Sketch of the Sikhs - LIEUTENANT-COLONEL MALCOLM

SKETCH OF

THE SIKHS; Si

lingular Ration, WHO

INHABIT THE

PROVINCES OF THE PENJAB, SITUATED BETWEEN

C6e

Etocttf

3[umna anD 3[ntw&

LIEUTENANT-COLONEL MALCOLM, AUTHOR OF THE POLITICAL SKETCH OF

INDIA.

LONDON: PRINTED FOR JOHN MURRAY, ALBEMARLE STREET, By James Moyes,

Greville Street, Hatton Garden.

1812.

SKETCH OF THE SIKHS

INTRODUCTION.

W^HEN

with the

British

army

in the

Penjab, in 1805, I endeavoured to collect materials that would throw light history,

upon

the

manners, and religion of the Sikhs.

Though

this

subject

had been treated by

several English writers,

none of them had

possessed opportunities of obtaining more

than this

tives

very

general

information

extraordinary race; therefore,

though

have served more

and

regarding

their narra-

meriting

regard,

to excite than to gratify

curiosity.

In addition lected while the

to

the information

army continued

I

col-

within the

:

SKETCH OF THE SIKHS.

2 territories

of the Sikhs, and the personal

observations I was able to make,

during

that period, upon the customs and manners

of that nation, I succeeded with difficulty in obtaining a

copy of the Adi-Grant'h *,

and of some

historical

Calcutta, were

to

when

parts of which,

essential

Sikh priest of the

me by a Nirmala order, whom I

equally

cative,

and who spoke of

intelligent

this

it

at night,

real or affected reluctance, after

mise that stand,

I

would

treat

it

I

had met

This slender stock

Penjab.

copy, sent

restraint

less

* The sacred volume of the Sikhs.

me

and

the religion

whom

than any of his brethren

gave

communi-

and

ceremonies of his sect with

the

returned

I

explained to

found

with in

most

the

tracts,

The

chief,

who

and with either a

having obtained a pro-

with great respect.

I

under-

however, that the indefatigable research of

Mr. Colebrooke has procured

not

only

the

Adi-

Grant'h, but also the Dasima Padshah ka Grant'h

and

that, consequently,

he

is

in possession of the

most sacred books of the Sikhs.

two


much

of materials was subsequently riched by

favoured

my friend me with a

jabi

and Duggar

history

that

and

en-

who

Dr. Leyden,

has

translation of several

by Sikh authors

tracts written

3

in the

Pen-

dialects, treating of their

religion

which, though

;

warm imagery which marks

all

full

of

oriental

works, and particularly those whose authors enter on the boundless field of

Hindu my-

thology,

contain the most valuable

fications

of the different religious

tions of the It

was

voured to

institu-

Sikh nation.

my

first

add

intention to have endea-

to these materials,

have written, when of the Sikhs

veri-

;

I

had

and to

leisure, a history

but the active nature of

public duties has

made

it

impossible

my to

carry this plan into early execution, and I

have had the choice of deferring

a distant and uncertain period ing,

from what

religion.

it

to

or of giv-

I actually possessed, a short

and hasty sketch of and

;

The

their history, customs,

latter alternative I

have


4 adopted

:

defective,

although the information I

for,

may convey

in

will

it

may be

such a sketch

is

of importance

;

moment

be useful at a

when every information regarding and

it

very

the Sikhs

may, perhaps,

sti-

mulate and aid some person, who has more leisure

and

complish

better

that

opportunities,

which

task

I

ac-

to

once

con-

templated.

In composing Sikhs, I have difficulties.

still

had

There

biography in which

relates

impostors.

to

to encounter various

no part of oriental

is

it

separate truth from

which

the

is

more

difficult to

falsehood, than history

The account of

that

of religious their lives

by devoted

generally recorded, either ciples

sketch of the

this rapid

and warm adherents, or by

enemies and bigotted persecutors.

is

dis-

violent

The

for-

mer, from enthusiastic admiration, decorate

them with every quality and accomplish-

ment

that can adorn

men

:

the latter mis-

represent their characters, and detract from

SKETCH OF THE SIKHS. all their

merits

remark

I

liar

5

and pretensions. This general

have found to apply with pecu-

by

force to the varying accounts given,

Sikh and

and

Muhammedan

his successors.

an endless and

As

authors, of it

Nanac

would have been

unprofitable task to have

entered into a disquisition concerning the points

in

which these authors

considerations have induced

many

give a preference,

on almost

to the original Sikh writers.

all

differ,

me

to

occasions,

all

In every

re-

search into the general history of mankind, it

is

of the most essential importance to

hear what a nation has

to

say of

itself;

and

the knowledge obtained from such sources

has a value, independent of utility.

its

intercourse,

and leads

to the establishment

of friendship between nations.

savage states prejudices, easily

historical

It aids the promotion of social

are

those

The most

who have most

and who are consequently most

conciliated

or

offended:

they are

6


always pleased and find,

that

those

flattered,

whom

when they

they cannot

admit to possess superior

intelligence,

but are

acquainted with their history, and respect their belief

and usages

trary, they hardly ever

:

and, on the con-

pardon an outrage

against their religion or customs, though

committed by men who have every

right to

plead the most profound ignorance, as an

excuse for the words or actions that have

provoked resentment.


SECTION

I.

SKETCH OF THE HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE OF THE SIKHS WITH OBSERVATIONS ON THEIR RELIGIOUS INSTITUTIONS, USAGES, MANNERS, AND CHARACTER. ;

Nanac Shah,

the founder of the sect,

since distinguished

by the name of Sikhs*,

was born a small

in the year

of Christ 1469, at

called Talwandi-f,

village

in the

of Bhatti, in the province of Lahore.

district

His father, whose

* Sikh or Sicsha,

is

name was CaldJ, was of

a Sanscrit word, which means a

or devoted follower.

disciple,

corrupted into Sikh

:

it is

In the Penjabi

it

is

a general term, and appli-

cable to any person that follows a particular teacher.

f This become,

village,

is

now

or rather

called

town, for such

Rayapur.

It is situated

it

has

on the

banks of the Beyah, or Hyphasis. J

He

Vedi

is

is

a

called,

name

by some authors, Kalu Vedi

derived from his tribe or family.

;

but


8 the

Cshatriya

and

cast,

Vedi

of

tribe

Hindus, and had no family except Nanac,

and

his sister

of the

Nanaci, who married a Hindu

name of Jayaram,

that

was em-

ployed as a grain-factor by Daulet

Khan

Lodi, a relation of the reigning emperor of

Nanac

Delhi.

was, agreeably to the usage

of the tribe in which he was born, married to a

woman

early age*,

of respectable family, at an

by

whom

he had two sons,

named Srichand and Lacshmi Das. former,

who abandoned

world, had

the vanities of the

a son called

who founded

Dherm Chand,

the sect of Udasi

descendants are yet

Nanac Putrah,

The

known by

;

the

and

his

name of

or the children of Nanac.

Lacshmi Das addicted himself sures of this world,

and

left

to the plea-

neither heirs

nor reputation. * Several Sikh authors have heen very precise establishing the date of the riage,

which they

fix in

consummation of

the

ihis

month of Asarh, of

Ilind6 aera of Vicramaditya, 1545.

in

marthe

SKETCH OF THE SIKHS. Nanac

is

stated,

have been, from devotion

;

by

his

Sikh

all

9

writers, to

childhood, inclined to

and the indifference which

this

feeling created towards all worldly concerns,

appears to have been a source of continual uneasiness to his father

by every

which

mind from

had taken.

it

effect this object,

Nanac a sum of money, one

who endeavoured,

effort, to divert his

religious turn

view to

;

With a

he one day gave to

purchase

village, in order to sell it at

in the

hope of enticing him

to

salt at

another; business,

by allowing him

to taste the sweets of

mercial

Nanac was

the

profit.

scheme, took

the

the

com-

pleased with

money,

and

pro-

ceeded, accompanied by a servant of the

name

of Bala,

of the tribe of Sand'hu,

towards the village where he was to his purchase.

the road, to

He fall

in with

mendicants,) with

make

happened, however, on

whom

some

Fakirs, (holy

he wished

to

com-

mence a conversation; but they were weak, from want of

victuals,

so

which they


10

had not tasted

days, that they

for three

could only reply to the observations

Nanac by bending civil

fected

by

me

" profit

to deal in

My

"

:

" unstable, and profitless

;

af-

comhas

father

with a view to

salt,

but the gain of

;

Nanac,

their situation, said to his

with emotion

panion,

" sent

and other

their heads,

of acquiescence.

signs

of

this

my

world wish

is

is

to

" relieve these poor men, and to obtain " that gain which

" nal."

" cution."

is

good

eter-

"

Thy

:

its

exe-

do not delay

Nanac immediately

money among

after

permanent and

His companion* replied:

" resolution

his

is

the hungry Fakirs

they had gained strength

refreshment which

it

;

from the

him on the unity

of God, with which he was

much

delighted.

returned next day to his father,

* Bala Sand'hu,

through Nanac's disciple.

who gave

life,

to

who,

obtained them, entered

into a long discourse with

He

distributed

be

who

this advice, continued,

his favourite attendant

and

H

SKETCH OF THE SIKHS. demanded what

profit

he had

made ?

" I

" have fed the poor," said Nanac, " and " have obtained that gain "

endure

will

pened

As the

for ever."

have

to

little

you which

for

father hap-

value for the species of

wealth which the son had acquired, he was

enraged at having wasted,

poor

abused

him

struck

;

sentations of

his

money

so fruitlessly

and even

Nanac,

nor could

the

mild repre-

Nanaci save her brother from

the violence of parental resentment.

For-

tune, however, according to the Sikh nar-

anecdote of their teacher's

rators of this

early

life,

tector,

had raised him a powerful pro-

who

not only rescued him from

punishment, but established respectability

put him above

from

his

upon grounds all

and

fame and

that at once

fear of future

low-minded

When Nanac

his

bad usage

sordid

father.

was quite a youth, and em-

ployed to tend

cattle in the fields,

he hap-

pened to repose himself one day under the shade of a tree

;

and, as the sun declined

;


12

towards the west,

when a

rays

its

fell

on

his face,

large black snake*, advancing to

the spot where he lay, raised itself from the

and

ground,

interposed

its

spread hood

between Nanac and the suns Bolar-f , the ruler of the

district,

was pass-

ing the road, near the place where

and marked,

slept,

without reflection,

in silence,

the Fakirs.

to

Nanac

though not

unequivocal sign of

this

This chief overheard

his future greatness.

Calu punishing

Ray

rays.

kindness

his

son for his

He

immediately entered,

and demanded the cause of the uproar and,

when informed of

he severely chid Calu

*

The

snake

is

the circumstances,

for his

conduct, and

veneration which the Hindus have for the well

known

;

and

this tradition, like

many

others, proves the attachment of the Sikh writers to

that mythology, the errors of which they pretend to

have wholly abandoned.

f Ray, a applied district.

to

title inferior to

the

Hindu

that of a Rajah, generally

chief of a village, or small

;

SKETCH OF THE SIKHS. interdicted

hand

him from ever again

Nanac, before whom,

to

nishment of with every

mark of

to the asto-

the most profound vene-

Though Calu, from

ration.

lifting his

humbled himself

present, he

all

13

this event,

was

obliged to treat his son with more respect

than formerly, he remained as solicitous as

him from

ever to detach

and

to fix

him

in

his religious habits,

some worldly occupation

and he prevailed upon Jayram,

his son-in-

law, to admit him into partnership in his business.

Nanac, obliged

to acquiesce in

these schemes, attended at the granary of

Daulet

Khan

Jayram

;

ployed in

Lodi, which was in charge of

but though

his

hands were em-

work, and his kindness of

this

manner made

all

the inhabitants of Sultan-

pur, where the granary was established, his friends, yet his heart

moment from fixed

its

object.

on the Divinity

he sat

in

never strayed for one

;

It

was incessantly

and one morning,

as

a contemplative posture, a holy

Muhammedan

Fakir approached, and ex-


14 claimed

:

Oh Nanac upon what

"

are thy

!

" thoughts

now employed

Quit such oc-

?

" cupations, that thou mayest obtain the

" inheritance of eternal wealth." said to

and

have started up at

after looking for a

of the Fakir, he

fell

this

is

exclamation,

moment

into

Nanac

in the face

a trance

from

;

which he had no sooner recovered, than he immediately distributed every thing

among

granary

the poor*

:

the

in

and, after this

act, proceeded with loud shouts out of the

gates of the city,

and running

into a pool of

water, remained there three days

which some

writers assert

during

;

he had an

inter-

view with the prophet Elias, termed by the

Muhammedans,

Khizzer, from

whom

he

learnt all earthly sciences.

While

Nanac remained

in

the

* This remarkable anecdote in Nanac's

the

narrative of Bhacta

told

life is

very differently by different Sikh authors. followed

pool,

Malli.

I

have

They

all

agree in Nanac's having, at this period, quitted the

occupations of the world, and become Fakir.

