Thuggee Archive Analysis

Whilst there is no doubt that a system of bandits did exist, what is less clear is how far the Thuggee archive is entirely an orientalist product full of inaccurate reflections of Indian crime especially Thuggee. Notably, the “authentic archive” was created by Sleeman himself indicating accounts on thugs were influenced by preconceived notions of Indian men. Consisting of oriental biases, the archive was perhaps a product of ‘deep-seated European inclination’ to civilise India. Depicted as heathens, Thuggee’s were illustrated as a grave threat to both colonial and native governance and power. By constructing Thugee’s to be a threatening oriental sect it provided convenient grounds to impose ‘civilised governance’ without appearing to be …show more content…
Possibly, Sleeman’s multiple reports of Thuggee have been entirely exaggerated and largely based on biased notions of Indian men. As the sole authority, it is likely that Sleeman constructed the image of the thug himself, making sweeping assertions of existing Indian crime, transforming murders committed by bandits into slaughters committed by widespread religious Thuggee cults. Arguably such Thuggee cults did not exist and were products of exaggeration. Supporting this contention further, Parama Roy argues ‘the whole concept of the Thuggee archive is deeply essentialised and indicative of a superficial approach to the subject. In his accounts, Sleeman illustrated Thugee’s as an element of Hindu castes and their schemes of bloodthirsty murder as a ‘Natural pastime’. Yet, aside from the archive, there is no evidence that exposed thugs to be exclusive to caste nor constituents of social order. The fact that accounts of thugs differed from one man to another reinforces how Thugee was invented as even simple elements such as their roots were incompatible. Explicitly, this is indicative of how Sleeman and other British authorities constructed a thug system that was more sinister and dangerous than existed. In opposition to colonial historians who argue Thuggee’s were …show more content…
One could argue, in an attempt to legitimise India’s need for colonial intervention, the British invented Thuggee to be a ‘traditional Indian evil’. Illustrating Thuggee as inherent in Indian society, their fiction of Thuggee was designed to justify the colonial extension of power, strength and superior morality. The invention of Thuggee can be seen here to be directly linked to providing justification for their extension of power and control. A credible argument it illustrates how the British controlled India to a great extent, illustrating the invention of Thugee as having multifaceted benefits. Not only did the invention of Thugee allow a greater hold on India as a sub-continent, it also provided colonial authorities with motives and prospects to intervene in territories of independent states on the basis that the British were there to “protect” India from its brutal realities. By inventing thugs to be ‘a particular malignant threatening element of Indian society’ the British could legitimately extend dominance and expand their moral civilising