The Thugs were known in the time of the Emperor Akbar of Delhi, by whom
many were executed. They were first known to the British government
in 1812, and then many were hanged in Bundelkund. Again, in 1817,
they attracted notice by their horrible acts, and twelve villages in
Bundelkund, which were peopled almost entirely by them, were taken by
a force sent against them. They were then dispersed, but assembled in
various parts in Sindhia’s and the Nagpoor country, also in Holkar’s
dominions. From 1817 till 1831 they were not molested, and, in
consequence, increased greatly in the latter year. Measures were taken to
suppress them, which have been attended with great success. One hundred
and eleven were executed at Jubbulpoor, and upwards of four hundred
transported for life to the eastern settlement of Pinang.
The Thugs form a perfectly distinct class of persons, who subsist
almost entirely upon the produce of the murders they are in the habit
of committing. They appear to have derived their denomination from the
practice usually adopted by them of decoying the persons they fix upon
to destroy, to join their party; and then, taking advantage of the
confidence they endeavour to inspire, to strangle their unsuspecting
victims. There are several peculiarities in the habits of the Thugs, in
their mode of causing death, and in the precautions they adopt for the
prevention of discovery, that distinguish them from every other class of
delinquents; and it may be considered a general rule whereby to judge
of them, that they affect to disclaim the practice of petty theft,
housebreaking, and indeed every species of stealing that has not been
preceded by the perpetration of murder.
The Thugs adopt no other method of killing but strangulation, and the
implement made use of for this purpose is a handkerchief, or any other
convenient strip of cloth. The manner in which the deed is done will be
described hereafter. They never attempt to rob a traveller until they
have in the first instance deprived him of life; after the commission
of a murder, they invariably bury the body immediately, if time and
opportunity serve, or otherwise conceal it; and never leave a corpse
uninterred in the highway, unless they happen to be disturbed.
To trace the origin of this practice would now be a matter of some
difficulty, for if the assertions of the Thugs themselves are entitled to
any credit, it has been in vogue from time immemorial; and they pretend
that its institution is coeval with the creation of the world. Like
most other inhuman practices, the traditions regarding it are mixed up
with tales of Hindoo superstition; and the Thugs would wish to make it
appear, that, in immolating the numberless victims that yearly fall by
their hands, they are only obeying the injunctions of the deity of their
worship, to whom they say they are offering an acceptable sacrifice.
A very considerable number of the Thugs are Mussulmans. No judgment of
the birth or caste of a Thug can, however, be formed from his name; for
it not unfrequently happens that a Hindoo Thug has a Mussulman name with
a Hindoo _alias_ attached, and _vice versa_ with respect to the Thugs
who are by birth Mahommedans. In almost every instance the Thugs have
more than one appellation by which they are known. They usually move in
large parties, often amounting to one hundred or two hundred persons,
and resort to all sort of subterfuges for the purpose of concealing
their real profession. If they are travelling southward, they represent
themselves to be either proceeding in quest of service, or on their way
to rejoin the regiments they belong to in this part of the country. When,
on the contrary, their route lies towards the north, they represent
themselves to be sepoys from corps of the Bombay or Nizam’s army, who
are going on leave to Hindustan. The gangs do not always consist of
persons who are Thugs by birth. It is customary for them to entice, by
the promise of monthly pay or the hopes of amassing money that are held
out, many persons who are ignorant of the deeds of death that are to be
perpetrated for the attainment of these objects, until made aware of the
reality by seeing the victims of their cupidity fall under the hands of
the stranglers; and the Thugs declare that novices have occasionally been
so horrified at the sight as to have effected their immediate escape.
Many of the most notorious Thugs are the adopted children of others of
the same class. They make it a rule, when a murder is committed, never
to spare the life of any one, either male or female, who is old enough
to remember and relate the particulars of the deed. But in the event of
their meeting with children of such a tender age as to make it impossible
they should be enabled to relate the fact, they generally spare their
lives, and, adopting them, bring them up to the trade of Thugs. These men
of course eventually become acquainted with the fact of the murder of
their fathers and mothers by the very persons with whom they have dwelt
since their childhood, but are still not deterred from following the
same dreadful trade. It might be supposed that a class of persons whose
hearts must be effectually hardened against all the better feelings of
humanity, would encounter few scruples of conscience in the commission of
the horrid deeds whereby they subsist; but, in point of fact, they are as
much the slaves of superstition, and as much directed by the observance
of omens in the commission of murder, as the most inoffensive of the
natives of India are in the ordinary affairs of their lives.
In the event of an expedition proving more than ordinarily successful, a
pilgrimage is usually made to Bhowanee, and a portion of the spoil taken
by the gang is set aside for the purpose of being sent to the pagoda
at Binda Chul, near Mirzapoor, as an offering to the goddess Kalee.
