Volume 1

The Thugs or Phansigars of India: comprising a history of the rise and progress of that extraordinary fraternity of assassins. And a description of the system which it pursues, and of the measures which have been adopted by the supreme government of India for its suppression / compiled from original and authentic documents published by Captain W.H. Sleeman.

  • William Henry Sleeman
Date:
1839
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The Thugs or Phansigars of India: comprising a history of the rise and progress of that extraordinary fraternity of assassins. And a description of the system which it pursues, and of the measures which have been adopted by the supreme government of India for its suppression / compiled from original and authentic documents published by Captain W.H. Sleeman. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    227/238 (page 221)
    gang was arrested at Kotah, and tliat we killed Ashraf Khan, the Subahdar Major of the 4th cavalry and his party. From that time till 1 was taken, or about ten years, I was always out with my gang except in the season of the rains^; and for several even of these seasons wo were out in Raj- ])Ootana, whore the rains ofler little impediment. Indeed in the western parts of Rajpootana Thugs have an advantage in the rainy season, as at the other seasons the most wealthy travellers move along in wheeled carriages, and cannot be so easily managed as on foot or on horseback, to which mode of travelling they are obliged to have recourse in the rains. Q.—Is Gunga Sing still living? Ferinffcea.—No, I have just heard from Jowahir, one of the Thugs whom Lieutenant Briggs has sent in, that he died four years ago at Oudeepore. Q.—Did your wife know tliat you were a Thug ? Feringeea.—Neither she nor her family knew it till you seized her and had her brought to Jubul- pore, where she found poor Jhurhoo and the other members of my gang taken at Bhilsa. Her family are of the aristocracy of Jhansec and Sumtur, as you may know. Q.—Do not the Brinjaras often perpetrate murder in their encampments ? Feringeea.—Just before the twenty-six of my gang were taken by you at Bhilsa, and before Zol- fukar joined us, we were cooking our dinner in the afternoon at a village three cose this side of Sehore, when five travellers came up on their way to Bhilsa. We tried to prevail upon tiem to wait for us, but they went on, saying they should spend the night at Hirora, a village four cose further on. We made sure of securing them at Ilirora, and remained 19*