Talk:Feringheea

Improving this article

On my talk page, User:Joko2468 asked me: "... do you have any notes on how I can get it to B class? ..."; I replied: "There are some assessment criteria that article assessors often use when assessing articles; although the assessment process is somewhat subjective and opinions may vary. In this article's case, I didn't flag it for clean-up but the lead section includes the statement that: ' The Independent on Sunday described him as "the Errol Flynn of Thugdom".,' however this characterisation is not explained elsewhere in the article. this suggests the article is incomplete and needs clean-up, therefore is C class. Have a look at WP:LEADFOLLOWSBODY for some advice on writing a better article." I have added this comment here so other editors are also aware how I think this article can be improved. - Cameron Dewe (talk) 00:47, 31 January 2026 (UTC)

My reply: Errol Flynn was a movie star icon of the 1910s-1920s, it's an illustration of his fame within the thuggee sensation which is explained lower down in the article. WP:LEADFOLLOWSBODY states only that "Significant information should not appear in the lead if it is not covered in the remainder of the article"-- it was merely an aside to further illustrate the subject's notability. Sorry but if that's the only criticism then I disagree with this assessment and will seek a second opinion. Joko2468 (talk) 00:50, 31 January 2026 (UTC)

My quote was actually from higher up in WP:BETTER-- I still think this snippet is an appropriate summary of the In popular fiction section and Feringheea's starring role in fictionalised depictions of thuggee. Joko2468 (talk) 00:59, 31 January 2026 (UTC)

Nevertheless, if you are going to mention something in the lead, which is a summary of the body of the article, it should also appear in the body of the article. By mentioning this quote in the lead, you are implying it is significant information and it ought to be expanded upon in the body of the article. If the quote is only a passing aside then it should not appear in the lead. Leaving in the lead makes me, as a reader, curious as to why did the Independent on Sunday make its comparison and when did they do it? The anachronism of the comparison, alone, suggests significance, and indicates there is more recent coverage of the subject than an 1877 novel. Also, the article include a depiction of the subject on the cover of a novel, so are there any other illustrations or images of this person's likeness from other sources? A photograph would be excellent, but, given the time period, a sketch drawing or painting would be acceptable too. Also, I would not be surprised if some more modern depictions of this person existed, such as films or television programmes, which is part of the reason I rated it as C class. - Cameron Dewe (talk) 01:30, 31 January 2026 (UTC)

Okay thank you. I could repeat the sentence in the section as analysis at the end, would that satisfy your concern? I do still think it's not saying anything new, that it's merely a summary of his depiction in Victorian fiction. It's a review on the blurb of a 2005 book, I agree it's a very strange source to use. Strangely I've read more or less everything there is on thuggee and there aren't any photos or sketches of him or any of the other prominent thugs. There aren't even any surviving photos of Sleeman (who I'm just finishing a rewrite of). As I understand it photo-journalism was largely pioneered by L'Illustration and even 20th century photographs for my articles tend to be very hard to come by (they're mostly from this publication). It seems the character Firangi in the 2018 film Thugs of Hindostan is named after him and there's a minor role named for him in The Deceivers (film). Joko2468 (talk) 01:49, 31 January 2026 (UTC)

@Joko2468: Yes. I thought there were more modern references to him, even if it is in fiction and the characters are nothing like the reality. I can now understand better the comparison between him and Errol Flynn made in the lead, and the article should explain what caused the Independent on Sunday to make its comparison to Errol Flynn. See WP:LEADFOLLOWSBODY - If you see fit to mention it in the lead then explain it in the body. - Cameron Dewe (talk) 21:45, 31 January 2026 (UTC)

Thank you, I'll do some more reading to try and find some analysis. Joko2468 (talk) 23:32, 31 January 2026 (UTC)

I think it also has something to do with the Central Provinces being very inaccessible. There's this sketch of a supposed thug leader from London Illustrated News but I don't trust it at all. Joko2468 (talk) 01:51, 31 January 2026 (UTC)

Popular Fiction

Just saying, he's mentioned in Jules Verne's In 80 day around the world, too.

"Not far off rose Ellora, with its graceful pagodas, and the famous Aurungabad, capital of the ferocious Aureng-Zeb, now the chief town of one of the detached provinces of the kingdom of the Nizam. It was thereabouts that Feringhea, the Thuggee chief, king of the stranglers, held his sway. These ruffians, united by a secret bond, strangled victims of every age in honour of the goddess Death, without ever shedding blood; there was a period when this part of the country could scarcely be travelled over without corpses being found in every direction. The English Government has succeeded in greatly diminishing these murders, though the Thuggees still exist, and pursue the exercise of their horrible rites." ~2026-17243-01 (talk) 10:18, 19 March 2026 (UTC)