed of much property, seldom ventured from one place to another
unless in large parties, or under a strong escort; and we ourselves
held the Pindaries and other armed plunderers in as much dread as other
travellers.
“About three months after I had joined Mokhun’s gang, which consisted
of forty men, we set out from Bundelkund for the Dekkun, this was in
the month of Phagoon Summet, 1883 (about March, 1826). We proceeded by
regular stages, and crossed the Nerbudda at the Chepanair Ghāt, where we
fell in with Chotee Jamadar (a Brahman), who joined us with his gang, the
strength of which was about the same as our own.
“We then continued our course towards Mallygaow, and at Thokur, near that
cantoonment, celebrated the Hooly; after which we resumed our route and
reached Mallygaow, where we struck off by the Nassuk road, intending to
turn from Nassuk to Poona and Aurungabad.
“After proceeding a coss or two on this road we met a relation of
Mokhun’s, belonging to Oomrao and Ruttyram’s gangs, who informed us
that these two leaders with their gangs were near at hand on the Poona
road, engaged in the pursuit of some angriahs with treasure. It was
proposed that Mokhun should join them with some of his men, in order to
be entitled to a share of the spoil. Mokhun at first thought of going
himself, but recollecting that Oomrao and himself were not on good terms,
he sent twenty-five men with Chotee Jamadar. On the day following we
heard the business was effected, and that they intended to proceed with
Oomrao and Ruttyram to Bhoorampore, at which place they requested us to
meet them. We accordingly proceeded to that quarter, and found Chotee
Jemadar and his party at Bhoorampore, Oomrao and Ruttyram having returned
to their homes.
“Here we learnt that the angriahs had been attacked and murdered near
Koker (the place where we had celebrated the Hooly), and that no less
a sum than 22,000 rupees was found on their persons in gold, bullion,
mohurs, and pootlies. Of this 6000 rupees had been received as the share
of our two gangs, and was disposed of in the following manner.
“Mokhun received one-third for himself and gang, a third was given
to Chotee Jamadar for himself and his gang, and the remainder was
reserved for the mutual expenses of the two gangs. Mokhun and Chotee
despatched the two-thirds above mentioned to their homes: that sent
by the latter reached its destination safely; but one of Mokhun’s men
in charge of our share having got drunk at Jansy, blabbed that he was
a Thug, and returning with others with a large amount of treasure; he
was consequently seized by the sirdar of the place, and the money taken
from him. We now quitted Bhoorampore, and proceeded to Aurungabad, but,
meeting with little or no success, we returned by Dhoolia and Bhopaul to
Bundelcund, and reached our several homes before the rains set in. Our
next excursion was towards Guzerat, but in this nothing occurred worthy
of note.
“I have never, during my connexion with the Thugs, known a single
instance of their committing a robbery without the previous destruction
of life, which is almost invariably accomplished by strangulation. This
is effected either by means of a roomal (handkerchief) or shred of cloth
well twisted and wetted, or merely by the hands, though the latter is
rarely practised, and only had recourse to from accidental failure in the
former and usual mode.
“A preconcerted signal being given, the victim or victims are instantly
overpowered, and death, either by the roomal or hands, is the act of a
moment. In perpetrating murder it is an invariable rule with the Thugs
never, if possible, to spill the blood of their victims, in order that
no traces of murder may appear, to awaken suspicion of the deed in the
minds of those who may happen to pass the spot, and detection be the
consequence. In the hurry in which it is sometimes necessary to dispose
of the bodies, holes cannot be dug sufficiently large to contain them
in an entire state, particularly when the number of them is great; the
bodies are then cut in pieces and packed therein.
“When these holes are near the road side, and especially in an exposed
spot, it is usual, after covering them with earth, to burn fires over
them, to do away with the appearance of the earth having been newly
turned. Murders, in the manner just described, are perpetrated as
frequently, and with equal facility and certainty, whilst the victims
are walking along the road, as when they have been enticed to our places
of encampment, and, unconscious of what is to befal them, are sitting
amongst us with every thing carefully and leisurely arranged for their
destruction.
