,
8 tweets,
4 min read
Read on Twitter
1/ The original #ThugLife. ‘A Group Of Thugs Prepare To Strangle A Lone Sikh Warrior’ by August Schoefft, painted around 1843-45. In the 19th century Thugs had captured Western imaginations and the word ‘thug’ entered the English language. #WhitePunjabi #BothNotHalf 
2/ Thugs were described as a historic cult, gangs of robber-murderers, who lured travellers into their confidence before killing them. Reported to be worshippers of Kali, goddess of death, Thugs disdained bloodshed in favour of strangulation. Their existence is not disputed but…
3/ Thugs’ history as a singular ancient religious sect is murky. Accounts as early as 1290 refer to ‘thags’ but @KimAtiWagner argues that Brits conflated histories and isolated cases to create the spectre of ‘thuggee’, allowing them to more effectively eradicate mercenary groups.
4/ This painting appears in Davinder Toor's ‘In Pursuit of Empire’, published by @KashiHouse, intro by @DalrympleWill. Toor writes that Schoefft’s inspo came from meeting Thugs imprisoned in Meerut. And his chosen victim, a Nihang (Sikh warrior), was a deliberate act of revenge.
5/ Soon after arriving in Punjab in 1841, Schoefft was commissioned to paint the Golden Temple. While sketching at the Sikh holy site, he placed a pencil in his mouth. From afar it looked like he was smoking, a profane act. His reputation as a chain smoker didn’t help either.
6/ The temple’s armed Nihang guards swept into action. Schoefft narrowly escaped alive. He alludes to the event, vengefully painting the Sikh beside a hookah smoker. Toor also notes that the twisted-handkerchief-wielding strangler resembles an early Schoefft self-portrait!
7/ I’m fascinated by this painting. Full of truths, lies, and somewhere in between, history.
8/ For so long I feared losing my connection to Punjab. I feared growing up, family dying, being left untethered. But I’ve learnt I can return to that joyous, childlike state. It’s there in books, in music, in paintings. In wisdom. I need only learn. #WhitePunjabi #BothNotHalf
