William Henry Sleeman
Encyclopedia
Sir William Henry Sleeman (August 8, 1788 – February 10, 1856) was a British soldier and administrator in India.
A great admirer of India's rich natural beauty, he was born in Stratton, Cornwall
, the son of Philip Sleeman, a yeoman and supervisor of excise
of St Tudy
. In 1809 William joined the Bengal Army
, served in the Nepal War (1814–1816), and in 1820 became assistant to the Governor-General
's agent in the Saugor and Nerbudda territories.
He is best known for his suppression of the Thuggee
secret society. He had captured "Feringhea" (also called Syeed Amir Ali, on whom the novel Confessions of a Thug
is based) and got him to turn King's evidence. He took Sleeman to a grave with a hundred bodies, told the circumstances of the killings, and named the Thugs who had done it. After initial investigations confirmed what Feringhea had said, Sleeman started an extensive campaign, becoming superintendent of the operations against them in 1835, and commissioner for the suppression of Thuggee and Dacoity
in 1839. During these operations, more than 1400 Thugs were hanged or transported for life. One of them, Bahram
, confessed to have strangled 931 persons with his turban. Detection was only possible by means of informers, for whose protection from the vengeance of their associates a special prison was established at Jabalpur (at the time Jubbulpore). Sleeman had a Government Report made in 1889.
Sleeman was also the earliest discoverer of dinosaur
fossil
s in Asia
. In 1828, serving as a Captain in the Narmada
valley region, he noticed several basalt
ic formations which he identified as having been "raised above the waters". By digging around in the Bara Simla Hills, part of the Lameta formation
near Jabalpur, he unearthed several petrified trees, as well as some fragmentary dinosaur fossil specimens. Subsequently he sent these specimens to London and to the Indian Museum
in Calcutta. In 1877 the genus was named Titanosaurus
Indicus by Richard Lydekker
, but the identification has been doubted.
Sleeman also took an interest in phrenology
and believed that the measurements of the skulls could help him identify criminal ethnic groups.
Sleeman was resident at Gwalior from 1843 to 1849, and at Lucknow
from 1849 to 1856. He was opposed to the annexation of Oudh
by Lord Dalhousie
, but his advice was disregarded. He died at sea near Sri Lanka
on a recovery trip to Britain in 1856.
The village Sleemanabad
in Madhya Pradesh
, India
was named in his honour.
A great admirer of India's rich natural beauty, he was born in Stratton, Cornwall
Stratton, Cornwall
Stratton is a small town situated near the coastal resort of Bude in north Cornwall, UK. It was also the name of one of ten ancient administrative shires of Cornwall - see "Hundreds of Cornwall"...
, the son of Philip Sleeman, a yeoman and supervisor of excise
Excise
Excise tax in the United States is a indirect tax on listed items. Excise taxes can be and are made by federal, state and local governments and are far from uniform throughout the United States...
of St Tudy
St Tudy
St Tudy is a civil parish and village in north Cornwall, United Kingdom. The village is situated in the River Camel valley approximately five miles northeast of Wadebridge.-Parish church:...
. In 1809 William joined the Bengal Army
Bengal Army
The Bengal Army was the army of the Presidency of Bengal, one of the three Presidencies of British India, in South Asia. Although based in Bengal in eastern India, the presidency stretched across northern India and the Himalayas all the way to the North West Frontier Province...
, served in the Nepal War (1814–1816), and in 1820 became assistant to the Governor-General
Francis Rawdon-Hastings, 1st Marquess of Hastings
Francis Edward Rawdon-Hastings, 1st Marquess of Hastings KG PC , styled The Honourable Francis Rawdon from birth until 1762 and as The Lord Rawdon between 1762 and 1783 and known as The Earl of Moira between 1793 and 1816, was an Irish-British politician and military officer who served as...
's agent in the Saugor and Nerbudda territories.