Propitiatory offerings are also made, and various ceremonies performed,
should the Thugs have failed in obtaining any plunder for a length of
time.
In every gang of Thugs are to be found one or more officers, who
appear to hold that rank not by the choice of their followers, but in
consequence of their wealth and influence in their respective villages,
and having assembled their immediate followers in the vicinity of their
homes. The profits of an officer are of course greater than those of his
followers; he receives six and a half or seven per cent. on all silver
coin and other property, and then shares in the remainder in common with
the other Thugs of the party. When gold is obtained in coin or in mass,
the tenth part is taken by the officer, previous to dividing it; and he
has a tithe of all pearls, shawls, gold embroidered cloths, brass and
copper pots, horses, &c. Next to the officer, the most important person
is the _bhuttoat_, or strangler, who carries the handkerchief with which
the Thugs usually murder their victims. This implement is merely a piece
of fine strong cotton cloth, about a yard long; at one end a knot is
tied, and the cloth is slightly twisted, and kept ready for use in front
of the waistcoat of the person carrying it. There is no doubt but that
all Thugs are expert in the use of the handkerchief; but if they are to
be believed, only particular persons are called upon or permitted to
perform this office. When a large gang is collected, the most able-bodied
and alert of their number are fixed upon as stranglers, and they are made
the bearers of the handkerchief only after the performance of various and
often expensive ceremonies, and only on the observance of a favourable
omen. The junior Thugs make a merit of attending upon the older and more
experienced Thugs, shampooing their bodies, and performing the most
menial offices. They gradually become initiated into all the mysteries of
the art, and if they prove to be powerful men, these promising disciples
are made stranglers. When a murder is to be committed, the strangler
usually follows the particular person whom he has been nominated by the
jemadar to strangle; and on the preconcerted signal being given, the
handkerchief is seized with the knot in the _left hand_, the right hand
being about nine inches farther up, in which manner it is thrown over
the head of the person to be strangled from behind; the two hands are
crossed as the victim falls; and such is the certainty with which the
deed is done, as the Thugs frequently declare, that before the body falls
to the ground, the eyes start out of the head, and life becomes extinct.
Should the person to be strangled prove a powerful man, or the strangler
inexpert, another Thug lays hold of the end of the handkerchief, and the
work is completed. The perfection of the act is said to be, when several
persons are simultaneously murdered without any of them having time to
utter a cry, or to be aware of the fate of their comrades.
Favourable opportunities are given for stranglers to make their first
essay in the art of strangling. When a single traveller is met with, a
novice is instructed to make a trial of his skill; the party sets off
during the night, and stops while it is still dark to drink water or to
smoke. While seated for the purpose, the jemadar inquires what time of
the night it may be, and the Thugs look up at the stars to ascertain.
This being the preconcerted signal, the strangler is immediately on
the alert, and the unsuspecting traveller, on looking up at the heavens
in common with the rest of the party, offers his neck to the ready
handkerchief, and becomes an easy prey to his murderer. The strangler
receives half a rupee extra for every murder that is committed, and if
the plunder is great, some article of value is assigned to him over and
above his share.
One of the most necessary persons to a gang of Thugs is he who goes by
the name of Tillaee, or spy. The Thugs do not always depend upon chance
for obtaining plunder, or roam about in the expectation of meeting
travellers, but frequently take up their quarters in or near a large
town, or some great thoroughfare, from whence they make expeditions,
according to the information obtained by the spies. These men are chosen
from among the most smooth-spoken and intelligent of their number, and
their chief duty is to gain information. For this purpose they are
decked out in the garb of respectable persons, whose appearance and
manners they must have the art of assuming. They frequent the bazaars
of the town near which their associates are encamped, and endeavour
to pick up intelligence of the intended dispatch or expected arrival
of goods or treasure, of which information is forthwith given to the
gang, who send out a party to intercept them. Inquiry is also made for
any party of travellers who may have arrived, and who put up in the
inns, or elsewhere. Every art is brought into practice to scrape an
acquaintance with these people. They are given to understand that the spy
is travelling the same road. An opportunity is taken to throw out hints
regarding the unsafeness of the roads, and the frequency of murders and
robberies; an acquaintance with some of the friends or relatives of the
travellers is feigned, and an invitation from them to partake of the
repast that has been prepared where the spy has put up--the conveniences
of which, and the superiority of the water, are abundantly praised.
The result is, that the travellers are inveigled into joining the gang
of Thugs, and they are feasted and treated with every politeness and
consideration by the very wretches who are at the time plotting their
murder, and calculating the share they shall acquire in the division of
their property.