“These murders frequently take place near villages where we encamp, and
usually during twilight; and always, whilst the business is going on, the
hand-drum is beaten and singing commenced, to drown any noise that might
be made by the victims.
“The several persons actually engaged commence their operations
simultaneously at a preconcerted signal given.
“The signal is an arbitrary one; generally a common, coarse expression
is used, not likely to strike the attention of the victims, such as,
‘Tumbākoo lao,’ (bring tobacco).
“I have never seen the phansy (or noose) made of cord employed for
strangling, though I am fully aware of the general supposition, that it
is with it that we strangle people; but if such has ever been employed,
which I greatly doubt, it has long since been laid aside, for the obvious
reason, that if a Thug were seized having it about his person, it would
inevitably lead to his detection.
“A direct understanding with the local authorities in Bundelcund is
constantly kept up by Oomrao, Mokhun, and all the other leaders and
jāmadārs, who on their return from their excursions reside in that part
of the country, and these authorities are conciliated and their favour
gained by suitable presents.
“Assistance and support from the English authorities, being likewise
indispensable, are obtained through artifice. This is effected by means
of their emissaries, who, by misrepresentation and falsehood, frequently
contrive to extricate them from the difficulties in which persons of our
habits are constantly involved. A relation of Oomrao’s, Motee by name,
and Lala Hajain, an inhabitant of Secundra, render important services in
this way. Motee, who was himself a Thug formerly, has for some years past
discontinued going on predatory excursions. He first brought himself into
notice with European gentlemen by informing against a gang, which was
seized in consequence, and confined at Jubbulpore, where the greater part
still remain.
“Since then Motee has advanced in favour with these gentlemen, who are
led to suppose he acts as a check upon the Thugs and other plunderers; at
least, he persuades us that such is the case, the consequence of which
is, that he exercises great influence over us; making us pay well for his
connivance, and the good offices he no doubt frequently performs in our
behalf.
“He principally exerts himself in protecting and assisting Oomrao,
Ruttyram, Hera Mandeen, and their gangs.
“Lala Hajain, by means of representations to different persons of his
acquaintance in the adālut at Cawnpore, renders great assistance to
Mokhun in getting him through matters of difficulty. The latter, after
his return to Bundelcund from his last excursion but one, when he heard
the mishap which had befallen the share of the plunder sent by him to
Boorampore, had recourse, as was usual with him, to his patron Lala
Hajain. Lala lost no time in waiting on his friend Madee Moonshee, at
Cawnpore, to whom he represented matters in such a light, that the
moonshee wrote himself, or had instructions sent by his superiors to
the Tausy Rajah, intimating that, it having been made known that he,
the Rajah, had seized four travellers of respectable and inoffensive
character passing through his territories, and plundered them of their
property—he was directed to restore them to liberty, with whatever
property he had taken from them.
“A day or two before the receipt of the letter containing this order,
the Rajah had released Mokhun’s men, having first obtained from them an
acquittance of the money he had taken; but now, thinking that unless he
could prove the men to be Thugs, and that their true characters had been
misrepresented, he should get a bad name with Europeans, he immediately
sent after them, and had them again apprehended. What became of these men
afterwards I have never been able to learn.
“Besides Lala Hajain, who manages matters favourably for him through
his acquaintance at the courts and kutcherries at Cawnpore, Etaweh,
Humeerpore, Auria, and Mynpoor, Mokhun has a great friend and supporter
in the Tauzie Vakeel, Gunesh Lall, who resides at Humeerporah.
“Oomrao may have other patrons besides his relation Motee, who watches
over his interests principally at Jubbulpore. Makay Sahib, at Kytah, is
a great friend of Motee’s, and it was from him that the English pass,
which Oomrao showed the horsemen when we were apprehended at Dekhola, was
obtained.
“Passing through a country in so numerous a body as our gangs sometimes
form, is certainly calculated to awaken suspicion, but when this happens,
it is always lulled to rest by our being all prepared with the same story
or explanation.
“Few of us carry arms, indeed, amongst fifteen or twenty persons not more
than two or three swords may be found.
“When Thugs, though strangers to each other, meet, there is something
in their manner which discovers itself; and, to make ‘assurance doubly
sure,’ one exclaims ‘Alee khan!’ which being repeated by the other party,
recognition takes place, but is never followed by a disclosure of past
acts.
