| “ | You have betrayed Shiva!
— Indiana Jones to Mola Ram
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The Thuggees are the main antagonists of the film Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. They were a cult that followed a twisted version of Hinduism, worshiping the goddess Kali with human sacrifice. Under the leadership of Mola Ram, the Thuggees sought to achieve Indian independence through bloodshed and eradicate all the world’s religions, replacing them with their faith. They are loosely based on Thugs, groups of bandits that were supposedly active bandits in British-controlled India.
Thuggees are believed to have originated from Islamic tribes from the Indian subcontinent, whose practices were or became unacceptable in the eyes of mainstream Islam. These tribes would eventually shift their worship to Kali, venerating her as a goddess of death and destruction. Thuggees would often raid towns and travelers but also protect pilgrims, giving them a mixed reputation among the Indian population. That changed with the development of the Indian railway network. With travelers harder to come by, Thuggees began to target pilgrims and towns, souring their reputation.
The British, who in the meantime had colonized the Indian subcontinent, dismissed the existence of Thuggees but were forced to recognize them as a threat when they began to target military patrols. From 1820 to 1850, the colonial government embarked on a violent campaign to eradicate the Thuggees, though small pockets survived.
In 1930, Mola Ram united these smaller Thuggee cults into one single whole, with the Temple of Doom underneath the Pankot Palace acting as their primary place of worship. Ram would also search for Sankara Stones, believing that if he possessed five, his cult would have the power needed to expel the British. In 1935, Indiana Jones learned of the cult's activities. Together with his allies and the British authorities, Indy killed Ram and most of the Thuggees were killed or arrested, ensuring they would never again rise to prominence.
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