Instances sometimes occur where a party of Thugs find their victims
too numerous for them while they remain in a body, and they are seldom
at a loss for expedients to create dissensions, and a consequent
division among them. If all their arts of intrigue and cajolery fail
in producing the desired effect, an occasion is taken advantage of to
ply the travellers with intoxicating liquors; a quarrel is got up, and
from words they proceed to blows, which end in the dissension of the
company, who, proceeding by different roads, fall an easier prey to their
remorseless destroyers. Having enticed the travellers into the snare
they have laid for them, the next object is to choose a convenient spot
for their murder. This, in their technical language, is called a _bhil_,
and is usually fixed upon at some distance from a village on the banks
of a small stream, where the trees and underwood afford a shelter from
the view of occasional passengers. The Thug who is sent on this duty
is called a _bhilla_; and having fixed on the place, he either returns
to the encampment of his party, or meets them on the way to report
the result of his inquiry. If the bhilla returns to the camp with his
report, the grave-diggers are sent out with him to prepare a grave for
the interment of the persons it is intended to murder. Arrangements are
previously made, so that the party in company with the travellers shall
not arrive at the bhil too soon. At the particular spot agreed on, the
bhilla meets the party. The jemadar calls out to him, “Have you cleared
out the hole?” The bhilla replies, “Yes,” on which the concerted signal
is given that serves as the death-warrant of the unsuspecting travellers,
who are forthwith strangled.
The division of plunder, as may be supposed, often leads to the most
violent disputes, which it is astonishing do not end in bloodshed. But
it might almost be supposed the Thugs have a prejudice against spilling
blood; for, when pursued, they refrain from making use of the weapons
they usually bear, even in defence of their own persons. The most wanton
prodigality occurs when plunder is divided; and occasionally the most
valuable shawls and brocades are torn into small strips, and distributed
amongst the gang, should any difference of opinion arise as to their
appropriation. The Thugs say this is also done that every person may run
the same risk, for such an article could not be shared among them until
converted into money, and some danger is attendant upon the transaction.
They appear invariably to destroy all bills of exchange that fall into
their hands, as well as many other articles that are likely to lead to
detection. Ready money is what they chiefly look for; and when they have
a choice of victims, the possessors of gold and silver would certainly be
fixed upon in preference to others.
To facilitate their plan of operations, the Thugs have established
a regular system of intelligence and communication throughout the
countries they have been in the practice of frequenting, and they become
acquainted, with astonishing celerity, with proceedings of their comrades
in all directions. They omit no opportunity of making inquiries regarding
the progress of other gangs, and are equally particular in supplying the
requisite information of their own movements. For this purpose they have
connected themselves with several persons of note residing in the Nizam’s
dominions, who follow the profession of Thugs in conjunction with their
agricultural pursuits.
Such is the extent to which this dreadful system has been carried, that
no idea can be formed of the expenditure of human life to which it has
given occasion, or the immensity of the wealth that has been acquired
by its adoption. When it is taken into consideration that many of the
Thugs confess to their having, for the last twenty-five or thirty years,
annually made a tour with parties of more than a hundred men, and with no
other object than that of murder and rapine; that they boast of having
successively put their tens and twenties to death daily; and that they
say an enumeration of all the lives they have personally assisted to
destroy would swell the catalogue to hundreds, and, as some declare, to
thousands--some conception of the horrid reality may be formed; of the
amount of the property that they have yearly made away with, it must be
impossible to form any calculation; for, independent of the thousands
in ready money, jewels and bullion, the loads of valuable cloths, and
every description of merchandise, that continually fall into their hands,
the bills of exchange that they invariably destroy must amount to a
considerable sum.
The impunity with which the Thugs have heretofore carried on their
merciless proceedings, the facility they have possessed of recruiting
their numbers--which are restricted to no particular caste or sect--the
security they have had of escaping detection, and the ease with which
they have usually purchased their release when seized by the officers
of the weak native governments in whose dominions they have usually
committed their greatest depredations, have altogether so tended to
confirm the system, and to disseminate it to the fearful extent to which
it has now attained, that the life of no single traveller on any of the
roads in the country has been safe, and but a slight chance has been
afforded to large parties of escaping the fangs of the blood-thirsty
demons who have frequented them.--_Abridged from the New Monthly
Magazine._
* * * * *
LOVE AND POETRY.--“You know,” says Burns, “our country custom of coupling
a man and woman together as partners in the labours of harvest. In my
fifteenth autumn my partner was a bewitching creature, a year younger
than myself. My scarcity of English denies me the power of doing her
justice in that language; she was a _bonnie, sweet, sonsie lass_. In
short, she altogether, unwittingly to herself, initiated me in that
delicious passion, which, in spite of acid disappointment, gin-horse
prudence, and book-worm philosophy, I hold to be the first of human joys,
our sweetest blessing here below. How she caught the contagion I cannot
tell; you medical people talk much of infection from breathing the same
air, the touch, &c., but I never expressly said I loved her. Indeed, I
did not know myself why I liked so much to loiter behind with her, when
returning in the evening from our labours; why the tones of her voice
made my heart-strings thrill like an Æolian harp; and particularly why
my pulse beat such a furious ratan when I looked and fingered over her
little hand, to pick out the cruel nettle-stings and thistles. Among
her other love-inspiring qualities she sang sweetly; and it was her
favourite reel to which I attempted giving an embodied vehicle in rhyme.