;

SKETCH OF THE SIKHS abstracted from

worldly considerations,

all

Jayram was put

poor

prophet,

a

with

converse

holding

1$

by Daulet Khan

in prison

Lodi, on the charge of having dissipated

Nanac, however, returned,

his property.

and

told

faultless

ment

Khan

that he

was the object of punish-

render the

to

lost.

posal

Jayram's

strictest

accounts

and, to the surprise of his favour

found in

he held himself

account of

The Khan accepted

he had :

that

that, as such,

and

;

ready

;

Jayram was

Daulet

all,

all

his pro-

were settled a balance was

on which he was not

;

only released, but reinstated in the employ-

ment and favour of told,

by

his

in a very great degree this

sterities

are

the Sikh authors, that these won-

derful actions increased the

from

We

master.

period,

of a holy

abstraction

in

and that he began, practise

to

man

the

;

fame of Nanac

;

all

the au-

and, by his frequent

contemplation

divine Being, and his abstinence

and

of the virtue,

16


he soon

acquired great celebrity through

all

the countries into which he travelled.

There are many extravagant accounts

One

garding the travels of Nanac.

who

treats

made

in

re-

author*,

of the great reform which he

God,

worship of the true

the

which he found degraded by the idolatry of the Hindus, and the ignorance of the

Muhammedans, the different

and

to

relates

Hindu

his

journey to

all

places of pilgrimage,

Mecca, the holy temple of the

Mu-

hammedans. It

would be

purpose of

nac

tedious,

and foreign

this sketch, to

in his travels,

to the

accompany Na-

of which the above-men-

tioned author, as well as others, has given

the most circumstantial accounts.

them) by a

accompanied (agreeable

to

brated musician, of the

name

Guru

Vali, author of the

cele-

of Merdana,

and a person named Bala Sand'hu * Bhai

He was

Gnyana

;

and

it

Ratnavali,

a work written in the Sikh dialect of the Penjabi.

:

SKETCH OF THE SIKHS. is

on the

17

tradition of the latter of these

most of the miracles* and

disciples, that

wonders of

In

are related.

his journies

Bengal, the travellers had to encounter kinds of sorcerers and magicians.

all

Poor

Merdana, who had some of the propensities of Sancho, and preferred

good meals

to deserts

warm

and

constantly in trouble, and

had and

his

houses and

starvation,

was

more than once

form changed into that of a sheep,

of

several

Nanac,

animals.

other

however, always restored his humble friend to

the

human

and

shape,

as

constantly

read him lectures on his imprudence. is

stated,

in

It

one of those accounts, that

a Raja of Sivanab'hu endeavoured to tempt

Nanac, by

offering

him

all

the luxuries of

the world, to depart from his austere habits,

but in vain.

* Though

His presents of rich meats,

his biographers

Nanac, we never

find that

have ascribed miracles

he pretended

on the contrary, he derided those who

power from

evil spirits.

C

to

to

work any

did, as deriving

;;


18

splendid clothes, and

fair

only af-

ladies,

many

forded the Sikh teacher so

of this

of decrying the vanities

tunities

oppor-

worid, and preaching to the Raja the blessings of eternal in

life

and he at last succeeded

;

making him a convert, and resided

Sivanab'hu

two years and

at

months

five

during which period he composed the Pran Sancali*,

for

After

lowers.

of his

the instruction

Nanac had

visited

of India, and explained to

cities

the great doctrines of the unity

presence of God, he went to

Medina, where

and

long disputations

his

celebrated tors, are

Muhammedan

the

all

all

ranks

and omni-

Mecca and

his

miracles,

with

the most

saints

and doc-

actions,

his

fol-

most circumstantially recorded by

his biographers.

He

is

stated, on this oc-

casion, to have maintained his

own

prin-

without offending those of others

ciples,

always professing himself the enemy of * It

is

believed

incorporated in the

dis-

work of Nanac has been

th.it

this

first

part of the Adi-Grant'li.

SKETCH OF THE SIKHS. cord,

and

cile the

faiths

and Hindus deavoured great

and

no object but to recon-

as having

two

in

to

of the

one

Muhammedans

religion

do by

;

recalling

original tenet, in

believed, the unity of

which he en-

them

which they had

which they both

During

fallen.

Nanac was introduced Baber*, before

to that

God, and by reclaim-

them from the numerous

ing

19

whom

he

to is

errors into his travels,

the

emperor have

said to

defended his doctrine with great firmness

and eloquence.

Baber was pleased with

him, and ordered an ample maintenance to

be bestowed upon him ; which the Sikh priest refused; observing, that he trusted in

who provided alone a

man

for all

men, and from

returned from his travels,

* This interview must have taken place 1527

;

as

it

is

Daulet Khan

whom

of virtue and religion would

When

consent to receive favour or reward.

Nanac

him

he cast in

1526 or

stated to have been immediately after

Lodi had

visited

Paniput, in

1526;

where that prince had fought, and subdued Ibrahim, emperor of Hindustan,


20

garments of a Fakir, and wore plain

off the

clothes,

to his at

but continued

numerous

this

to give instructions

disciples

period,

;

and he appears,

have experienced the

to

most violent opposition from the Hindu, zealots,

who reproached him

laid aside the habits of

the

impiety of the

cited,

a Fakir, and with

doctrines

which

he

These accusations he treated with

taught.

great

with having

contempt

and an author, before

;

Bhai Guru Das Vali,

when he

visited

Vatala,

states,

that

he enraged the

Yogis waras* so much, that they tried their

powers of enchantment to

" Some," says

writer, "

this

terrify

all

him.

assumed the

" shape of lions and tigers, others hissed

" like snakes, one

fell

in

a shower of

fire,

" and another tore the stars from the firma-

" ment;" but Nanac remained tranquil:

and when required

to exhibit

some proof

of his powers that would astonish them, he * Recluse penitents, who, by means of mental and corporeal mortifications, have acquired a

over the powers of nature.

command

:

SKETCH OF THE SIKHS. replied

21

" I have nothing to exhibit worthy

:

" of you to behold.

A

holy teacher has

" no defence but the purity of his doctrine " the world

"

is

may

change, but the Creator

unchangeable." These words, adds the

author, caused the miracles and enchant-

ments of the Yogiswaras all fell

at the feet

who was

and they

to cease,

of the humble Nanac,

protected by the

Nanac, according

all

to the

God.

perfect

same

authority,

went from Vatala to Multan, where he

communed the

" I

with* the Pirs, or holy fathers of

Muhammedan religion of that country. am come," said he, when he entered

that province, " into a country

"

like the sacred

Ganga,

From Multan he went he threw

off his

buried near

the

full

of Pirs,

visiting the ocean/'

to Kirtipur*,

earthly shape,

bank of the

where

and was

river Ravi,

which has since overflowed his tomb.

Kir-

tipur continues a place of religious resort

* Kirtipur Dehra, on the banks of the Ravi, or Hydraotes.


22

and worship garment

It

of

is

and a small piece of Nanac's

exhibited to pilgrims, as a sacred

Dharmasala, or temple.

at his

relic,

;

would be

Nanac* on

we

the authority of

yet possess.

first

character

difficult to give the

any account

His writings, especially the

chapters of the Adi-Crant'h, will,

ever translated, be perhaps a criterion

which he

may

be

judged

fairly

sition

which he met,

genius

:

and the

combated the oppo-

afford -ample reason to

conclude that he was a

common

by

but the

;

great eminence which he obtained,

success with which he

if

and

man

this

of more than

favourable im-

pression of his character will be confirmed

*

He

is,

throughout

Muhammedan

historians

this

sketch,

called

generally term

Nanac.

him Nanac

Shah, to denote his being a Fakir, the name of Shah

being frequently given to sect.

The

men

of celebrity in that

Sikhs, in speaking of him, call

him Baba

Nanac, or Guru Nanac, father Nanac, or Nanac the teacher; and their writers term

him Nanac

which means Nanac the omnipresent.

Nirinkar,


23

by a consideration of the object of

and the means he took

Born

his life,

to accomplish

of India, at the very point where the

Mnhammed

of

gion

it.

a province on the extreme verge

in

reli-

and the idolatrous

worship of the Hindus appeared to touch,

and

at

moment when both

a

these tribes

cherished the most violent rancour and ani-

mosity towards each other, his great aim

was

blend

to

those jarring

elements

in

peaceful union, and he only endeavoured to effect this

purpose through the means

of mild persuasion.

His wish was to recall

Muhammedans and Hindus

both

to

exclusive attention to that sublimest of principles,

which inculcates devotion

combat the

and

the

other;

all

to

He had

God, and peace towards man. to

an

furious bigotry of the one,

deep-rooted

superstition

of the

but he attempted to overcome

obstacles

by

manity.

And we

the force of reason

all

and hu-

cannot have a more con-

vincing proof of the general character of


24

that doctrine which he taught, and the inoffensive light in which

the knowledge that

its

was viewed, than

it

success did not rouse

the bigotry of the intolerant and tyrannical

Muhaminedan government under which he lived.

Nanac

did not

deem

either of his sons,

before mentioned, worthy of the succession to

his

which he be-

functions,

spiritual

queathed to a Cshatriya of the Trehun tribe, called

Lehana, who had long been

attached to him, and

whom

he had

initiated

in the sacred mysteries of his sect, clothed

in the holy mantle of a Fakir,

with the ing

to

name

and honoured

of Angad*, which, accord-

some commentators, means own

body.

Guru Angad, *

This

Angad

fanciful

as a

is

the

etymology represents

compound of

signifies body,

own.

for that

name by the

and the Persian Khiid, which

This mixture of language

the jargon of the Penjab.

word

the Sanscrit Jug, which

is

quite

signifies

common

in

SKETCH OF THE SIKHS. which he

is

known by

all

25

Sikhs, was born

Khandur, on the bank of

at the village of

the Beyah, or Hyphasis, in the province

His

of Lahore.

life

does not appear to

have been distinguished by any remarkable

He

actions.

taught the same doctrine as

Nanac, and wrote some chapters that now form part of the Grant'h.

Vasu and Datu, but

sons,

was his

initiated

two

left

neither of

them

and he was succeeded,

;

at

death*, which happened in the year

A. D. 1552, and of the

Amera Das, a B'hale, nial

He

Sam vat

1609, by

Cshatriya of the tribe

who performed

the duties of a

of

me-

towards him for upwards of twelve

years.

It

pation of

is

stated,

Amera Das was

from the Beyah miles, to

that the daily occu-

wash

river,

to bring water

a distance of six

the feet of his master

;

and

that one night, during a severe storm, as he

*

Angad

died

at

miles east of Lahore.

Khandur, a village about forty

;


26

was returning from slipped,

and he

his journey, his

and broke the

fell

foot

vessel

that contained the river water, opposite the

who

door of a weaver, to

lived next house

The weaver,

Angad.

noise,

demanded, in a loud

wife,

from

whence

woman, who was daily toils

voice, of his

and the devotion of Angad's

who knows

was poor Amera Das,

neither the sweets of sleep

" night, nor of

rest

by day/'

sation was overheard by

by

This conver-

Angad

;

and when

Amera Das came, next morning, form

The

proceeded.

it

well acquainted with the

servant, replied, " It

"

the

at

startled

to per-

he treated him with

his usual duties,

extraordinary kindness, and said

:

"

You

" have endured great labour; but, hence-

" forward, enjoy

rest/'

Amera Das was

distinguished for his activity in preaching

the tenets of Nanac,

and was very suc-

cessful in obtaining converts

by the aid of whom he

and followers

established

some

temporal power, built Kujarawal, and sepa-

SKETCH OF THE SIKHS. rated from the regular Sikhs the

27

Udasi

sect,

which was founded by Dherm-Chand, the son

of Nanac,

and was

probably con-

sidered, at that period, as heretical.

Amera Das had two

a son

children,

named Mohan, and a daughter named M6hani,

known by

the

name

garding whose marriage he

been very anxious

and

is

stated to

have

as this event gave

a dynasty of leaders, who are almost

rise to

adored with

:

of B'haini; re-

among

much

the

Sikhs,

it

is

recorded

minuteness by the writers of

that nation.

Amera Das had communicated his

wishes,

regarding the marriage of B'haini, to a Brah-

men, who was

him

rected

Brahmen that he

to

head servant, and

make some

inquiries.

di-

The

did so, and reported to his master

had been

a youth every

successful,

way

of his daughter.

upon

his

and had found

suited to be the

husband

As they were speaking

this subject in the street,

Amera Das

SKETCH OF THE

28

SIKHS.

asked what was the boy's stature

?

" About

" the same height as that lad," said the pointing to a youth

Brahmen,

The

near them. instantly

and

intently fixed

he had pointed.

lad said his

Amera Das

withdrawn from the Brahmen,

was

his tribe, his

attention of

standing

upon

He

whom

the youth to

asked him regarding

name, and

his family.

name was Ram Das, and

The that

he was a Cshatriya, of a respectable family, of the Sondi tribe, and an inhabitant of the village of

Gondawal.

