Confessions of a Thug (novel)
Encyclopedia
Confessions of a Thug is an English novel
written by Philip Meadows Taylor
in 1839
based on the Thuggee
cult in British India. Ameer Ali, the anti-hero
protagonist
of Confessions of a Thug, was said to be based on a real Thug called Syeed Amir Ali (or Feringhea), whom the author was acquainted with.
Confessions of a Thug went on to become a best seller in 19th century Britain
. The story of the Thuggee cult was popularized by Confessions of a Thug, leading to the Hindi
word "thug" entering the English language
.
and retribution. Set in 1832 in India, the story lays bare the practices of the Thugs, or deceivers as they were called, who murdered travellers for money and valuables. Originally published in 1839, this work was reprinted in 1873.
English novel
The English novel is an important part of English literature.-Early novels in English:A number of works of literature have each been claimed as the first novel in English. See the article First novel in English.-Romantic novel:...
written by Philip Meadows Taylor
Philip Meadows Taylor
Colonel Philip Meadows Taylor CSI , an Anglo-Indian administrator and novelist, was born in Liverpool, England....
in 1839
1839 in literature
The year 1839 in literature involved some significant new books.-Events:*Washington Irving begins contributing regularly to The Knickerbocker, and will publish thirty new pieces in the magazine — including "The Creole Village," in which he will coin the phrase "the almighty dollar" — through March...
based on the Thuggee
Thuggee
Thuggee is the term for a particular kind of murder and robbery of travellers in South Asia and particularly in India.They are sometimes called Phansigar i.e...
cult in British India. Ameer Ali, the anti-hero
Anti-hero
In fiction, an antihero is generally considered to be a protagonist whose character is at least in some regards conspicuously contrary to that of the archetypal hero, and is in some instances its antithesis in which the character is generally useless at being a hero or heroine when they're...
protagonist
Protagonist
A protagonist is the main character of a literary, theatrical, cinematic, or musical narrative, around whom the events of the narrative's plot revolve and with whom the audience is intended to most identify...
of Confessions of a Thug, was said to be based on a real Thug called Syeed Amir Ali (or Feringhea), whom the author was acquainted with.
Confessions of a Thug went on to become a best seller in 19th century Britain
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. The story of the Thuggee cult was popularized by Confessions of a Thug, leading to the Hindi
Hindi
Standard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi...
word "thug" entering the English language
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
.
Subject Matter
This book is a tale of crimeCrime fiction
Crime fiction is the literary genre that fictionalizes crimes, their detection, criminals and their motives. It is usually distinguished from mainstream fiction and other genres such as science fiction or historical fiction, but boundaries can be, and indeed are, blurred...
and retribution. Set in 1832 in India, the story lays bare the practices of the Thugs, or deceivers as they were called, who murdered travellers for money and valuables. Originally published in 1839, this work was reprinted in 1873.
External links
- Imperial deceivers, The GuardianThe GuardianThe Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
- Scanned book on the Internet Archive