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limits will allow, to lay before our readers | vagrant bands are descended the seven clans a summary of information, upon the above of Mohammedan Thugs, Bhys, Bursote, Kaplan, drawn not only from Captain Slee. chunee, Huttar, Ganoo, and Tundell, who, by man's book, but also from some official documents to which the kindness of a friend has allowed us access. And here, in limine, we beg to assure our readers, that we shall avoid, as much as possible, introducing oriental words and terms: and that of those which are unavoidably mentioned, the meaning will be given, either in a parenthesis immediately following, or in a note.

*

the common consent of all Thugs throughout India, whether Hindoos or Mohammedans, are admitted to be the most ancient, and the great original trunk upon which all the others have at different times and in different places been grafted. Bands of these vagrants, under various denominations, are to be found in all parts of India, but are most numerous, I believe, to the north and west. They all retain, in some degree, their pristine habits and usages; and, taking their families with them, The Thugs, or Phansigars, for they are they allow their women to assist in the murknown by both names, and by other desig-ders which they perpetrate in their encampnations, in the south of India, appear to be of ments; but they have always some other osremote origin. Herodotus, in his Polymnia, tensible employment; and as the other Thugs, mentions, as a part of the army with which who live amongst, and cannot be distinguishXerxes invaded Greece, a pastoral people, of ed from other men, say, 'they live in the desert, and their deeds are not known.” ”—p. 11. Persian descent, whose only offensive weapons were, a dagger and a cord, made of The people mentioned, both by Herodotus twisted leather, with a noose at one end. and Thevenot, must have been differWith this cord they entangled their enemics ent from the present race of Thugs, and or their horses, and, when they got them more resembling the Guachos, with their down, easily put them to death. Thevenot, lassos, in South America, whom Captain In the south of who published his travels in 1787, speak- Head so well describes. ing of the road between Agra and Delhi, India there is a class of Thugs, who claim observes, to have sprung up in that part, and profess neither to be descended from nor instructed by, those of Delhi, whom they consider as an inferior race; and with whom they will not intermarry. These Thugs are divided into various tribes; but as it would be of little use to trouble our readers with a long list of hard and foreign names, we shall only mention one or two who may have any peculiar characteristic.

"The cunningest robbers in the world are in that country. They use a certain rope, with a running noose, which they can cast with so much sleight about a man's neck when they are within reach of him, that they never fail, so that they strangle him in a trice, &c. &c. But, besides that, there are men in those quarters so skilful in casting the snare, that they succeed as well at a distance as near at hand; and if an ox, or any other beast belonging to a caravan run away, they fail not to catch it by the neck." Quoted by Captain Sleeman, p. 10.

On this our author remarks:

"Now, though there is a vast interval of time between the Persian invasion of Greece and the travels of Thevenot, and of space between the seat of the Sagarti and that of the ancient capital of India, I am inclined to think that the vagrant bands who, in the sixteenth century, infested the roads, as above described, between Delhi and Agra, came from some wild tribe and country of the kind; and I feel, myself, no doubt that from these

The actual meaning of the word T-HUG is Cunning, in which sense alone it is still used in the Himalayah and other remote parts of India. P-hansigar signifies a man with a noose; from

P-hansi, a noose. The th and ph are not pronounced as commonly in English, but with the P and t aspirated, like the t-h of pot-hook.

Neither of the foregoing, however, can be considered as an original derivation, any more than the Tatar of our last Number, (p. 410.) These points will be explained on a future occasion, when it will be shown, that much of the imputed Slang of the Thugs is, in reality, the corrupted relics of an ancient tongue.-Ed.

very

"Of these are the Mooltaneas, a class of

Thugs, all Moossulmans, who are said to have emigrated direct from Delhi, and not through Agra, and therefore not among the Agureeas. They are said to call themselves Naiks, and to travel and trade as Brinjaras, (corn-merchants.) They kill the greatest part of their survive to marry out of their own class. female children, and never allow those who travellers with the cords with which they are They travel with their families, and strangle accustomed to drive their bullocks; and not, like other Thugs, with the handkerchief.— considered strict in their observances, and They are among the ancient Thugs, and are staunch to their oath of secrecy”—p. 117.