Amera Das,

pleased

with the information he had received, took

no more notice of the Brahmen and

his

choice of a son-in-law, but gave his daughter to the

youth

whom fortune had

so casually

introduced to his acquaintance*. *

Though a

contrary belief

is

Amera

inculcated by Nanac,

the Sikhs, like the Hindus, are inclined to be predestinarians, and this gives their

minds a great tendency

view accidents as decrees of Providence; and

it

to is

probable that this instance of early good fortune in

SKETCH OF THE SIKHS. Das

died in the year A. D. 1574, and of the

Sam vat

of Gondawal,

16*31, at the village

province of Lahore, and was suc-

in the

ceeded by

he had his

%g

his son-in-law,

Ram

Das*,

whom

initiated in the sacred mysteries

holy profession, and

and

for his piety,

still

of

who became famous more from the im-

provements he made at Amritsar, which

was

for

some time

called

daspu'r, after him.

Rampur,

Some Sikh

or

Ram-

authorities

ascribe the foundation of this city to him,

which

is

not correct,

ancient town,

Ram

known

as

it

was a very

formerly under the

Das, by impressing his countrymen with an idea

of his being particularly favoured of Heaven, gave rise to

an impression that promoted,

that success which

*

No

rule of

it

in

no

slight degree,

anticipated.

dates of the events which occurred during the

Ram

from which

Das this

ever, states, that

are given in any of the authorities

sketch

is

drawn.

One

author,

how-

he lived in the time of Akber, and was

honoured with the favour of that truly tolerant and great emperor.


30

name

of Chak.

to

population, and built a famous tank,

its

He, however, added much

or reservoir of water, which he called Ara-

a

ritsar,

name

mortality,

that

signifying the water of im-

and which has become so sacred,

has given

it

sanctity, to the

its

name, and imparted

its

town of Ramdaspur, which

has become the sacred city of the Sikh nation,

and

is

now

only

known by the name

of Amritsar. After a

life

passed in the undisturbed

propagation of his tenets, in explanation of

which he wrote several works, he died, the year A.

in

D. 1581, and of the Samvat

1638, at Amritsar, leaving two sons, Ar-

junmal and Bharatmal.

by

the former*,

who

He was

has rendered himself

* Arjunmal, or Arjun, as he called, according to B'hai

of the

Gnyan

succeeded

is

more commonly

Guru Das

B'hale, the author

Ratnavali, was not

sacred mysteries of his father.

initiated

in

the

This author says, that

Arjun, though a secular man, did not suffer the office of Guru, or priest, to leave the Sondi tribe.

" Like a


31

by compiling the Adi-Grant'h *.

famous

The Adi-Grant'h,

or

first

sacred volume of

the Sikhs, contains ninety-two sections

was

partly

composed by Nanac and

immediate successors, but received sent form

its

it

:

his

pre-

and arrangement from Arjunmalf,

" substance," he adds, " which none

else

could

" gest, the property of the family remained

di-

the

in

« family."

* Grant'h means book riority to all others,

" Book."

it

;

but, as a

is

mark of its supe-

given to this work, as "

Adi Grant'h means, the

book, and guish

is

first

The

Grant'h, or

generally given to this work to distin-

from the Dasama Padshah ka Grant'h, or the

book of the tenth king, composed by Guru Govind.

f Though

the original Adi-Grant'h was compiled

by

Arjunmal, from the writings of Nanac, Angad, Amera •Das, and

own

Ram Das,

and enlarged and improved by

additions and commentaries,

some small

his

portions

have been subsequently added by thirteen different persons,

whose numbers, however, are reduced, by the

Sikh authors, to twelve and a half: the

last contri-

butor to this sacred volume being a woman, admitted to rank in the ungallant writers.

list

as a fraction,

is

only

by these


32

who

has blended his

own

what he deemed most valuable

in the

positions of his predecessors.

It

then,

the

who ought, from

who gave

first

this act, to

it

:

is

com-

Arjun,

be deemed

consistent form

to the religion of the Sikhs

though

with

additions

and order

an act which,

has produced the effect he wished,

of uniting that nation more closely, and of increasing

their

numbers, proved

fatal to

The jealousy of the Muhammedan government was excited, and he was made

himself.

its sacrifice.

happened

The mode of his

in the year of Christ 1606,

of the Samvat 1663, ferently

by

death, which

is

and

related very dif-

different authorities

:

but several

of the most respectable agree in stating, that his martyrdom, for such they term

was caused by the active hatred of a

Hindu

zealot,

it,

rival

Danichand Cshatriya, whose

writings he refused to admit into the Adi-

Grant'h, on the ground that the tenets incul-

cated in them were irreconcileable to the

pure doctrine of the unity and omnipotence


33

sacred

volume.

of God,

taught in

that

This rival had sufficient influence with the

Muhammedan

governor of the province to

procure the imprisonment of Arjun affirmed,

is

by some

from the severity of

by

others, to

writers, to his

who

have died

confinement

have been put to death

;

and,

in the

In whatever way his

most cruel manner. life

;

was terminated, there can be no doubt,

from

its

dered,

consequences, that

by

his

followers,

as

murder, committed by the

it

was

consi-

an atrocious

Muhammedan

government ; and the Sikhs, who had been, till

then,

an

inoffensive, peaceable sect, took

arms under Har Govind, the son of Arjunmal, and wreaked their vengeance upon

whom

they thought concerned in the death

of their revered

The against

all

priest.

contest carried the

on by Har Govind

Muhammedan

chiefs

in

the

Penjab, though no doubt marked by that animosity which springs from a deep and

implacable sense of injury on one part, and

D


34

the insolence and violence of insulted power

on the other, could not have been of great

magnitude or importance,

else

it

would

have been more noticed by contemporary

Muhammedan fruits

writers

but

;

of that desperate

which was soon

it

was the

of hostility,

spirit

after to

distinguish the

Nanac and

wars between the followers of

Muhammed

those of

:

and, from every ac-

count of Har Govind's

have been

his

first

life,

it

appears to

anxious wish to inspire his

followers with the

most irreconcileable hatred

of their oppressors. It

is

stated, that this warlike*

Guru, or

* Several historical accounts of the Sikhs, particularly that published in general,

by Major Browne, which

drawn from authentic

in error with regard to the period at first

is,

sources, appear to be

which

this race

took arras, which the last author states to have

occurred under

Guru G6vind; but

several Sikh au->

thors, of great respectability

and information, agree

ascribing to the efforts of

Har Govind,

in

the son of

Arjun, this great change in the Sikh commonwealth;

and

their correctness, in this point, appears to

be placed

SKETCH OF THE SIKHS. priest

wore two

militant,

swords in

girdle.

Being asked why he did so

" one/'

said he, "

" of

my

father

" miracles of

beyond B'hai

all

;

35

to revenge the death

is

the other, to destroy the

Muhammed."

by a passage

question,

Guru Das B'hale who ;

in the Ratnavali of

observes, "

" (of divine grace) were distributed

That five phials

to five Pirs (holy

" men), but the sixth Pir was a mighty Guru " Arjun threw

his

" The

:

off his

(priest).

earthly frame, and the form

" of Har Govind mounted the seat of authority.

The

" Sondi race continued exhibiting their different forms " in their turns.

Har Govind was

" armies, a martial

Guru

(priest),

" performed great actions."

European

writers

on

The mistake

this subject

in a confusion of verbal accounts

of the

name of Har Govind,

Govind, the son of

last

Ram

Ray, which

;

and the similarity

the son of Arjunmal, and

In the Persian sketch, which

translates, the

not mentioned.

of some

probably originated

and greatest of the Sikh Gurus, the

Tegh Bahadur.

Major Browne

the destroyer of

a great warrior, and

The son is

of that manuscript.

name

of

of Arjunmal

Har Govind is

called

is

Guru

obviously a mistake of the author


3(5

Har Govind

reputed, by

is

have been the

to

lowers to eat* the flesh of the exception of the

some

:

it

He had

diers -f.

their

in

bammedans,

whom

to

faith

bis

among

with it

by

Babu Guru-

The two

* Nanac had forbidden hog's

compliance

sol-

Tegh Bahadur, Anna

Ray, and Atal Ray.

species of food

band of

sons,

five

daitya, Saurat Singh,

cile

effected a

by converting a race of peaceable

enthusiasts into an intrepid

in

change

this great

more remarkable revolution

habits,

mon

appears not

when he

in their diet at the time

his fol-

animals, with

all

cow and

improbable that he made

still

authors,

who allowed

first

flesh,

died

last

though a com-

the lower tribe of Hindus,

of

the

prejudices

was

his great wish to

every

concession

Mu-

the

recon-

and

per-

suasion.

f

It is stated,

by a Sikh author named Nand,

Har Govind, during tice of

that

his ministry, established the prac-

invoking the three great Hindu

Vishnu, and Siva: but this other authority which

I

is

deities,

Brahma,

not confirmed by any

have seen.


Saurat Singh and

without descendants.

Tegh Singh,

or

Tegh Bahadur, were, by

the cruel persecution of the forced to

Muhammedans,

northward of the Penjab.

His eldest son,

Gurudaitya, died early, but

Daharmal and Har Ray

to the

mountains

into the

fly

37

two

left

sons,

the latter of whom

;

succeeded his grandfather,

who

died in the

year A. D. 1644, and of the Samvat 1701. It

does not appear that

much temporal into

any

dans

:

power, or that he entered

Muhamme-

with the

hostilities

his rule

Har Ray enjoyed

was tranquil, and passed

without any remarkable event; owing, probably,

to

the

vigor

medan power had

Muham-

which the

attained

in

the

part of the reign of Aurungzeb.

death, which

happened

in

early

At

the year

his

A.D.

1661, and of the Samvat 1718, a violent contest arose

the

succession

leader;

for

among to

the Sikhs, regarding

the

office

the temporal

of spiritual

power of

ruler was, at this period, little

their

more than

;


38

The

nominal.

dispute between his sons,

some Sikh authors

or, as

grandson,

state, his

Har Crishn and

Ram

son and

Ray, was

referred to Dehli, whither both parties

went

and, by an imperial decree of Aurungzeb, the Sikhs were allowed to elect their

They chose Har

priest.

at Dehli in the year A.

Samvat 1721

;

and was succeeded by

*

his

The

nephew,

Ram

Ray*, who remained

violent contests of the Sikhs are mentioned

by most of

their writers

;

and, though they disagree

in their accounts, they all represent falling the innocent

sacrifice

potism and intolerance of

all

;

of

Muhammedan Muhammedan

thors, would appear not to be the

by a

as

des-

fact.

au-

Tegh Be-

agreeable to them, provoked his execution

series of crimes.

Moslem

Tegh Behadur

which, from the evidence

respectable contemporary

hadur,

his

He, however, had

most violent opposition

to encounter the

from

who died

D. 1664, and of the

Tegh Behadur.

uncle,

Crishn,

own

Fakir, of the

He

joined, they state, with a

name of Hafiz ed Din

;

and,

supported by a body of armed mendicants, committed the

most violent depredations on the peaceable

;

SKETCH OF THE SIKHS. at Dehli,

and

and endeavoured, by every

intrigue,

to

quence of

his

Dehli,

to

art

he was

effect his ruin:

and brought

seized,

39

in

conse-

nephew's misrepresentations

and, after being in prison for two years,

was released at the intercession of Jayasingh, Raja of Jayapur, to Bengal.

up

whom

Tegh Behadur

was pursued, agreeable his retreat, with

to

Patna*

;

but

Sikh authors, to

implacable rancour, by the

and ambition of

jealousy

afterwards took

city of

abode at the

his

he accompanied

Ram Ray who ;

at last accomplished the destruction of his

He was

rival.

by

brought from Patna, and,

the accounts of the

licly

put

gation

to death,

same

authors, pub-

without even the

beyond a

of a crime,

inhabitants of the Penjab.

Mutakhherin says he was,

The author of in

A

the Seir

and

his

body cut

which was hung up

gate of the fortress.

*

and

consequence of these

excesses, put to death at Gwalior, into four quarters, one of

firm

alle-

Sikh college was founded in that

city.

at each


40

undaunted assertion of the truth of that he was the high

of which

faith

This event

is

the year A.

1732

:

said to

priest.

have taken place in

D. 1675, and of the Samvat

but the Sikh records of their

own

history,

from the death of Har Govind to

that of

Tegh Behadur,

are contradictory

and unsatisfactory, and appear attention.

little

The

was almost crushed, first effort to attain

vind

;

fact

in

is,

to merit

that the sect

consequence of

their

power, under Har Go-

and, from the period of his death to

that of

Tegh Behadur,

the

Mogul empire

was, as has been before stated, in the zenith of

its

Sikhs,

power, under Aurungzeb

who

strength, their

were

rendered

own internal

still

dissensions.

have endeavoured to supply their history

:

and the

had never attained any real weaker by Their writers this

chasm

by a fabulous account of

in

the

numerous miracles which were wrought by their priests,

even

the

Ram

Ray, Har Crishn, and

unfortunate

T6gh Behadur,

at

SKETCH OF THE SIKHS. Dehli,

all

of

whom

41

are said to have asto-

nished the emperor and his nobles, by a display of their supernatural powers their

wide difference from each

these relations, would prove, if

was wanting,

that

all

:

but

other, in

any proof

the annals of that

period are fabricated.