“In the division of plunder the jāmadārs receive seven and a half per
cent., besides sharing equally with the rest of the gang; but, before any
division is made, a certain portion is devoted to Bhawānī, our tutelar
deity. This applies only to money in gold or silver; for when the plunder
consists of diamonds and pearls, the leader draws blood from his hand,
and having sprinkled a little over them, the sanction of the goddess to
a division is thereby obtained without any other alienation. But the
omission of this ceremony, or neglecting, when success attends us, to
propitiate a continuance of Bhawānī’s favour by laying aside a part of
our acquisitions for her service, would, we firmly believe, bring heavy
misfortune upon us.
“The office of strangler is never allowed to be self-assumed, but is
conferred with due ceremony, after the fitness of the candidate in point
of firmness, activity, and bodily strength, has been ascertained, and
a sufficient degree of expertness in the use of the roomal has been
acquired by long sham practice amongst ourselves.
“When thus qualified, the person on whom the office is to be conferred
proceeds to the fields, conducted by his gooroo (spiritual guide),
previously selected, who carries with him the roomal (or handkerchief),
and anxiously looking out for some favourable omen, such as the chirping
of certain birds, or their flight past the right hand, knots the roomal
at each end the moment that either occurs, and delivers it to the
candidate, imploring success upon him.
“After this they return, when the ceremony is closed by a feast,
or distribution of sweetmeats. The seniors only confer this office,
generally old Thugs held in some estimation, but who from infirmity or
age have ceased to accompany the gangs in their expeditions, and whose
chief support is received from the voluntary contributions of those on
whom they have conferred the privilege of using the roomal.
“Certain terms, known to ourselves alone, are made use of to distinguish
certain circumstances, events, &c., connected with our proceedings: viz.
The persons whose office it is to strangle the victims are called
_Luddya_, also _Bullod_.
Those who dig the graves or holes, _Lucka_.
Those who carry away the bodies, _Gutnee Walow_.
A scout or spy, _Tulha_.
A traveller on whom designs are formed, _Betoo_.
If a Musulmān, _Sultan Betoo_.
If a Hindoo, _Bundoo Betoo_.
A murder committed at the halting-place or encampment-ground, _Topa_.
A murder committed whilst the victims are walking along the road—if
during the day, _Phoolkee_; if during the night, _Kootul_.
The spot where the bodies are buried, _Kurwa_.
The spot where the murder is committed, _Balee_.
A female victim, _Ecmud_.
A child victim, _Chumota_.
Horse, _Poornkna_ or _Pootra_.
Bullock, _Subba_.
Gold, _Sirya_.
Sword, _Lumberee_.
Silver or rupee, _Peeky_.
Matchlock, _Puttakee_.
Gold mohurs, _Tandya_.
Turban, _Kassee_.
A ring, _Pulbya_.
Dhotee, _Kurdhunny_.
Pearls, _Punnyara_.
Diamonds, _Kukreya_.
A knife, _Booky_.
The roomal with which people are strangled, _Phyloo_ and _roomal_.
If one person is strangled, it is called _Eloo_.
If two persons are strangled, it is called _Beetsee_.
If three ... _Singod_.
If four ... _Bhurra_.
If five ... _Puckrao_.
If six ... _Chutroo_, _&c._
“These terms are used by the Thugs in all parts of the country. The
numerals exclusively apply to travellers, and are used to denote the
number that fall into the hands of detached parties.”
This is the end of the “Thug’s Confession.”
The other men, on their examination, acknowledged having murdered a
bearer, on whom they found four rupees. They also met with twelve
seapoys; eight of the soldiers took one road, and the other four another.
The Thugs, therefore, divided into two parties, overtook the seapoys, and
killed them all.
One Thug said, that on a certain day eleven men were killed and buried.
The other Thug said, that on the same day only seven were strangled: on
re-examination he replied, “Yes, it is true I only mentioned seven—there
might have been eleven, or more, I cannot remember; we strangled people
so constantly, that I took little account of the numbers buried, I only
know on that day about seven or eleven were buried.”
The Thugs never attack Europeans.