The Mooteeas, who reside chiefly about Rungpoor, Dinapoor, and Purnea, derive their name from their custom of giving their leaders a handful (mooteea) out of every cash booty, over and above what they receive in the general division.

"The Sooseas, a class of Thugs of the Dhanuk, or lowest Hindoo caste, who call themselves Naiks and Thories, and reside in various parts of Malwa and Rajpootana. They have been increasing in numbers for many generations, though they are not considered

very ancient; and, from their low caste, are tection of the chief, which they have purlooked down upon by all the other classes of chased, enables them to be less scrupulous. Thugs, who never eat with them, though often associated with them in their expeditions."-p. 132.

their trade near home, but make long jourGenerally speaking, they do not carry on neys to a distant country. To this, however, there are some exceptions, as observed by Captain Sleeman in the following note.

The seven original clans, who were all Mahomedans, and from whom all others are supposed to be derived, are called, col. lectively, Sat Ryut. Some say they derived "In the district between the Ganges and their descent from seven brothers about Del. the Jumna, there were some associations of hi. Mussulman Thugs, all over India, are who made short and frequent excursions. Thugs that seldom went far from home, and found to trace their descent from one or other So the Jumaldesee Thugs of Oude and the of these great stocks; to be able to do so be- neighbouring districts; so some of the Thu ing a mark of superiority. It is worth re- families in Bundelcund. Generally, however 8 mark, that there is, near Delhi, the tomb of the Thugs north of the Nerbudda have been, a great saint, called Nizam Ooddeen Oulea, in the habit of making long expeditions, and who died in October, 1325, A. D. This tomb remaining absent from six to eight months on is visited by Mahommedan pilgrims from all each."-App. p. 331. parts of India, as a place of great sanctity, from containing the remains of so holy a man; but the Thugs all make votive offer. ings to it, as being the tomb of the most renowned Thug of his day. His known lavish expenditure, so much beyond his ostensible means, seems to indicate a dishonest means of obtaining money; although he contrived to propagate the idea that he was supplied from heaven.

They are usually found in gangs of from ten to fifty; sometimes in much larger numbers, even to five or six hundred, but this is rare; and even when the gangs are so large, they very rarely remain together, except for a day or two, at a rendezvous. They divide into different parties, who either follow each other at intervals, or take different routes; each party following its prey, as far as it can singly, and collecting together when One strange circumstance, supposing the any work is to be done which requires a idea to be correct that the Thugs vere ori larger force. They assume a variety of disginally Mahommedans, is, that their princi guises, and appear in various characters. pal deity is of Hindoo origin; and that their Sometimes that of ordinary inoffensive travelsuperstitions and ceremonies are much more lers; at others, that of people going to seek similar to those of the Hindoos than of the for service; at others, that of native soldiers, Mussulmans. But it is of little importance either going on, or returning from, leave; to to discuss this point in the present paper.- make which story more plausible, the leaders Although some classes greatly predominate, would even take the trouble to learn the the Thugs now comprise men of almost every class and caste in India. This, however, is an infringement on their strict rules, which forbid the admission into the fraternity of low castes. Their habits and cant language are generally similar, as also their modes of proceeding; so that they may be described as one class. Any peculiarity of those of any part of the country, which may be worth mentioning, will be noted hereafter. Thugs are to be found in almost every province, from the Punjab and the foot of the Himalayah to Cape Comorin. They have nothing peculiar in appearance to distinguish them from ordinary inhabitants. In such proceedings exist, it may be necessary some villages their profession is not avow to explain, in a few words, the Indian mode edly known to the rest of the residents, but, of travelling. Such conveniences as stage as a blind, they cultivate a small portion of coaches, public wagons, and boats, (exceptland; and when questioned as to their ab- ing the Ganges steamers just established by sence for months every year, pretend that government,) do not exist. There are not they go out to service; it being very com- even any conveyances which a person may mon for some classes to leave their homes hire from stage to stage, unless in a very few for several months every year in search of parts of the country, where a traveller might, employment. At other places, where they for a short distance, be supplied at each stage are well known to the inhabitants, the pro- with a pony which would go at the rate of

English drill, while their associates passed for recruits. Occasionally, the head of the gang would assume the appearance of a wealthy merchant, the rest passing for his servants and attendants. In such cases, the very horses, bullocks, and carts, belonging to those who were murdered, were added to his establishment, both to increase his consequence and carry his plunder. But a small portion of them carry arms, the less to excite suspicion. They sometimes assume the appearance of natives of rank, or of government servants.