The of It

history of the Sikhs, after the death

Tegh Behadur, assumes a new is

aspect.

no longer the record of a sect, who,

revering the conciliatory and mild tenets of their founder, desired

more

to protect

selves than to injure others

nation, who, adding to a injuries they

;

but that of a

deep sense of the

had sustained from a bigotted

and overbearing government, of

them-

men commencing

all

the ardour

a military career of

glory, listened, with rapture, to a son glow-

ing with vengeance against the murderers

of his father, to the

upon hood,

who

taught a doctrine suited

troubled state of his mind, and called his followers,

by every

to lay aside their

feeling of

man-

peaceable habits, to


42

graft the resolute courage of the soldier

on

of the devotee, to

the enthusiastic faith

swear eternal war with the cruel and haughty

Muhammedans, and to steel, as the

to devote themselves

only means of obtaining

every blessing that

this

world, or that to

come, could afford to mortals. This was the doctrine of the son of

Guru Govind,

Tegh Behadur; who, though

very young at his father's death, had

the deepest horror at

mind imbued with that event,

and cherished a

spirit

considered as his murderers. to this object,

we

find

of im-

whom

he

Devoting

his

placable resentment against those

life

his

him, when quite

a youth, at the head of a large party of his followers,

amid the

hills

of Srinagar, where

he gave proofs of that ardent and daring mind, which afterwards raised him to such eminence.

He was

not, however, able to

maintain himself against the prince of that country, with hostilities;

whom

he had entered into

and, being obliged to leave

it,


43

where

he was

he went to the Penjab,

warmly welcomed by a Hindu chief bellion against the

government.

in re-

This chief

gave Govind possession of Mak'haval*, and

where he

several other villages, his followers,

aiding

him

and repaid

in

settled with

Govind

depredations.

his

by

his benefactor

appears, at this moment, to have been universally

acknowledged by the Sikhs, as

Sat-gurti, or chief spiritual leader

;

their

and he

used the influence which that station, sufferings,

his

and the popularity of his cause,

gave him, to

effect

a complete change in

the habits and religion of his countrymen-)-.

would be tedious and

It

useless to follow

the Sikh writers through those volumes of fables

in

which they have narrated the

wonders that prognosticated the *

A

town on the

+ Guru Govind spectability,

B'hai

of

this,

Satlej. is

stated,

by a Sikh author of

Guru Das

fourteen years of age death.

rise

when

B'hale,

to

his father

re-

have been

was put

to

;


44 the

most revered of

power; or those

to enter,

at

any

is

into

length,

Govind

accounts which they, and

himself, for he

to

priests,

their

all

equally celebrated as an

author and as a warrior, have given of his It will

exploits.

be

pur-

sufficient, for the

pose of this sketch, to state the essential

changes which he effected in

his tribe,

and

the consequences of his innovations.

Though

the

Sikhs had already, under

Har Govind, been

in

initiated

arms, yet

they appear to have used these only in defence the

:

Brahmen

may,

to the lowest of the Sudra,

in cases of necessity, use

any infringement of the

them without

original institutions

of their tribe, no violation of these tutions

was caused by the

which, framed carefully

with the lus

self-

and as every tribe of Hindus, from

rules of

insti-

Nanac

with a view to conciliation,

abstained

from

civil institutes

more daring

all

interference

of the Hindus.

successor,

But

Guru Govind,

saw that such observances were at variance


45

with the plans of his lofty ambition

;

and

he wisely judged, that the only means by

which he could ever hope to oppose the

Muhammedan government

with

success,

were not only to admit converts from tribes,

all

but to break, at once, those rules by

which the Hindus had been so long chained to arm, in short, the

the country, and to

and rank an

;

whole population of

make

object to

worldly wealth

which Hindus, of

every class, might aspire.

The

extent to which Govind succeeded

in this design will

be more

It is here

another place.

fully noticed in

only necessary to

state the leading features of those changes

by

which he subverted, in so short a time, the hoary institutions of Brahma*, and excited

#

The

object of

tions of cast

Nanac was

to the adoration of that all

to abolish the distinc-

amongst the Hindus, and

men, he contended, were equal.

who adopted

all

to bring

them

Supreme Being, before whom

Guru Govind,

the principles of his celebrated prede-

cessor, as far as religious usages

were concerned,

is


46 terror

and astonishment

in the

minds of the

Muhammedan conquerors of India, who saw the religious prejudices of the Hindus, which

they had calculated upon as one of the of their safety, because they limited

pillars

the great majority

of the population to

peaceable occupations,

fall

before the touch

of a bold and enthusiastic innovator,

opened

at once, to

men

of the lowest tribe*,

the dazzling prospect of earthly glory.

who

subscribed to his

who

All

tenets were upon a

reported to have said, on this subject, that the four tribes of

Hindus, the Brahmen, Cshatriya, Vaisya,

and Sudra, would, sitpari (betle-nut),

become

all

* Some

like

pan

and khat

of one colour,

men

(betle-leaf),

chunam

(lime),

(terra japonica, or catechu),

when

well chewed.

of the lowest Hindu

tribe,

of the occu-

pation of sweepers, were employed to bring away the corpse of

Tegh Behadur from

Dehli.

Their success

was rewarded by high rank and employment. of the same tribe,

who have become

Several

Sikhs, have been

remarkable for their valour, and have attained great reputation.

They

are distinguished,

by the name of Ran-Rata Singh.

among

the Sikhs,

SKETCH OF THE SIKHS. level,

47

and the Brahmen who entered

had no higher claims lowest Sudra

to

who swept

his sect

eminence than the his house.

the object of Govind to

make

It

all

was

Sikhs

equal*, and that their advancement should

depend upon

solely

well aware

men

how

exertions:

their

necessary

it

was

and

to inspire

of a low race, and of groveling minds,

with pride in themselves, he changed the

name

of his followers from Sikh to Singh, thus giving to

lion;

or

that honourable

exclusively

That

is,

which had been before

of Hindus

equal in civil rights.

and every

:

He

wished to

the disqualifications of birth, and do

move

That he did not completely that

followers

his

assumed by the Rajaputs, the

military class

first

*

title

all

some

distinctions

away

effect this object,

of their

former

tribes,

ticularly those relating to intermarriage, should

re-

cast.

and parstill

be kept up by the Sikhs, cannot be a matter of asto-

nishment to those acquainted with the deep-rooted prejudices of the Hindus upon this point; which

much

is

a feeling of family pride as of religious usage.

as


48 Sikh

himself at once elevated to rank

felt

with the highest, by

The

disciples of

proud appellation.

this

Govind were required

to

devote themselves to arms, always to have steel

about them

in

wear a blue dress

grow

to exclaim,

;

Wd !

some shape ;

when they met each

Guru*

!

institutions

!

Wd

!

other,

Guruji

ki

The

intention of

obvious

is

Victory attend the

:

made soldiers

some of

these

such as that prin-

ciple of devotion to steel,

made

to

which means, " Success to the

!

" state of the Guru! "

;

to allow their hair to

Gurdji kd khdlsah

futteh

or other

by which

all

were

and that exclamation, which

;

the success of their priest, and that

of the commonwealth, the object of their hourly prayer.

It

became,

in

watchword which was continually in the

gations

minds of the Sikh he

owed

to

fact,

the

to revive,

disciple, the obli-

that

community of

* Spiritual leader.


49

which he had become a member, and to

had adopted.

that faith which he

Of the

causes which led Govind to enjoin

his followers

the

to regard

it

as impious to cut

of their heads,

hair

shave

or

their

beards, very different accounts are given.

Several

both

Muhammedan ordination,

this

authors state, that

and the one which

directed his followers to wear blue clothes,

was given

in

consequence of

his gratitude

some Afghan mountaineers, who aided

to his

escape from a

besieged,

by

fort,

clothing

in

him

which he was in a

chequered

blue dress, and causing him to allow his hair to grow, in order to pass him for one

of their

own

Pirs, or holy fathers

they succeeded. is

;

in

which

This account, however,

not supported by any Sikh writer; and

one of the most respectable and best

formed authors of that

when Guru Govind

first

sect

went

states,

to

in-

that

Anandpur

Mak'haval, which was also called Cesgher, or the house of hair, he spent

E

much

of

his


50 time

devotion,

in

at

Durga

a temple of

Bhavani, the goddess of courage, by

he was directed to unloose

draw of

his

this

would

hair

and

consequence

in

pretended divine order, vowed he preserve

to that divinity, to

Govind,

sword.

his

whom

as

consecrated

and directed

his followers

hair,

his

The

do the same*.

origin of that blue

which was

at

one time

chequered f

dress,

worn by

Govind's followers, and

all

worn by the

is

Acalis, or never-dying,

still

(the

most remarkable class of devotees of that sect,)

thors

is

:

differently stated

but

it

different au-

by

appears probable, that both

these institutions proceeded from the policy

f The goddess Durga Bhavani author, to be represented, in

said,

is

by a Sikh

some images, with her

hair long and dishevelled.

f This the

institution

is

Hindu mythology.

also said to be

Bala Ram,

of Crishna, wore blue clothes

Nilambar, or

the clothed in

the blue clothed.

;

borrowed from

the elder brother

from which he

dark blue

;

and

is

called

Shitivas, or

SKETCH OF THE SIKHS. of Govind,

who

lowers from

all

much by gion

sought to separate his

fol-

other classes of India, as

appearance as by

their

51

their reli-

and he judged with wisdom when

:

he gave consequence to such distinctions; which,

though

forms,

soon

belief;

and,

become the

established

first

supersede

the

mere

when strengthened by usage, points to which ignorant

unenlightened minds have, in

shown the most

world,

as

substance of

all

resolute

and

ages of the

and uncon-

querable adherence. Guru. Govind inculcated his tenets upon his followers

by

and

;

his

works

his preaching, his actions,

among which is

the

Dasama

Padshah ka Grant'h, or the book of the

Guru Govind being

tenth king or ruler;

the tenth leader of the sect from

This volume, which gious subjects, but his

of

is

Nanac.

not limited to

filled

reli-

with accounts of

own. battles, and written with the view stirring

lation

up a

among

spirit

of valour and emu-

his followers, is at least as


52

much

revered,

among

to

have

first

among

the

is

said

Sikhs

the

The

meets at Amritsar.

as

Guru Mata,

instituted the

council,

state

Sikhs,

Govind

the

Adi-Grant'h of Arjunmal.

;

or

which

and

constitution

be

usages of this national assembly will described hereafter: sary to observe,

it

that

is

here only necesinstitution

its

one more proof to those already

adds

stated, of

the comprehensive and able mind of

bold reformer,

who

gave, by

its

this

foundation,

that form of a federative republic, to the

commonwealth of the

Sikhs,

most calculated to rouse

which was

his followers

from

their indolent habits, and deep-rooted pre-

judices,

by giving them a personal share

in

the government, and placing within the

reach of every individual the attainment of

rank and influence could

It

in the state.

not be expected

that

Guru

Govind could accomplish

all

those great

schemes he had planned.

He

planted the

tree

;

but

it

was not permitted, according to

:

SKETCH OF THE SIKHS. Sikh writers, that he should see maturity which

and

this,

it

was destined

mancy.

It

One

that in

to reach

foretold

skilled in necro-

would be tedious to dwell on

such fables*; and

*

in that

it

was

these authors state,

him by some Brahmens,

to

53

it is

time to return to the

of the most popular of these fables states, of the Hijerah

the year

vind, agreeably to

the directions

Guru Go-

1118,

he had

received

from two Brahmen necromancers, threw a number of magical compounds, given him by these Brahmens, into a

fire,

near which he continued in prayers for

several days.

A

sword of lightning at

last burst

from

the flame of fire; but Govind, instead of seizing this

sword

in

an undaunted manner, as he was instructed,

was dazzled by in

alarm.

its

splendour, and

The sword

shrunk from

instantly flew to heaven

whence a loud voice was heard " vind! thy wishes shall be

to say, "

fulfilled

by thy

" and thy followers shall daily increase."

mens were

in despair at this failure

reflection, they told

;

Govind, there was

;

it

from

Guru G6posterity,

The Brah-

but, after deep still

one mode

of acquiring that honour for himself, which appeared,

by the decree that had been pronounced, doomed his posterity. If he

for

would only allow them to take off his


54

Go vine!

of

political life

,

which

is

marked

by but few events of importance. These are

who

Muhammedan

by

related

either

detract from

enemy of their

all

faith

authors,

the pretensions of this

and name

by

;

his dis-

ciples, .who exalt the slightest of his actions

into

the achievements

by himself,

own

for

his

work, however,

is

more calculated his followers,

or

;

he wrote an account of

This

wars.

of a divinity

last

to inflame the

than

to

courage of

convey correct

in-

formation of actual events.

Guru Govind tac,

a work

in the

Singh, in the Vichitra

written

Na-

by himself, and inserted

Dasania Padshah ka Grant n, traces

lhc descent of the Cshatriya tribe of Sondi, to which he belongs, from a race of

head, and throw citated to the

it

into the fire,

Hindu

he would he resus-

enjoyment of the greatest glory.

