Cutting off hands or thumbs was apparently used on several occasions and in different circumstances both to incapacitate competitors and as exemplary violence or terrorism. This and other sordid exploits had given the British East India Company a bad reputation amongst many upper class English and was the basis for criticism of the Government by the landed gentry, who generally were threatened by the rising power of merchants in general. I saw Walpole quoted criticizing English atrocities in India in some of my reading on this subject in the last two days.  

"It is not necessary to have hope in order to persevere."