In thrall to Kali, the goddess of destruction, they were believed to commit “thuggee” — setting up and often strangling victims. In the 1800s, the British who were beginning to spread across the country decided to put a stop to them. Under the leadership of Lord William Bentinck, thousands of people identified as thugs were captured, convicted and sentenced. In the 1830s, thugs were declared “destroyed.”Some now question whether thugs were as destructive as reported in colonial representations. Your Morning Briefing is published weekday mornings and updated online.

Source: New York Times March 05, 2019 19:35 UTC