Guru excused himself from trying

this

The

experiment,

deelaring that he was content that his descendants

should enjoy the fruits planted.

of that tree

which he had

SKETCH OF THE SIKHS. who founded

Rajas*,

the cities of Casur

He was

and Lahore.

born, he stales, at

Patan, or Patna, and brought

Des,

55

up

at

Madra

the Penjab.

lie went, after his

father's death, to the

banks of the Cal'mdi,

or

in

Yamuna, and addicted

himself to hunt-

ing the wild beasts of the forest, and other

manly

diversions

:

but

this

occupation, he

adds, offended the emperor of Dchli,

ordered chiefs, of the

Guru Govind

to attack him. this

Muhammedan

describes, in

work, with great animation, his

feats,

and those of

who race,

own

his friends -j-, in the first

* These Rajas appear, from the same authority, to

be descended

in

a direct line from Hindu gods.

f The following short extract from the translation of the Vichitra Natac, will show that Govind gave his friends their full

meed of

the character of his style

" mace

:

" Khan.

:

praise,

and

will also exhibit

" Cripal rages, wielding his

he crushed the skull of the

He made

fierce

Hj'at

the blood spurt aloft, and scat-

" tered the brains of the chief, as Crishna crushed the

" earthen vessel of butter. " in dreadful

ire,

Then Nand Chand raged

launching the spear, and wielding


56

of his actions

arrows

the

of

He

" the sword.

u his dagger, " Then

my

in which,

;

by

were

Sikhs

the

his account, victori-

broke his keen scimitar, and drew

to support the

honour of the Sondi

race.

maternal uncle, Cripal, advanced in his

u rage, and exhibited the

skilful war-feats of a true

" Cshatriya.

warrior,

The mighty

though struck by

" an arrow, with another made a valiant Khan

fall

" from his saddle, and Saheb Chand, of the Cshatriya

"

and slew a blood-

race, strove in the battle's fury,

" thirsty Khan, a warrior of Khorasan." After recording the actions of his

own deeds

many

others,

Govind thus describes

" The blood-drinking spectres and

:

¥ ghosts yelled for carnage; the

fierce

Vetala, the

" chief of the spectres, laughed

for joy,

and sternly

" prepared for his

The

repast.

vultures

" around, screaming for their prey.

hovered

Hari Chand, (a

" Hindu chief

in the emperor's army,) in his wrath,

" drawing

bow,

" arrow

:

his

struck

first

my

steed with an

aiming a second time, he discharged his

" arrow; but the Deity preserved me, and " me, and only grazed "

my

breast

:

it

tore

my

car.

" was kindled;

I

passed

open the mail, and pierced the

" skin, leaving a slight scar; but the " adore saved me.

it

His third arrow struck

When drew

I felt this

my bow

God whom

hurt,

my

1

anger

and discharged an

SKETCH OF THE SIKHS. ous

of the

sabres

over the

57

Muhamme-

dans *. This

first

success appears to have greatly

number of Guru Govind's

increased

the

followers,

whom

he established at Anand-

pur, Khilor, and the towns in their vicinity

;

" arrow

where they remained,

:

all

my

" onwards to the

many

called to

champions did the same, rushing battle.

" hero, and struck him. "

till

of his host

;

Then

I

aimed at the young

Hari Chand perished, and

death devoured him,

who was

" called a Raja among a hundred thousand Rajas. " Then

all

the host, struck with consternation, fled,

" deserting the

field

of combat.

I

obtained the vic-

" tory through the favour of the Most High; and, " victorious

in the field,

" triumph.

Riches

fell

we

raised aloud the song of

on us

like rain,

and

all

our

" warriors were glad."

* Hyat Khan and Nejabet

Khan

are mentioned as

two of the principal chiefs of the emperor's army that fell

in this first action.

of the

latter, says

:

"

Govind, speaking of the

When

" world exclaimed, Alas

!

Nejabet

Khan

fell,

fall

the

but the region of Svvarga

" (the heavens) shouted victory."


58

aid the Raja of

who was

threatened with an invasion by

Jammu

the Raja, of to hostilities

then at

Nadon*, Bhima Chand,

who had been

;

excited

by Mia Khan, a Mogul

chief,

war with Bhima Chand.

Guru Govind

gives

an account of

this

war, which consisted of attacking and de-

moun-

fending the narrow passes of the tains.

He

Bhima Chand and him-

describes

self as leading

on

their warriors,

who

ad-

vanced, he says, to battle, " like a stream " of flame consuming the forest."

They

were completely successful

expe-

dition

*

A

the Rajd of

;

in this

Jammu, and

his

Mu-

mountainous tract of country, that borders on

the Penjab. S. E. of

It lies to the

Jammu.

The

N.

W.

of Srinagar, and the

present Raja, Sansar Chand,

a chief of great respectability.

His country has

is

lately

been overrun by the Raja of INcpal and Gorc'ha.

1

derived considerable information regarding this family,

and

their territories,

from the envoy of Sansar Chand,

who attended Lord Lake, army was

in the

Penjab.

in

1805,

when

the British


hammedan

allies,

59

having been

defeated,

and chased with disgrace across the

Guru Govind next

relates the

of the son of Dilawer

The

against him.

Muhammcdan

of the

object

Khan

Satlej.

advance

chief

appears to have been, to surprise Govind

and

his followers at night

project

was defeated,

his troops

with a panic, and fled

The

out a contest.

when

but,

:

that

were seized

from the Sikhs with-

father,

enraged at the

disgraceful retreat of his son, collected his followers,

made

and sent Ilusain Khan, who

successful inroads

upon

the

Though

the account of this war

style sufficiently inflated for the

and angels

;

yet, as

Govind

Sikhs,

A

forts *.

taking several of their principal

*

all

is

given

iti

a

wars of the demons

relates, that

Husain Khan

returned a messenger, which one of the principal liajas

had sent him, with "

down

this

message

to his

master

;

"

Pay

ten thousand rupees, or destruction descends

" on thy head ;"

we may judge, both from

the demand,

and the amount of the contribution, of the nature of this contest, as well as its scale.

It

was evidently one 4

of those petty provincial wars, which took place in


50

general action at last took place, in which

the

Khan,

valour,

performing prodigies of

after

was defeated, and

Guru

lost his life.

Govind was not present

at

" The lord of the

he says, " de-

" tained

me

from

" the rain of

earth/'

this conflict,

steel to

this

battle.

and caused

descend in another

" quarter/'

Khan and Rustam Khan

Dilawer

next

marched against the Sikhs, who appear have been disheartened at the

loss

to

of some

of their principal chiefs, and more at the

accounts

they

received

of

Aurungzeb's

rage at their progress, and of his having

detached

his

son to the district of Madra*,

every remote part of the Indian empire, when distracted

engaged

:

in the

was

Dek'hin, and the northern provinces

were consequently neglected, and in a

it

and, at this period, Aurungzeb was wholly

weak and

their

governments

unsettled state.

# This must have been

in

the year

1701,

Bahader Shah was detached from the Dek'hin

when

to take

charge of the government of Cabul, and was probably ordered, at the same time, to settle the disturbances in

the Penjab.

SKETCH OF THE SIKHS. in order to take

61

measures to quell them. At

the prince's approach, " every body," says

Guru Govind, " was

struck

with terror.

" Unable to comprehend the ways of the " Eternal, several deserted me, and

fled,

" and took refuge in the lofty mountains.

" These

cowards were," he adds, " too

vile

" greatly alarmed in mind to understand

" their own advantage; " sent troops,

who

" those that had

burnt the habitations of

He

fled."

casion of denouncing this

the emperor

for

takes this oc-

every misery that

world can bring, and

all

the pains and

horrors of the next, on those their

Guru, or

" does

this,"

" child nor

he

priest.

"

who

desert

The man who

writes, " shall neither

offspring.

have

His aged parents

" shall die in grief and sorrow, and he

"

a dog, and be thrown

shall perish like

" into

hell to lament."

After

many more

curses on apostates, he concludes this ana-

thema by

stating,

of prosperity in

that the good

this

world,

genius

and eternal


62

blessings in the next, shall be the certain

reward of

Guru

:

all

who remain

attached to their

and, as an instance, he affirms, that

not one of those faithful followers,

adhered to him at

this trying

who had

crisis,

had

received the least injury*.

Guru Govind

closes his

work, the

first

Vichitra Natac, with a further representation

on the shame that attends apostasy,

and the rewards that await those that prove true to their religion

by a prayer

;

and he concludes

to the Deity,

and a declaration

of his intention to compose, for the use of his disciples, a

* There

is

still

larger

work

;

by which

a remarkable passage in this chapter,

which Guru Govind

appears

to

in

acknowledge the

supremacy of the emperor. " God," he

says, "

formed

" both Baba (Nanac) and Baber (the emperor of that " name).

Look upon Baba

" religion, and

"

who

will

as the

Padshah (king) of

Baber, the lord of the world.

not give

Nanac a

He

single damri, (a coin the

" sixteenth part of an ana,) will receive a severe

a punishment from Baber."

SKETCH OF THE SIKHS. meant the

the Sikhs conceive that he

Dasama Padshah ka

of the

5*3

rest

Grant'h,

which the Vichitra Natac forms the

of

first

section.

An

account of Govind's war with the

Raja of Kahilur*,

is

found in a work writ-

ten in the Dugar, or mountain dialect of the Penjabi tongue, which gives

an account

of some other actions of this chief.

account

this

doubt

is

greatly exaggerated,

some

states

this authority, the

and

facts correctly,

a brief notice.

fore merits

Aurungzeb from

they

stated

Kahilfir, or Kahlore,

above Mak'haval.

It

is

the

is

court of

Guru Govind, that

When

received great injuries.

*

to

and disgraced in

for aid against

whom,

no

there-

According

applied to

actions,

and

it

Rajas of Kahilur, Jiswal,

others, being defeated

several

Though

they had

the

emperor

situated on the Satlej,

near the mountains through

which that

river flows

place of the

name of Kahlur,

into

the Penjab. or Kahlore,

is

Another situated a

short distance from Lahore, to the N. E. of that city.


64 asked who

was:

made

" It

" servant,

the complaint, the answer

the chief of Kahilur, thy

is

who

has been despoiled of his

" country by violence, though a faithful

" Zemindar (landholder), and one who has " always been punctual in paying his con" tributions." tions,

this

obtained

Such were the representa-

author the

aid

states,

by which they

of an

army from

the

emperor. Their combined forces proceeded against

Guru were

Govind obliged

and

shut

to

their fortresses,

who

followers,

his

up

themselves

in

where they endured every

misery that sickness and famine can bring

upon a besieged suffering

mined

the

place.

greatest

Govind,

hardships,

deter-

He

ordered

to attempt his escape.

his followers to leave the fort,

at midnight,

and

they went out. tion,

child,

after

one by one,

to separate the

moment

The misery of this

separa-

which divided the father from the the husband

from

the

wife,

and

SKETCH OF THE SIKHS. brothers from sisters,

6$

was horrible; but

it

was the only chance which they had of

and

safety,

his

himself went,

undergoing

many

orders were

among

great

and, after

the rest;

and

fatigue,

dangers, he arrived at

He

obeyed.

escaping

Chamk6ur, by

the Raja of which place he was received in

a kind and friendly manner.

had entered the the

moment he

soners his

fortress

;

two

fled,

which Govind

left,

and made many

among which were children,

His enemies

his

who were

pri-

mother and carried

to

Foujdar Khan, the governor of Sirhind,

by whose orders they were inhumanly massacred*.

The army of

by the Rajas

the emperor, aided

hostile to Govind, next

Chamkour, and encompassed

to

sides.

Govind, in

hands,

called

sword -j\ * this

"

the

The world

it

on

goddess of the

sees,"

he exclaimed,

The Muhammedan authors blame

Vizir

Khan

unnecessary and impolitic act of barbarity,

f Bhavani Durga. F

all

clasping his

despair,

upon

marched

for


66 " that

we have no help but

!

thee " saying

which, he prepared, with his few followers, to

make

the most desperate resistance.

The emperor's army, employed period against Govind, was

at this

commanded by

Khwajeh Muhammed and Nahar Khan,

who deputed, siege,

at the

an envoy

commencement of the

to the Sikh leader, with the

following message

:

"This army

" belonging to Rajas and Rands " of the great Aurungzeb

:

not one

is

:

it is

that

show, therefore,

" thy respect, and embrace the true faith."

The envoy proceeded,

in the execution of

his mission, with all the pride of those

represented. self to

"

" Listen/' said he, from him-

Guru Govind,

Nawab

:

he

" to the words of the

leave off contending

" and playing the

infidel

;

for

with us,

it is

evident

" you never can reap advantage from such " an unequal war."

He was

stopped by

Ajit Singh, the son of Govind, from saying

more.

That youth,

exclaimed

:

seizing

his

scimetar,

" If you utter another word, I

SKETCH OF THE SIKHS. "

will

humble your pride

I

:

67

will

smite

" your head from your body, and cut you " to pieces, for daring to speak such lan" guage before our chiefs/'

The blood of

the envoy boiled with rage, and he returned

with

this

answer

to his master.

