Confessions of a Thug, a fictionalized ethnography, explores the thuggery system prevalent in nineteenth-century British India. The novel is significant for popularizing the Hindi-Urdu word ‘thug’ in the British and English languages. Centered around Ameer Ali, an anti-hero protagonist, the work delves into the lives of thugs and their criminal activities. It also sheds light on denotified tribes, where banditry had been a traditional occupation for generations.
Philip Meadows Taylor (1808-76) was sent out to India to become a clerk to a Bombay merchant. In 1824, he accepted a commission in the service of the Nizam of Hyderabad. He is the author of several popular books, including Seeta: Ordeals and Tribulations of a Widow in 1857 Mutiny, Tippoo Sultan, The Story of My Life, and A Noble Queen.