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<p>In nineteenth-century British India, thugs committed organized murder and robbery of native travellers. Historical sources describe the thugs as pan-Indian criminal organisations with a long history, large size, formalized structure and elaborate cultural apparatus. In this sense, thugs share several similarities with traditional mafia organisations from Italy, China, and Japan. However, a critical examination of the original source material and the socio-political context in India also reveals discrepancies between thugs and mafias. The article concludes that these discrepancies largely disappear when the source material of the thugs and other traditional mafia organisations is compared through the same critical historical lens.</p>

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The nineteenth-century thugs of india: parallels with traditional mafia organisations

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年1月28日

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  • Melvin Soudijn

摘要

In nineteenth-century British India, thugs committed organized murder and robbery of native travellers. Historical sources describe the thugs as pan-Indian criminal organisations with a long history, large size, formalized structure and elaborate cultural apparatus. In this sense, thugs share several similarities with traditional mafia organisations from Italy, China, and Japan. However, a critical examination of the original source material and the socio-political context in India also reveals discrepancies between thugs and mafias. The article concludes that these discrepancies largely disappear when the source material of the thugs and other traditional mafia organisations is compared through the same critical historical lens.