This effort to subdue the fortitude and faith of

Govind having

commenced with description

is

the siege

failed,

A

great vigour.

given by

B'hai

long

Guru Das

B'hale and other Sikh authors, of the actions that

Amongst

were performed.

the

most distinguished, were those of the brave, but unfortunate, Ajit Singh*, the son of

* In the Penjabi narrative of B'hai Guru Das B'hale, the actions of Ajit Singh,

and Ranjit Singh,

sons of Govind, are particularly described

one part of the description,

it

;

and, from

would appear that the

family of Govind, proud of their descent, had not laid aside the zunar, or holy cord, to

which they were,

belonging to the Cshatriya race, entitled. of these youths, the author says

" Turk and Pahlan

whom

:

as

Speaking

" Slaughtering every

they saw, they adorned


68

Guru Govind, whose death "

A second

time the

thus recorded

is

Khan

r

advanced, and

" the battle raged.

Some

"

covered with glory,

Ajit

fled.

Singh,

fought,

" departed to Svvarga (heaven).

"

first

of the gods (Devatas),

some

Indra*,

advanced

" with the celestial host to meet him

;

he

" conducted him to Devapur, the city of " the gods, and seated him on a " throne

:

celestial

having remained there a short

" time, he proceeded to the region of the " sun.

Thus/' he concludes, " Ajit Singh

" departed in glory

;

and

his

fame extends

" their sacred strings, by converting them into sword-

"

belts.

Returning from the

"

father,

who bestowed

field,

they sought their

a hundred blessings on their

" scimetars." * The Sikh author, though he stitious idolatry

may

reject the super-

of the Hindus, adorns his descriptions

with every image

its

mythology can furnish

;

and

claims for his hero the same high honours in Swarga, that a race.

Brahmen would expect

for

one of the Pandu


69

" over three worlds, for the fame of the

" warrior

lives for ever/'

Though Govind showed an spirit,

invincible

and performed prodigies of

having

own

with his

killed,

valour,

hand, Nahar

Khan, and wounded Khwajeh Muhammed, the other leader of the emperor's troops, it

was impossible

to

contend longer against

such superior numbers

and he

;

at

last,

taking advantage of a dark night, fled from

Chamkour, covering

his face,

according to

shame

the Sikh author, from

at his

own

disgrace.

This sketch of the piled

from

his

life

of Govind

own works, and

other Sikh writers, such as

Guru Das

;

is

comof

those

Nand and

B'hai

and the events recorded, allow-

ing for the colouring with which such narratives are written in the East,

correct

:

the leading

established

appear to be

facts are almost

all

by the evidence of contemporary

Muhammedan trust for the

writers, to

remainder of

whom we must his

history

;

as


70

the authorities

we have

followed end at the

period of his flight from Chamkour.

Most accounts agree

that

Guru Govind,

from a sense of

after his flight, was,

his

misfortunes, and the loss of his children,

and wandered about

bereft of his reason, for

a considerable time

plorable

the

in

most de-

One account

condition.

states,

that he died in the Penjab; another, that

he went to Patna, where he ended a

third,

serts

taken from a Sikh

that

some time he had

his

days

;

authority*, as-

Gtiru Govind, after remaining in the Lak'hi-Jungle, to

fled,

which

returned without molestation

* Mr. Foster has followed this authority in his

account of the Sikh nation believe that the part of vind's

it

:

and

which

I

am

inclined

relates to

to

Guru G6-

dying at Nader, in the Dek'hin, of a wound

received from a Patan,

is

correct; as

it is

written on

the last page of a copy of the Adi-Grant'h, in

my

pos-

session, with several other facts relative to the dates of

the births and deaths of the principal high priests of the Sikhs.

SKETCH OF THE

SIKHS.

to his former residence in the

71

Penjab

and

;

so far from meeting with any per-

that,

secution from

the

Muhammedan

govern-

ment, he received favours from the emperor,

Bahader Shah

military talents, gave

command

who, aware of

;

him a small

in the Dek'hin,

stabbed by a Patan

his

military

where he was

soldier's son,

and ex-

pired of his wounds, in the year 1708, at

Nader, a town

situate

on the Godaveri

river,

about one hundred miles from Haiderabad. It

sufficiently established,

is

from these

contradictory and imperfect accounts of the latter years

of

Guru Govind,

that he per-

formed no actions worthy of record his

flight

after

from Chamkour: and when we

consider the enthusiastic ardour of his mind, his active habits, his valour,

tiable

thirst

cherished

of revenge,

through

derers of his father, his sect,

life,

and the

which

against the

had mur-

and the oppressors of

we cannot think, when

passion of his

insa-

he

that leading

mind must have been

in-

:


72

creased by the massacre of his

children,

and the death or mutilation* of

his

most

would

have

attached

followers,

remained inactive

much

;

he

that

less that

he would

have sunk into a servant of that government, against which he had been in constant rebellion

leader as

:

nor

is

it

Guru Govind

likely that such a

could

ever have

been trusted by a

Muhammedan

and there appears,

therefore, every reason

to give credit to those accounts

prince

which

state,

that mental distraction, in consequence of

deep

distress

and disappointment, was the

cause of the inactivity of declining years. all

at

Guru Govind's

Nor is such a

killed at

Nader, as

he was reduced he continued,

till

it is

probable, even

the close of his existence,

famished Sikhs attempted

them cut

off.

were

taken,

if

to the state described, thai

* Both at Chamkour, and other the

conclusion at

variance with the fact of his being

and

had

forts,

from which

to

escape,

their

noses

many and

of

ears

;

SKETCH OF THE SIKHS. that

wandering and

73

adventurous

to

life

which he had been so early accustomed. In the character of Sikhs,

many

it

this

not

impossible

is

of those

reformer of the to

recognise

which have

features

dis-

tinguished the most celebrated founders of political

communities.

The

object he at-

tempted was great and laudable. the emancipation

of his

pression and persecution

;

tribe

It

was

from op-

and the means

which he adopted, were such as a comprehensive

mind could alone have

suggested.

The Muhammedan conquerors of India,

as

added

to

they added to their their strength,

the double

and

territories,

by making proselytes through

means of persuasion and

these, the

their faith,

became

power against who, bound

moment

in

the supporters of their

the efforts of the

the chains of their

Hindus civil

religious institutions, could neither their

force

they had adopted

number by admitting

add

converts,

;

and to

nor


74 allow

more than a small proportion of the

population of the country to arm against

Govind saw that he could

the enemy.

only hope for success by a bold departure

from usages which were calculated to keep those,

whom

by

they

a degraded subjection "

intolerant race.

were observed, in to

an insulting and

You make Hindus Mu-

" hammedans, and are justified " laws," he

rungzeb

:

"

is

" laws,

"

will

You may

" security

:

said to have written to

now

" preservation,

by your

I,

on a principle of

which

is

superior

Auself-

to

all

make Muhammedans Hindus*. rest,"

he added, "

but beware

!

in fancied

for I will teach

" the sparrow to strike the eagle to the " ground."

A fine

allusion to his design of

* Meaning Sikhs; whose

faith,

though

it

differs

widely from the present worship of the Hindus, has

been thought

to

have considerable analogy to the

pure and simple religion originally followed by that nation.

SKETCH OF THE SIKHS. inspiring the lowest races

75

among the Hindus

with that valour and ambition which would lead

them

to perform the greatest actions.

The manner

which Govind endea-

in

voured to accomplish the great plan he

had formed, has been exhibited

in the

perfect sketch given of his

His

to establish that temporal

life.

power

im-

efforts

in his

own

person, of which he laid the foundation for his tribe,

a

great

admit

:

were daring and successful degree

but

as

circumstances

in as

would

was not possible he could

it

create means,

in

a few years, to oppose,

with success, the force of one of the greatest

empires in the universe. ever,

The

which he infused into

was handed down as a their children

Baba Nanac

;

spirit,

how-

his followers,

rich inheritance to

who, though they consider

as the author of their religion,

revere, with a just gratitude,

Guru Govind,

as the founder of their worldly greatness

and

political

independence.

scious, indeed, that they

They

are con-

have become, from


76

and

the adoption of his laws

the scourge of their enemies

quered

and

held,

institutions,

and have con-

;

more than half a

for

century, the finest portion of the once great

empire of the house of Taimur. .

Guru Govind was

the last acknowledged

A

religious ruler of the Sikhs.

had limited

number of

spiritual

their

ten;

and

prophecy

guides to the

their superstition, aided,

no doubt, by the action of that independence which introduced, caused cess,

its

institutions

his

however, of Banda, a Bairagi,

Guru Govind, his banners.

of his priest,

A is

Banda

suc-

who

friend

of

said,

at the misfortune

by Sikh

authors, to

a gloomy and desperate

The con-

revenge his wrongs.

fusion which

had

short period after Govind's

settled into

to

and

of

established their union under

death, the grief of

desire

The

fulfilment.

was the devoted follower

have

spirit

took place on the death of

Aurungzeb, which happened

in

the year

1707, was favourable to his wishes.

After


77

plundering the country, and defeating most of the petty

Muhammedan

chiefs that

were

opposed

him, he thought himself

suffi-

to

ciently strong to venture

on an action with

Foujdar Khan, the governor of the province of Sarhind, and the

man

of

all

others

most

abhorred by the Sikhs, as the murderer of the infant children of

action was fought with valour

hammedans

;

This

Guru Govind.

and with

all

by the Mu-

that desperation

on the part of the Sikhs, which the most savage spirit of revenge could inspire and :

by the courage and conduct

aided

this,

of their leader, gave them the victory, after

a severe contest.

most of

his

Foujdar

army, to

Sikhs gave no quarter.

Khan

fell,

with

whom

the enraged

Nor was

their savage

revenge satiated by the destruction of the

Muhammedan army:

they

put to death

the wife and children of Vizir

almost

all

Khan, and

the inhabitants of Sarhind.

They

destroyed or polluted the mosques of that city

;

and, in a

spirit of wild

and

brutal


78

dug up the

rage,

and exposed them

and

cess,

Banda city,

be

to

hardened

by

to deeds of the

by

devoured

Encouraged by

beasts of prey.

dead,

carcasses of the

the

this suc-

lessons

most horrid

of

atro-

the Sikhs rushed forward, and sub-

dued

all

the country between the Satlej

and the Jumna; and, crossing that

made

inroads

haranpur*.

into It

the

province of Sa-

unnecessary

is

river,

to

state

the particulars of this memorable incursion,

which, from

been

one

all

accounts, appears to have

of the severest scourges with

which a country was ever

afflicted.

Every

excess that the most wanton barbarity could

commit, every cruelty that an unappeased appetite of revenge could suggest, was inflicted

upon the miserable

the provinces through which

inhabitants of

they passed.

Life was only granted to those

* This province

lies

who

con-

a few miles to the N. E. of

Dehli, between the rivers

Jumna and Ganges.

SKETCH OF THE SIKHS. formed to the habits

religion,

79

and adopted the

and dress of the Sikhs

;

and

if

Be-

hadur Shah had not quitted the Dek'hin, which he did to

the

think

in

A. D. 1710, there

is

reason

whole of Hindustan would

have been subdued by these merciless

in-

vaders.

The

check the Sikhs received was

first

from an army under Sultan Kuli Khan.

That chief defeated one of

their

advanced

corps at Panipat'h, which, after being dispersed, fled to join their leader Banda, at

The death of Behadur Shah

Sarhind.

vented

this

pre-

success from being pursued

;

and the confusion which followed that event, to the Sikhs.

was favourable

Banda

de-

feated Islam

Khan, the viceroy of Lahore,

and one of

his

fanatic followers stabbed

Bayezid Khan, the governor of Sarhind,

who had marched out encounter the last

this

army.

of Banda's

of that town

This, however, successful

to

was

atrocities.

Abdal Samad Khan, a general of great


80

reputation,

was detached, with a

large army,

by the emperor Farakhseir, against the Sikhs,

whom

perate action

hammedan

he defeated ;

way

to

Mu-

Banda performed

pro-

authors,

and was only obliged

the superior numbers and

never able to

make a

and were hunted,

stand after this defeat,

like wild beasts,

strong hold to another,

the emperor;

by whom

most devoted

to

dis-

The Sikhs were

cipline of the imperialists.

his

a very des-

in which, agreeable to

digies of valour,

give

in

from one

by the army of their leader,

followers,

were at

and last

taken, after having suffered every extreme

of hunger and fatigue*.