To enable our readers to understand how

about three miles an hour; and he could dred or even a thousand miles. Large sums hire a few porters to carry his baggage. of treasure or jewellery, amounting someThe only attempt at any thing like travelling posts is by going in a palkee (Anglicè, palanquin) carried by bearers.

Travelling dak, or in a palanquin, is a mode of conveyance only available to the rich. A palkee holds but one, and the charge is never less than one, sometimes two, shillings a mile, as dear as posting in England. The traveller is obliged to give from two to five days' notice to the postmaster, according to the distance; and the average rate of proceeding is about four miles an hour.

times to several thousand pounds at a time, are constantly dispatched by the bankers of one town to their correspondents at several hundred miles distance, by the hands of common porters. These men, instead of going in large parties well armed, usually travel in small numbers, without any arms whatever; trusting for protection to the appearance of utmost poverty which they assume. They, however, often fall victims to the ruthless vigilance of the Thugs.

There are but few inns or serais in India; In ordinary journeying in India, the travel- the best of them consist but of a quadrangle ler is obliged to carry every thing with him. of arches or arcades. Some of these, raised If a rich man accompanied by his family, under the Mahommedan princes, are beautihis goings forth are like those of the patri- ful speciments of Oriental architecture, with archs of old, with his "flocks and herds, his lofty gateways and battlements; but the camels, and his beasts of burden, his men- greater part are more like what are built on servants and his maidservants;" he travels the foundation of a new street in London, to on his own horses, or on an elephant, while be afterwards converted into cellars. Under his tents, beds, cooking vessels, &c., &c., are the native rulers, these buildings were rather carried on camels or in carts. Some of his numerous and kept in tolerable order; a attendants accompany him on horseback, or regular establishment of guards and servants on ponies; and the rest walk, at the rate of was maintained at them; and there were ten or twelve miles a day. Should he travel private doors and apartments for women. by water, he hires a comfortable boat for Our readers, who are familiar with Oriental himself and his family, with as many more tales and the Arabian Nights, will remember as he requires for his kitchen and baggage, them, under the name of caravanserais or and embarks with all his retinue. Individu- khans, as the scene of so many of the adals of less wealth convey their property in a ventures therein described. Under the exfew carts, and are content to sleep and eat tortion of the earlier English government in under the shelter of trees, or of one of those India, however, and the consequent impovermagnificent groves, mango and others, which ishment of the country, all have suffered, are found at a few miles interval in many more or less, and many of the most splendid parts of India. According to the rank or are gone entirely to ruin. There are genewealth of the individual, his mode of travel- rally a few shops within the square; and, in ling and number of attendants varies; some places of considerable thoroughfare, a few have only a pony to carry their baggage, people of a class called Buttearas, who cook while they walk on foot; and the poorest dinners for travellers. Where there are no not only walk, but carry their own stores, serais, travellers sleep in the verandahs of consisting of a blanket or quilt for a bed, a houses or in any open sheds they can find; pot of brass or copper tinned* to boil pulse but the climate of India is such as not to in or make a curry, a smaller one to drink render shelter necessary for nine months in out of, and a round plate of sheet iron, on the year; and none but single travellers or which, supported by two stones or lumps of very small parties care for serais or houses. earth, and with a few sticks or a little cow- All who are rich enough to carry tents, or dung underneath for fuel, he bakes his cakes those who travel in tolerable numbers, usuof unleavened bread, which is merely flour ally prefer encamping under the shade of and water, kneaded for a few minutes. trees, at some distance from the dirty serais Merchants who have goods to despatch hire or villages; and when one party is so eneither boats, carts, camels, pack-horses, or camped under a shady grove, a single travelbullocks, to convey their wares to their destiler, or even several together, will easily be nation; and the same conveyances, and the induced to join them, and often ask permissame drivers or conductors, proceed the whole distance, although it may be five hun

It is a curious distinction between the Hindoos and Mussulmans, that the former all use brass vessels, the latter those made of copper tinned.

sion to do so, for the sake of protection.

