Confessions of a Thug (novel)
Historical novel | |
| Publisher | Richard Bentley |
|---|---|
Publication date | 1839 |
| Media type | Print (Hardback & Paperback) |
| Pages | 552 pp |
Confessions of a Thug is an
Plot
The plot revolves around a fictional
Characters
- Ameer Ali: The novel's protagonist, a Muslim adopted and raised by a thug. After becoming a prominent jemadar, he and his father relocate to Jhalone and gain the confidence of the local ruler, RajaGovindrao II.
- The Englishman: Ameer Ali's Phillip Meadows Taylor. His interviews of Ameer Ali provides a frame for the narrative of the novel. The Englishman describes the physical appearance of Ameer Ali in his imprisonment and will occasionally express moral outrage at some part of the tale, or otherwise offer criticism.
- Ismail: The adopted father of Ameer Ali. A respected and high-ranking Muslim thug, he is childless and adopts Ameer Ali. During the first half of the story, Ismail and his family live in a small village near Nagpur.
- Bhudrinath: A Hinduthug and early peer of Ameer Ali. He is an expert in the religious ceremonies of the Thuggee faction.
- Peer Khan: A Muslim thug and another close ally of Ameer Ali. He retires from thuggee to become a fakir.
- Gunesha: A prominent Hindu thug of Ismail's generation. He serves as Ameer Ali's antagonist in the second half of the story.
- Cheetoo: A prominent leader of pindariexpeditions. Ameer Ali and several thugs join him as mercenary soldiers.
Historicity
Ameer Ali, the fictional anti-hero protagonist of Confessions of a Thug,[6] is a composite of multiple real-life thugs: Feringhea, Ameer Alee, and Aman Subahdar. Feringhea was a jamadar, or captain, and led many expeditions before turning into a prolific informer for the British.[7] The historical Ameer Alee, who provided the fictional character's name, was a low-ranking thug mentioned only twice by Sleeman in his definitive work.[8] Finally, Aman Subahdar was described by Sleeman as "the foremost thug of his day," but died before the events of the novel conclude. One scene in the novel, in which a thug band led by Ameer Ali suffers a misfortune, is lifted almost word-for-word from Sleeman's book. In the historical version, Aman Subahdar led the expedition.[9] Further, Feringhea and Aman Subahdar were cousins but no such comparable character exists in the novel.
Publishing history
Originally published by Richard Bentley in three volumes in 1839, a second edition followed in 1840 and another in 1858. Henry S. King published a single-volume edition in 1873, and a new edition appeared from Kegan Paul, Trench & Co. in 1885. Oxford University Press first printed it in 1916 for their World's Classics series, with an introduction by C. W. Stewart. Francis Yeats-Brown edited an edition for Eyre & Spottiswoode in 1938. More recently editions have appeared from publisher Anthony Blond in the "Doughty Library" series (1967) and the Folio Society (1974), with illustrations by Clarke Hutton.
See also
References
- ISSN 1538-974X.
- ^ "The SF Site Featured Review: Confessions of a Thug". www.sfsite.com. Retrieved 2016-04-02.
- ISBN 9781584654292.
- ISBN 9780192880215.
- ^ Rushby, Kevin (18 January 2003). "The myth and mystery of the oriental criminal". The Guardian.
- ^ doi:10.1086/212883
- ^ Sleeman, W. H. S. (1840). Report on the depredations committed by the thug gangs of upper and central India, from the cold season of 1836-37, down to their gradual suppression, under the operation of the measures adopted against them by the supreme government, in the year 1839. Calcutta: G.H. Huttmann. Pages vi, 5-8, 17, 24-26, 42, 46, 49, 61, 64, 67, 75, 110.
- ^ Sleeman, W. H. S. (1840). Page 63.
- ^ Sleeman, W. H. S. (1840). Page 386.
External links