Abdal Samad Kh&n put

*

They were taken

in the fort of

to death great

Lohgad, which

one hundred miles to the north-east of Lahore. fortress

is

This

was completely surrounded, and the Sikhs

were only starved into surrender, having been reduced to

such extremes, that they were reported to have

eaten,

what

flesh of the

to

them must have been most

cow.

horrible, the

SKETCH OF THE SIKHS. numbers of the Sikhs Lohgad, the refuge

;

fortress

81

after the surrender of

in

which they took

but sent Banda, and the principal

chiefs of the tribe,

to

Dehli, where they

were first treated with every kind of obloquy

and

insult,

and then executed.

harnmedan writer*

relates

A Mu-

the intrepidity

with which these Sikh prisoners, but particularly

" It

is

their

leader,

singular,"

Banda, met death.

he writes,

" thai these

" people not only behaved firmly during " the execution,

but they would dispute

" and wrangle with each other

" suffer

first

;

and they made

who should

interest with

" the executioner to obtain the preference. " Banda/' he continues, " was at last pro-

" duced, his son being seated

in

his lap.

" His father was ordered to cut his throat, " which he did, without uttering one word. " Being

*

then brought nearer the magis-

The author

of the Seir Mutakherin.

G

;


32 "

trate's

"

flesh to

" and

"

his

it

ordered his

the latter

tribunal,

be torn off with red hot pincers

was in those moments he expired

black soul taking

its flight,

by one of

" those wounds, towards the regions

" which

was so well

it

:

for

fitted."

Thus perished Banda; who, though a brave and able leader, was one of the most cruel

and

of men, and endea-

ferocious

voured to impart

to his followers that feel-

ing of merciless resentment which he cherished race,

against

whom

the

whole

Muhammedan

he appears to have thought

accountable for the cruelty and oppression

of a few individuals of the persuasion*.

* It

is

necessary, however, to state, that there

schismatical sect of Sikhs,

the followers of Banda,

who

who

is

a

are termed Bandai, or

totally

deny

this

account

of the death of Banda, and maintain that he escaped severely

wounded from

in B'habar,

two

his last battle,

where he quietly ended

sons, Ajit

and took refuge

his days, leaving

Singh and Zorawcr Singh, who success-

SKETCH OF THE SIKHS. Though the by a

Sikhs, from being animated

similar feeling,

and encouraged by

successes, followed

first

Banda

termed,

heretic

;

to the field,

by some of

authors,

their

a

who, intoxicated with victory, en-

deavoured to change the religious tions

his

memory; and he

they do not revere his is

83

institu-

and laws of Guru G6vind, many of

whose most devoted followers

this

fierce

chief put to death, because they refused

depart from those usages which that

to

revered spiritual leader had taught them to

Among

consider sacred.

Banda wished

to

their blue dress,

and eating ing ki

Wd I

Futteh

flesh

;

and, instead of exclaim-

ki

Futteh

them

!

Wd !

banks of the Indus.

They

G6-

This sect chiefly re-

Multan, Tata, and the other

but not the

Khdlsaji

to exclaim, Futteh

propagated his doctrine.

sides in

abandon

from drinking

the salutations directed by

vind, he directed

fully

the Sikhs

to refrain

Gdruji !

make

other changes,

cities

on the

receive the Adi-Grant'h,

Dasama Padshah ka

Grant'h.


84

D'herm

Futteh

!

dersan

" Success to piety!

!

which

means,

Success to the sect!"

These innovations were very generally sisted

;

but the dreaded severity of

made many conform class of Acalis*,

to his

been established by Guru

Banda The

orders.

or immortals,

re-

who had

Govind, con-

tinued to oppose the innovations with great

obstinacy

;

and many of them

tyrdom, rather

mode

at the death of Banda,

or dress their

All the institutions of

vind were restored

:

mar-

change either

than

of salutation, diet,

umphed.

suffered

their

and,

;

cause

tri-

Guru Go-

but the blue dress,

instead of being, as at

first,

worn by

all,

appears, from that date, to have become the

right of the

particular

valour, in clusive

its

Acalis,

whose

defence, well merited the ex-

privilege

of wearing this original

uniform of a true Sikh.

#

An

given.

account of

this class

of Sikhs will be hereafter

SKETCH OF THE SIKHS. After the

85

defeat and death of Banda,

every measure was taken,

that

an active

resentment could suggest, not only to destroy the power, but to extirpate the race,

of the Sikhs. that sect

An

astonishing

must have

number of

fallen, in the last

two

or three years of the contest with the imas

the irritated

dans gave them

no quarter.

perial armies,

Muhammethe

After

execution of their chief, a royal edict was issued, ordering

gion of

Nanac

all

to

who

professed the

be taken

To

and put give

wherever found.

to this

mandate, a reward was offered

head of every Sikh

were ordered to shave pain of death.

;

and

all

for

Hindus

their hair off,

The few

to

effect

death,

the

reli-

under

Sikhs, that escaped

this general execution, fled into the

moun-

tains to the N. E. of the Penjab, where

they found a refuge from the rigorous persecution by which their tribe was pursued

while

numbers bent before

which they could not

resist,

the

;

tempest

and abandoning


86

the outward usages of their religion,

satis-

fied their consciences with the secret practice

of its

rites.

From till

the defeat and

death of

by Nadir Shah,

the invasion of India

a period of nearly

we

thirty years,

nothing of the Sikhs

but,

;

Banda

hear

on the occur-

rence of that event, they are stated to have fallen

upon the peaceable

Penjab,

who sought

inhabitants of the

and

shelter in the hills,

have plundered them of that property

to

which they were endeavouring to secure from the rapacity of the Persian invader.

Enriched with these the

hills,

and

built the fort of

the Ravi, from tory incursions,

added both

spoils, the

Sikhs

Dalewal, on

whence they made predaand are

to their wealth

to

stated

Nadir Shah's army, which, when

it

was encumbered with

marched, from a contempt of with a disregard to

all

have

and reputation,

by harassing and plundering the

to Persia,

left

order.

rear

spoil,

its

of

returned

and

enemies,

;

SKETCH OF THE SIKHS. The weak

state to

which the empire of

Hindustan was reduced into

87

and the confusion

;

which the provinces of Lahore and

Cabul were thrown, by the death of Nadir were events of too favourable a nature to

who

the Sikhs to be neglected by that race,

became

daily

more bold, from

their

num-

bers being greatly increased

by the union

who had taken

shelter in the

of

all

those

mountains; the readmission into the sect of those who, to save their

lives,

had ab-

jured, for a period, their usages; and the

conversion of a

number of

proselytes,

who

hastened to join a standard, under which

robbery was

made

sacred

;

and

to plunder,

was to be pious.

Aided with these extended

recruits, the

their irruptions over

provinces of the Penjab

:

Sikhs now-

most of the

and though

it

was

some time before they repossessed themselves of Amritsar, they began, after

immediately

they quitted their fastnesses, to flock

to that holy

city

at the periods of their


88

Some performed

feasts.

secret,

and

in disguise

this

pilgrimage in

but in general, ac-

:

cording to a contemporary

Muhammedan

author, the Sikh horsemen were seen riding, at

gallop,

full

towards " their favourite

" shrine of devotion.

" slain in making

They were

often

this attempt, and some-

" times taken prisoners

;

but they used, on

" such occasions, to seek, instead of avoid-

" ing, the crown of martyrdom

:

and the

" same authority states, that an instance " was never "

way

"

faith."

It

known

of a Sikh, taken in his

to Amritsar, consenting to abjure his

is

foreign to the object of this sketch into a detail of those

to enter

efforts

by

which the Sikhs rose into that power which ihey

now

possess.

It will

be

sufficient lo

glance at the principal events which have

marked their

their progress,

from the period of

emerging from the mountains, to which

they had

Banda,

been driven

after the death

to that of the conquest

of

and subjec-

SKETCH OF THE SIKHS. tion of those fine provinces over rule

is

now

established.

been before a

stated,

This

which

their

sect, as

has

have never admitted death of

spiritual leader since the

Govind.

89

Guru

was success, and the force of

It

a savage but strong genius, which united

them,

for a period,

under Banda; and they

have, since his death, had no acknowledged

Each

general, leader, or prince.

followed to the

who, from

field

individual

the Sirdar or chief,

birth, the possession

of property,

or from valour

and experience, had become

his superior.

These

different

chiefs

again were of

rank and pretensions: a greater

number of

followers, higher reputation, the

possession of wealth, or lands, constituted that difference

;

and, from one or other of

these causes, one chief generally enjoyed a

decided pre-eminence, and, consequently,

had a lead

But,

in their military councils.

nevertheless, they always

went through the

form of selecting a military leader at

Guru-mata, or

national

council;

their

where,


90

however, influence prevailed, and the most powerful was certain of being elected.

Such a mode of government was

in itself

calculated to give that strength and

little

union which the cause of the Sikhs quired

:

re-

but the peculiarities of their usages,

the ardent character of their faith, the power

of their enemies, and the oppression they

endured, amply supplied the place of

To

other ordinances.

all

unite and to act in

one body, and on one principle, was, with the

first

Sikhs, a law of necessity

:

it

was,

amid the dangers with which they were surrounded, their only hope of success, and their sole

was

to

means of preservation

these

causes,

:

and

combined with

it

the

weakness and internal contests of

their ene-

mies, to which this sect owes

extraordi-

nary

rise,

—not

to their boasted constitution

we

which, whether

which it

really

Sikhs consider

its

is

it

an

or a theocracy, which the

;

it

call

;

oligarchy,

;

has not a principle in

composition that would preserve

it

its

one day

SKETCH OF THE SIKHS. from

ruin, if vigorously assailed.

this

their

history

But of the

furnish

will

gx

best

example.

Encouraged by the confusion which took place on the

made

Sikhs

Afghan*

first

Duab

siderable part of the Jalendra-f-,

invasion, the

themselves masters of a con-

and extended

of Ravi and

their incursions

to the neighbouring countries.

They, how-

ever, at this period received several severe

checks from Mir Manu, the governor of

Lahore,

who

is

by Muhammedan

said,

authors, to have been only withheld from

destroying them minister,

by

the

counsel

Koda Mai, who was

Sikh of the KhalasaJ

tribe.

of his

himself a

Mir Manu

* A. D. 1746.

f The country between and that J

A

river

and the

the rivers Ravi and Beyah,

Satlej.

sect of non-conformist Sikhs,

who

believe in the

Adi-Grant'h of Nanac, but do not conform to the tutions of

Guru Govind.

This word

is said,

They

by some,

to

insti-

are called Khalasa.

be from

khalis,

pure or


92

appointed Adina

Beg Khan

to the charge

of the countries in which the Sikhs maintained themselves

and, as that able but

;

artful chief considered this turbulent tribe

no other

in

light

than as the means of

his

personal advancement, he was careful not

them altogether;

to reduce

ing

them

in

but, after defeat-

an action, which was fought

near Mak'haval, he entered into a secret

understanding with them, by which, though their excursions

were limited, they enjoyed

a security to which

they had been unac-

customed, and from which they gathered strength

At took

and resources

the death of all

for future efforts.

Mir Manu*,

the Sikhs

those advantages, which the local

distractions of a falling

empire offered them,

of extending and establishing their power.

select,

and

to

mean

the purest, or the select

from khalas,free, and

to

mean

alluding to the tribe being

imposed on the other Sikhs. * A. D. 1752.

:

by others,

the freed or exempt,

exempt from the usages


93

Their bands, under their most active leaders,

plundered in every direction, and were sucpossession of several

cessful in obtaining

countries,

from which they have never since

been expelled

was

period,

:

and

their success,

promoted,

at this

of being

instead

checked, by the appointment of their old friend,

Adina Beg Khan,

to

Lahore; as

that brave chief, anxious to defend his

own

imme-

government against the Afghans,

diately entered into a confederacy with the

whom he encouraged to plunder territories of Ahmed Shah Abdali. Sikhs,

The Afghan monarch, datory warfare,

in

resenting this pre-

which the governor of

Lahore was supported Dehli,

the

by the court of

determined upon invading India.

Adina Beg, unable

to

oppose him,

and the Sikhs could only venture

fled

;

to plunder

the baggage, and cut off the stragglers of the Afghan

Ahmed

army

;

by which they so

irritated

Shah, that he threatened them with

punishment on

his return

;

and,

when he

;


94 marched

he

to Cabul,

Khan, and

left his

son,

Taimur

Jehan Khan, at La-

his vizir,

hore, with orders to take vengeance on the

Sikhs for

all

The

committed.

Khan was

the excesses which they had

against their capital, Amritsar,

which he destroyed, tank, and polluting ship:

expedition of Taimur

first

filling

up

all their

their sacred

places of wor-

by which action he provoked the

whole race to such a degree, that they assembled at Lahore,

tempted to between the

cut fort

and not only

at-

communication

the

off

all

and country, but collected

and divided the revenues of the towns and villages

around

it.

Taimur Khan, enraged

at this presumption,

made

several attacks

upon them, but was constantly defeated and being at

last

reduced

of evacuating Lahore,

to the necessity

and

retreating

to

Cabul, the Sikhs, under one of their celebrated leaders, called Jasa Singh Calal, im-

mediately took possession of the vacant

Subah of Lahore, and ordered rupees

to

be


95

coined, with an inscription to the following

import: " sah

" Coined by the grace of Khal-

ji,

in the

country of

Ahmed,

con-

" quered by Jasa Singh Calal."