It is the existence of such customs which renders the operations of the Thugs so practicable. They often wait at or near serais or towns where travellers usually rest, and some of the gang enter the serais, and the towns and villages, to ascertain if any travel

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lers are there, or if any persons are about to travellers are strangled, stripped of whatever take a journey. The Sothaees, or invei- they possess, and disposed of in the ready. glers, then proceed to induce the travellers made graves. So admirably arranged is to accompany them, on pretence of affording their system, that they will simultaneously protection; or if the travellers be numerous, murder thirty or forty travellers at once! the Thugs will, by small parties, ask permis- On one occasion, a party of sixty people, sion to join them, alleging the same reason. consisting of fifty-two men, seven women, "Skilled in the art of deception, they enter and a boy of four years old, were, all but the into conversation, and insinuate themselves child simultaneously strangled, as they were by obsequious attentions into the confidence travelling along the road, although many of of travellers of all descriptions, to learn from them were on horseback, and well armed.them whence they come; whither, and for See Text, p. 209, and Appendix, p. 107. what purpose, they are journeying; and of The Thugs have a cant or slang language, what property they are possessed."** When understood by themselves alone; and a va. they think a traveller worth robbing, the riety of signs and signals, by which they can next point is to carry their operations into discover members of the fraternity, although effect. Should their place of encampment personally strangers to each other. Their be deemed a convenient and sufficiently re- mode of salutation would pass with the uninitired spot, the murder is usually perpetrated tiated for the ordinary expression,but a Thug just before dusk. While all are employed, immediately understands it as coming from either in cooking their evening meal or pre- a brother and as the very use of cant lanparing for their night's rest upon the ground, guage, called by the Hindostannee Thugs the stranglers and assistant-stranglers called Ramasse," might sometimes excite suspi Bhurtote and Shumshea, take up their posi- cion in the intended victims, to obviate this tions respectively near each traveller; scouts the Thugs have attached their own peculiar are sent out to watch at a little distance from the encampment, that no one approaches; the signal is given, the twisted cloth is thrown by the stranger round the neck of each victim, who is held by the assistant, and in a few seconds all is over! Others dig the grave; and the bodies are deposited, after being cut open, which, they say, prevents them from swelling and cracking the earth above; for in this case the smell, by attracting the jackals to dig up the body, might lead to detection. Should it be in a frequented place, they light fires over the spot to hide the appearance of the earth being newly moved; if it is lonely and retired, they will perhaps leave the bodies as they lie, or hide them loosely under a heap of stones; sometimes the limbs are disjointed, in order to pack the bodies closer, when they have several to dispose of.

meanings to certain phrases of hourly use. The signal for murder, for instance, is usually, "Give me some tobacco." "Go and clean the cooking pots," is the word to search for a bail, or proper spot for the murder. They have also signs, consisting of mere ordinary motions of the head or hand; coughing in a peculiar way, &c.

แ "Drawing the back of the hand along the chin, from the throat outwards, implies that caution is requisite that some stranger is approaching. Putting the open hand over the mouth, and drawing it gently down, implies implies that there is no longer cause for alarm. If an advanced party of Phansigars overtake any travellers whom they design to destroy, but have need of more assistance, they make certain marks on the road, by which those of the gang who follow understand that they are required to hasten forwards. A party in ad

vance also leaves certain marks where a road

branches off, as intimations to those who follow of the route their comrades have taken." See App. p. 345.

The mode of proceeding occasionally varies, and they not unfrequently murder the travellers as they are walking along the road, i. e. when the encamping place is not In some instances, they will actually make considered convenient. In this case, one or their destined victims carry the message and more of the gang are sent on over night to signal which occasions their own destrucselect a fit spot for the murder, and often to tion. When a party of Thugs, in advance, dig the graves beforehand. The travellers have got with them some travellers whom are then induced to set off before daybreak, they intend to murder, but who are as many either to avoid the heat, or on some other as they can manage, should they meet with pretence as they walk along, the stranglers others worth robbing, they will request these and their assistants attach themselves to their to carry a message to Bajeed Khan (a comrespective victims, generally chatting with them in the most friendly way. At the proper spot the signal is given; the unfortunate

* See Appendix, p. 332.

