Membership to the fraternity of Thuggees was often through hereditary lines, passed down from father to son. ( Public domain ) The Fraternity of Thuggees Kali, goddess of destruction and renewal, brandishing her sword and a severed head as she tramples her consort Shiva underfoot. Brahmans were not killed because of their purity, killing of the sick was considered an unworthy sacrifice, and women were not killed because they were considered to be incarnations of Kali. They were also bound by a set of rules, such as the prohibition to steal a person’s property without killing them in accordance with ritual first. The fraternity possessed a jargon of their own, known as ramasi, as well as certain signs by which its members recognized each other in the most remote parts of India. There is evidence, however, that all Thuggee assassins were united by common superstitions and rituals, which led to the gang being branded a cult or sect. However, their Hindu faith was not very different from their contemporary non-Thugs, and the fact that some Thugs were Muslims also complicates the issue.ĭrawing of “Hindoo Thugs and Poisoners” by William Carpenter from Illustrated London News 1857. At least some of them, this formed the basis of their actions, as it is said that they believed they were helping Kali maintain the worldly balance of good and evil. The Hindu members of the Thuggees worshipped the goddess of destruction and renewal, Kali. Although the Thugs traced their origin to seven Muslim tribes, Hindus also appear to have been associated with them from an early period. The first known record of the Thugs as an organized group in India, as opposed to ordinary thieves, is in Ẓiyāʾ-ud-Dīn Baranī's History of Fīrūz Shāh dated to around 1356. ( Archivist / Adobe Stock) The First Record of the Thuggees However, estimates vary widely since there is no reliable source to confirm when the practice first began. Some estimates claim that the Thuggees were responsible for approximately two million deaths. Each member of the gang had a special function, from luring travelers with charming words, acting as a lookout, or taking the role of the killer. Their crimes involved a high degree of teamwork and co-ordination both during the infiltration phase and at the moment of attack. Secret Stash of Lethal Poisons Hidden in 17th Century Book.The Venomous Visha Kanyas Versus the Thugs: Which Would You Prefer Were Real?.By using this quick and quiet method, which left no blood and required no special weapons, the Thuggees would then rob their victim and bury them carefully. Thuggees worked by joining groups of travelers and gaining their trust before surprising them in the night and typically strangling them with a handkerchief or noose. ( Public domain ) The Thuggee Assassins of India
#The very organised thief 2 professional#
Thuggees, from the Sanskrit word meaning “concealment”, were an organized gang of professional assassins – sometimes described as the world's first mafia – who operated from the 13th to the 19th centuries in India. Members of the fanatical religious group, who were infamous for their ritualistic assassinations carried out in the name of the Hindu Goddess Kali, were known as Thugs, a word that passed into the English language during the British occupation of India.Ĭolored drawing of two Thuggees pointing upwards to the sky to distract their victim, whilst another creeps up behind ready to strangle him.
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