He is best known for his suppression of 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...
secret society. He had captured "Feringhea" (also called Syeed Amir Ali, on whom the novel Confessions of a Thug
Confessions of a Thug (novel)
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 , whom the author was acquainted with.Confessions...
is based) and got him to turn King's evidence. He took Sleeman to a grave with a hundred bodies, told the circumstances of the killings, and named the Thugs who had done it. After initial investigations confirmed what Feringhea had said, Sleeman started an extensive campaign, becoming superintendent of the operations against them in 1835, and commissioner for the suppression of Thuggee and Dacoity
Dacoity
Dacoity is a term used for "banditry" in India. The spelling is the anglicized version of the Hindi word and as a colloquial Anglo-Indian word with this meaning, also appears in the Glossary of Colloquial Anglo-Indian Words and Phrases Banditry is criminal activity involving robbery by groups of...
in 1839. During these operations, more than 1400 Thugs were hanged or transported for life. One of them, Bahram
Thug Behram
Thug Behram of the Thuggee cult in India, was one of the world's most prolific killers. He may have murdered up to 931 victims by strangulation between 1790–1840 with the ceremonial cloth , used by his cult...
, confessed to have strangled 931 persons with his turban. Detection was only possible by means of informers, for whose protection from the vengeance of their associates a special prison was established at Jabalpur (at the time Jubbulpore). Sleeman had a Government Report made in 1889.
Sleeman was also the earliest discoverer of dinosaur
Dinosaur
Dinosaurs are a diverse group of animals of the clade and superorder Dinosauria. They were the dominant terrestrial vertebrates for over 160 million years, from the late Triassic period until the end of the Cretaceous , when the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event led to the extinction of...
fossil
Fossil
Fossils are the preserved remains or traces of animals , plants, and other organisms from the remote past...
s in Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
. In 1828, serving as a Captain in the Narmada
Narmada River
The Narmada , also called Rewa is a river in central India and the fifth largest river in the Indian subcontinent. It is the third largest river that completely flows within India after Ganges and Godavari...
valley region, he noticed several basalt
Basalt
Basalt is a common extrusive volcanic rock. It is usually grey to black and fine-grained due to rapid cooling of lava at the surface of a planet. It may be porphyritic containing larger crystals in a fine matrix, or vesicular, or frothy scoria. Unweathered basalt is black or grey...
ic formations which he identified as having been "raised above the waters". By digging around in the Bara Simla Hills, part of the Lameta formation
Lameta Formation
The Lameta Formation is a sedimentary rock formation found in Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, and Maharashtra, India. It is of Maastrichtian age , and is notable for its dinosaur fossils...
near Jabalpur, he unearthed several petrified trees, as well as some fragmentary dinosaur fossil specimens. Subsequently he sent these specimens to London and to the Indian Museum
Indian Museum
The Indian Museum is the largest museum in India and has rare collections of antiques, armour and ornaments, fossils, skeletons, mummies, and Mughal paintings...
in Calcutta. In 1877 the genus was named Titanosaurus
Titanosaurus
Titanosaurus is a genus of sauropod dinosaur, first described by Lydekker in 1877. It is known from the Maastrichtian Lameta Formation of India...
Indicus by Richard Lydekker
Richard Lydekker
Richard Lydekker was an English naturalist, geologist and writer of numerous books on natural history.-Biography:...
, but the identification has been doubted.
Sleeman also took an interest in phrenology
Phrenology
Phrenology is a pseudoscience primarily focused on measurements of the human skull, based on the concept that the brain is the organ of the mind, and that certain brain areas have localized, specific functions or modules...
and believed that the measurements of the skulls could help him identify criminal ethnic groups.
Sleeman was resident at Gwalior from 1843 to 1849, and at Lucknow
Lucknow
Lucknow is the capital city of Uttar Pradesh in India. Lucknow is the administrative headquarters of Lucknow District and Lucknow Division....
from 1849 to 1856. He was opposed to the annexation of Oudh
Awadh
Awadh , also known in various British historical texts as Oudh or Oude derived from Ayodhya, is a region in the centre of the modern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, which was before independence known as the United Provinces of Agra and Oudh...
by Lord Dalhousie
James Broun-Ramsay, 1st Marquess of Dalhousie
James Andrew Broun-Ramsay, 1st Marquess of Dalhousie KT, PC was a Scottish statesman, and a colonial administrator in British India....
, but his advice was disregarded. He died at sea near Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
on a recovery trip to Britain in 1856.
The village Sleemanabad
Sleemanabad
Sleemanabad is a village in Madhya Pradesh, India, approximately 62 km from Jabalpur and 32 km from Katni.-Etymology:Sleemanabad, literally "Sleeman's town", was named after William Henry Sleeman, a British soldier and administrator during the colonial period....
in Madhya Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh , often called the Heart of India, is a state in central India. Its capital is Bhopal and Indore is the largest city....
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
was named in his honour.