mon name), and others of the party, who are behind, requesting them to hasten on. The Thugs in the rear, on receiving this message, understand by it that the coast is clear in advance, and the travellers who de

liver it are worth plundering: they imme-appearance to distinguish Thugs from ordidiately attach themselves to them for that nary individuals. It might be expected that men who spend their whole lives in the compurpose. The confidence which these miscreants ex-mission of such atrocities, would acquire hibit in the course of their infernal vocation, a peculiar or ferocious cast of countenance; is not one of their least remarkable features: but of the hundreds of Thugs it has been our they will sometimes murder travellers who lot to see we can recollect but one whose had been persuaded to join their party, when aspect exhibited any thing remarkable, encamped within a few yards of a village, or and he had certainly an expression of of another encampment of travellers. A re- mingled cunning and ferocity, which would markable instance of this occurred at the have attracted the notice even of a ca. village of Lucknadown, between Nagpoor sual observer. They are adepts at various and Jubulpoor. A moonshee (secretary to disguises, and it is the apparently gentle and a native chief) was travelling with his wife winning manners of those who are employed and children, several servants and attendants, on that part of the duty which enables them besides horses, and was joined by a party of to entice travellers to join them; so much Thugs, who accompanied him for several so, that they even frequently persuade peodays, treating him with attention, and some ple who have already taken up their abode of them every evening singing and playing for the night in a serai, to quit the shelter, on the guitar for his amusement. The whole and to join the Thug camp at a little distance. party were encamped close to the above vil- Some of the gangs are found in situations lage; and within a few yards of them, on where they would never be suspected. One the other side, quite within hearing, were of the most noted of them in the south of Insome officers' servants, employed in pitching dia, opened a linen-draper's shop in the milithe advance-tents of a native regiment, which tary cantonments of Hingotee, where he was was expected next morning. Although it was not a very convenient spot for the murder, the Thugs determined to perpetrate it, fearing the moonshee might escape them by accompanying the regiment; and, as described by the man who turned approver,

"The tent-pitchers were all busily occupied in pitching the tent. Noor Khan, and his son Sadee Khan, and a few others, went as soon as it became dark to the moonshee's tent, and began to sing and play upon the guitar, as they had been accustomed to do. During this time, some of them took up the moonshee's sword, on pretence of wishing to look at it. His wife and children were within, listening to the music. The Jhirnee, or signal, was given, but at this moment the moonshee saw his danger; called out 'murder!' and attempted to rush through, but was seized and strangled. His wife hearing him, ran out, with the infant in her arms, but was seized by Ghubboo Khan, who strangled her and took the infant. The other daughter was strangled in the tent. The grooms were at the time cleaning their horses, and one of them, taking the alarm, ran under the belly of his horse and called out 'murder!' but he was treated in like manner, as well as all the rest of his companions."

The murderer who took the infant had intended to adopt it, but on one of the gang urging that it might lead to discovery, it was thrown alive upon the other bodies, and the

grave was closed.*

We have said that there is nothing in their

*They abhor bloodshed, (even in self-defence,) considering it murder, and repel any imputations of this, or of Theft.

considered one of the most respectable men of the place. A list of the most notorious Thugs in that part was sent to Captain Rey. nolds, with directions to arrest them, and approvers to point them out:

"On hearing that the Huree Sing of the list sent to him of noted Thugs at large in the Duckun, was the Huree Sing of the Sudder Bazaar, Captain Reynolds was perfectly astounded; for so correct had he been in his deportment and all his dealings, that he had quite won the esteem of all the gentlemen of the station, who used to assist him in procuring passports for his goods on their way to Bombay; and yet he had, as he has himself shown, been carrying on his trade of murder up to the very day of his arrest, with the gangs of Hindustan and the Duckun, on all the roads around, and close to, the cantonments of Hingoke; and leading out his gangs of assassins, while he pretended to be on his way to Bombay for a supply of Irish linens and broad-cloth."-Ibid. p. 35.

"Captain Reynolds had for several years, up to this time, had the civil charge of the districi of Hingotee, without having had the slightest suspicion of the numerous murders that he has now discovered to have been every year perpetrated within his jurisdiction. Yet nothing was more true, as this man's own confession, besides the evidence against him, afterwards fully proved."—Ibia.

The noted approver Ferringhea, was for several years in the service of Sir David in command of the armed attendants of a Ochterlony as a jemadar; a sort of sergeant great man: but a more remarkable instance we are enabled to adduce from the official documents already alluded to. A mannam

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