I was not so presumptuous as to imagine that I could make verses like
printed ones, composed by men who had Greek and Latin; but my girl sang
a song which was said to be composed by a small country laird’s son, on
one of his father’s maids with whom he was in love; and I saw no reason
why I might not rhyme as well as he; for, excepting that he could smear
sheep, and cast peats, his father living on the moorlands, he had no more
scholarcraft than myself. Thus with me began Love and Poetry.”--_Burns in
a Letter to Dr Moore, 1787._
* * * * *
PHENOMENA OF SOUND.--In the Arctic regions persons can converse at more
than a mile distant when the thermometer is below zero. In air, sound
travels from 1130 to 1142 feet per second. In water, sound passes at the
rate of 4708 feet per second. Sound travels in air, about 900 feet for
every pulsation of a healthy person at 75 in a minute. A bell sounded
under water may be heard under water at 1200 feet distant. Sounds are
distinct at twice the distance on water that they are on land. In a
balloon, the barking of dogs on the ground may be heard at an elevation
of three or four miles. On Table Mountain, a mile above Cape Town, every
noise in it, and even words, may be heard distinctly. The fire of the
English on landing in Egypt was distinctly heard 130 miles on the sea.
Dr Jameson says, in calm weather he heard every word of a sermon at the
distance of two miles! Water is a better conductor of sound than air.
Wood is also a powerful conductor of sound, and so is flannel or riband.
Sound affects particles of dust in a sunbeam, cobwebs, and water in
musical glasses; it shakes small pieces of paper off a string in concord.
Deaf persons may converse through deal rods held between the teeth, or
held to the throat or breast. Echoes are formed by elliptical surfaces
combined with surrounding surfaces, or by such of them as fall into the
respective distances of the surface of an ellipse, and are, therefore,
directed to the other focus of the ellipse; for all the distances from
both foci to such surface are equal, and hence there is a concentration
of sounds at those points direct from one focus, and reflected back again
from the other focus. An echo returns a monosyllable at 70 feet distance,
and another syllable at every 40 feet additional. The echo of artillery
is encreased or created by a cloud or clouds. Miners distinguish the
substance bored by the sound; and Physicians distinguish the action of
the heart or lungs by a listening tube. Gamblers can distinguish, in
tossing money, which side is undermost, though covered by the hand.
* * * * *
GENERAL RUN OF FACULTIES.--Society is a more level surface than we
imagine. Wise men or absolute fools are hard to be met with, as there
are few giants or dwarfs. The heaviest charge we can bring against the
general texture of society is, that it is common-place; and many of those
who are singular had better be common-place. Our fancied superiority to
others is in some one thing, which we think most of, because we excel
in it, or have paid most attention to it; whilst we overlook their
superiority to us in something else, which they set equal and exclusive
store by. This is fortunate for all parties. I never felt myself superior
to any one who did not go out of his way to affect qualities which he
had not. In his own individual character and line of pursuit every one
has knowledge, experience, and skill; and who shall say which pursuit
requires most, thereby proving his own narrowness and incompetence to
decide? Particular talent or genius does not imply general capacity.
Those who are more versatile are seldom great in any one department; and
the stupidest people can generally do something. The highest pre-eminence
in any one study commonly arises from the concentration of the attention
and faculties on that one study. He who expects from a great name in
politics, in philosophy, in art, equal greatness in other things, is
little versed in human nature. Our strength lies in our weakness. The
learned in books are ignorant of the world. He who is ignorant of books
is often well acquainted with other things; for life is of the same
length in the learned and the unlearned; the mind cannot be idle; if it
is not taken up with one thing it attends to another through choice or
necessity: and the degree of previous capacity in one class or another is
a mere lottery.--_Hazlitt’s Characteristics._
* * * * *
TRUTH.--The confusion and undesigned inaccuracy so often to be observed
in conversation, especially in that of uneducated persons, proves that
truth needs to be cultivated as a talent, as well as recommended as a
virtue.--_Mrs Fry._
* * * * *
Knowledge is an excellent drug, but no drug has virtue enough to preserve
itself from corruption and decay, if the vessel be tainted and impure
wherein it is put to keep.--_Montaigne’s Essays._
* * * * *
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