The

who were

Sikhs,

so deeply indebted

to the forbearance of Adina

now

Beg Khan,

considered themselves above the power

of that chief; who, in order to regain

his

government from them and the Afghans,

was obliged

to invite the

Raghunat'h Rao, Saheb

he

first

leaders,

and Malhar

Pateil,

Aided by these

Rao, to enter the Penjab. chiefs,

Mahrata

advanced to Sarhind, where

he was joined by some Sikhs that remained attached to him.

who had been

Samad Khan, in charge

left

the officer

of Sarhind

by Ahmed Khan, found himself obliged evacuate that place sooner done, plunder.

which

Sikhs

the

to

he had no

The Mahratas, always

their booty,

them

than

;

began

to

jealous of

determined to attack and punish

for this violation of

their exclusive privilege

what they deemed :

but Adina Beg


96

intelligence

receiving

communicated

it

of their intentions,

to the Sikhs

;

who, taking

advantage of the darkness of the night, saved themselves by After the

fall

flight.

of Sarhind, the Mahratas,

accompanied by Adina Beg Khan, vanced

ad-

Lahore, and soon expelled both

to

the Sikhs and the Afghans from the principal towns of the provinces of Sarhind

Lahore

;

and

of which they not only took pos-

session, but sent

of Multan

;

a governor to the province

and Saheb Pateil advanced

to

the Attock*, where he remained for a few

months.

But the commotions of Hindusthe

Dek'hin soon obliged these

foreigners to

abandon the Penjab; which

tan and

they did the same year they had reduced it.

They appointed Adina Beg Khan

vernor of Lahore. #

The empire of

moment, reached

its

He

died in the ensuing

the Mahratas had, at this proud zenith.

The

battle of Panipat'h

took place soon afterwards; since which declined.

go-

it

has rapidly

;

SKETCH OF THE SIKHS. year

;

tunity

and, by his death, afforded an opporthe

to

Sikhs,

make

seized, to

which they eagerly

themselves again masters

of the province of Lahore. was, however,

Shah Abdali

;

checked by

soon

who,

Their success

irritated

by

dued turbulence, and obstinate

made

97

Ahmed

their

unsub-

intrepidity,

every effort (after he had gained the

victory of Panipat'h, which established his

supremacy

at Dehli) to destroy their

power

and, with this view, he entered the Penjab early in 1762,

and overran the whole of

that country with a

numerous army, defeat-

ing and dispersing the Sikhs in every direc-

That

tion.

against the

sect,

unable

to

make any

army of the Abdali, pursued

their old plan of retreating near the

tains

;

and collected a

northern

above

districts

one

to

be

in

moun-

large force in the

of Sarhind, a distance of

hundred miles from Lahore,

where the army of

camped.

stand

Ahmed Shah was

en-

Here they conceived themselves perfect safety

H

:

but that prince


98

made one

of those rapid movements for

which he was so celebrated, and reaching the Sikh

army on

pletely surprised,

In

slaughter.

com-

the second day,

and defeated

this action,

with great

it

which was fought

in February, 1762, the Sikhs are said to

have

lost

upwards of twenty thousand men, fled into the hills,

and the remainder doning ghans,

all

aban-

the lower countries to the Af-

every ravage that a

who committed

barbarous and savage

enemy could

devise.

Amritsar was razed to the ground, and the reservoir

sacred ruins.

choaked with

again

Pyramids* were

and covered

erected,

with the heads of slaughtered Sikhs is

mentioned, that

# This

is

conquerors.

to be

a very

The

Ahmed Shah

:

and

it

caused the

mosques, which the Sikhs

walls of those

had polluted,

its

washed with

common

their blood,

usage amongst eastern

history of Jenghiz

Khan, Taimur

and Nadir Shah, afford many examples of of treating their vanquished enemies.

this

mode


99

that the contamination might be removed,

and the

insult offered to the religion of

hammed

Mu-

expiated*.

This species of savage retaliation appears to

have animated, instead of depressing, the

courage of the Sikhs

;

who, though they

could not venture to meet

Ahmed

army

with an inces-

in action, harassed

sant predatory

warfare

sovereign was obliged,

;

it

and,

Shah's

when

that

by the commotions

of Afghanistan, to return to Cabul, they attacked and defeated the general he had left in

Lahore, and

made themselves

masters

of that city, in which they levelled with the

ground those mosques which the Afghans had, a few months before, purified with the

blood of their brethren.

Ahmed

Shah, in 1763, retook Lahore,

and plundered the provinces around being obliged to return to his

it

;

but,

own country in

the ensuing year, the Sikhs again expelled his

* Foster's Travels, Vol.

I. p.

279.


10

and made themselves masters of the

garrison,

Penjab; and, from that period until his death, a constant war was maintained, in which the enterprise

and courage of the Afghans

way

gradually gave activity

and

enemies

;

before the astonishing

invincible perseverance of their

who,

unable to stand a general

if

action, retreated to impenetrable mountains,

and the moment they saw an advantage, rushed again into the plains with renewed

and recruited numbers.

vigour,

Several

Sikh authors, treating of the events of this period, mention a great action having been

by

fought,

their

countrymen, near Amritsar,

against the whole

Afghan army, commanded

by Ahmed Shah

in

person

;

but they

differ

with regard to the dale of this battle, some fixing

it

pretend

in

1762, and others

that

sacredness

the

of the

Sikhs,

inspired

ground on

action was fought, contended against

superior

They

later.

numbers with

by the

which for

this

victory

the

most

desperate fury, and that the battle termi-

SKETCH OF THE SIKHS. nated in

both

iQl

quitting

parties

the

field,

without either being able to claim the least

The

advantage.

however,

are,

historians of

silent

Ahmed Shah

regarding this action;

which, indeed, from

all

the events of his

long contests with the Sikhs, appears unlikely to

have occurred.

It

is

possible the

Sikhs fought, at Amritsar, with a division of the

Afghan army, and

commanded by

that might

the prince;

improbable they had

but

have been it is

ever force

to

very en-

counter the concentrated army of the Abdalis

;

before which, while

it

remained in

a body, they appear, from the last

first

to the

of their contests with that prince, to

have always retreated, or rather

The

fled.

internal state of Afghanistan, since

the death of

Ahmed

Shah, has prevented

the progress of the Sikh nation receiving

any

serious

check from that quarter; and

the distracted and powerless condition of the empire of India has offered province after

province to their usurpation.

Their


10 2

during

history,

this

but a relation of village warfare, and

little

Their

predatory incursions. first

period, affords

latter

hammedan

chiefs

Penjab, and

the numerous

against

directed

hostilities

who were

who defended,

were

Mu-

settled in the

as long as they

could, their jagirs, or estates, against them:

but these have either been conquered, or

reduced to such narrow their

security

to

their

insignificance,

the precarious friendship of

Sikh

who,

and

gained;

or

some powerful they

have

by protecting

them

support

whose

chief,

owe

limits, as to

against the other leaders of his tribe, obtains

a

slight

accession

of strength and

who

have, throughout

influence.

The Sikh

nation,

their early history,

always appeared, like a

suppressed flame, to

rise into

higher splen-

dour from every attempt to crush them,

had become, while they were oppressed,

as

formidable for their union, as for their deter-

mined courage and unconquerable

spirit

of

SKETCH OF THE SIKHS. resistance distress

103

but a state of persecution and

:

was the one most favourable

action of a

constitution like theirs

;

for the

which,

formed upon general and abstract principles, fices

required constant and great sacri-

of personal advantage to the public

good; and such can alone be expected from men, acting under the influence of that enthusiasm, which the fervor of a religion, or

a struggle for independence, can

alone impart, readily all,

new

and which are ever most

made, when

it

becomes obvious

to

that a complete union in the general

cause

is

the

only

hope

of

individual

safety.

The Sikhs would appear, from historians, to

they

made

their

own

have attributed the conquests

entirely to their valour,

and

to

have altogether forgot that they owed them chiefly to the decline of the

house of Tai-

mur, and the dissensions of the government of Cabul.

Intoxicated with their success.

;


104

they have given

way

which

minds of men in the pos-

assail the

session of power.

to all those passions

The

petty chief entertained,

of building

territories,

which every

desire,

of increasing his

and

strong forts,

adding to the numbers of

his

volved them in internal wars

;

troops, in-

and

these,

however commenced, soon communicated to numbers,

who engaged

in the dispute as

passion or interest dictated.

Though such

feuds have, no doubt, helped to maintain their military

virulence that

yet their extent and

spirit,

have completely broken down

union,

which

their

Govind, laboured to

great legislator,

establish.

Quarrels

have been transmitted from father to son and, in a country where the infant

voted to as

his

steel,

and taught

is

de-

to consider

war

only occupation, these could not

but multiply in an extraordinary degree

;

and, independent of the comparative large

conquests in which the greater chiefs occa-

;


105

sionally engaged, every village* has

an object of dispute

become

and there are few,

;

any, in the Penjab, the rule of which

not

between

brothers or near rela-

In such a

state, it is obvious, the

contested tions f.

is

if

Sikhs could alone be formidable

most weak

and

the

to

governments.

distracted

Such, indeed, was the character,

till

within

late period, of all their neighbours

a very

and they continued

* All the as they

to

villages in the

are in

almost

all

plunder, with im-

Penjab are walled round;

the countries of India that

are exposed to sudden incursions of horse,

which

this

defence can always repel.

f

When

the British and Mahrata armies entered

the Penjab, they were both daily joined

tented petty chiefs of the Sikhs, to the

power that would put them

a village or a statement, father

who

or

cations,

fort,

they had brother.

in the possession of

from which, agreeably to their been

unjustly

excluded by a

Holkar encouraged these appli-

and used them to

his advantage.

commander abstained from disputes.

by discon-

offered their aid

all

The

British

interference in

such


106

punity, the upper provinces of Hindtistan, until

establishment of the

the

power of

Daulet Rao Sindia, when the regular gades,

commanded by French

bri-

officers in

the service of that prince, not only checked

made

their inroads, but

all

the Sikh chiefs,

to the southward of the Satlej, acknowledge

obedience and pay tribute to Sindia: and it

was

the

in

had

Perron,

contemplation of General

war

the

with

government not occurred, the Penjab, and

made

of his possession

quainted

:

to

the

English

have subdued

the Indus the limit

and every person ac-

with his means,

and with the

condition and resources of the Sikhs, must satisfied

he would have accomplished

this project

with great ease, and at a very

be

early period.

When

Holkar

fled

into the

Penjab, in

1805, and was pursued by that illustrious British

commander, Lord Lake, a com-

plete opportunity

was given of observing

the actual state of this nation, which

was

SKETCH OF THE SIKHS. found weak and distracted,

in

107 a degree

that could hardly have been imagined.

was altogether

destitute

It

And

of union.

though a Guru-mata, or national council,

was

called, with

a view to decide on those

means by which they could

best avert the

danger by which their country was threatened, from the presence of the English and

Mahrata armies, chiefs

:

it

was attended by few

and most of the absentees, who had

any power, were bold and forward offers to resist

any resolution

council might come. negotiations of

moment,

all

The

to

in their

which

intrigues

appeared, indeed, at

this

and this

to be entirely directed to objects

of personal resentment, or personal aggran-

dizement; and every shadow of that concord,

which once formed the strength of

the Sikh nation, seemed to be extinguished.


108

SECTION Neither

II.

the limits of this sketch, nor

the materials from which

admit of

my

it is

drawn,

will

giving a particular or correct

account of the countries possessed by the

manners, and habits these

subjects

and

excite

:

may

but a cursory view of

be useful, and

direct that curiosity

cannot expect to

may

which

il

gratify.

The country now

possessed by the Sikhs,

which reaches from

beyond

of government,

forms

or of their

Sikhs,

latitude

latitude 32° N.,

28° 40'

and includes

all

to

the

Penjab*, a small part of Multan, and most

*

A

general estimate of the value of the country

possessed by the Sikhs stated,

that

it

formed, when

may he

it

is

contains, besides other countries, the

whole of the province of Lahore

Mr. Bernier, produced,

in

;

which, agreeable to

the reign of Aurungzeb, two

SKETCH OF THE SIKHS. of that tract of country which the

Jumna and

the Satlej,

is

109 between

lies

bounded,

the northward and westward, by the

of the king of Cabul

tories

;

to

terri-

to the east-

ward, by the possessions of the mountaineer Rajas of

and

Jammu, Nad6n, and by the

to the southward,

Srinagar;

territories

of

the English government, and the sandy deserts of Jasalmer

The

who

Sikhs,

between the

Satlej

Malawa

called

and Hansyd Hisar. inhabit

the

country

and the Jumna, are

Singh, and were almost

all

converted from the Hindu tribes of Jats

and Gujars.

The

title

of

was conferred upon them

Malawa Singh for their

extra-

ordinary gallantry, under the Bairagi Banda,

who

is

stated to have declared, that the

countries granted to

hundred and rupees

;

or

them should be

forty-six lacks

fruitful

and ninety-five thousand

two millions, four hundred and sixty-nine

thousand, five hundred pounds sterling.


HO as

Malwa, one of the provinces*

The

principal

among

chiefs

in India.

the

Malawi

Singhs, are, Saheb Singh, of Patiala; B'hang&

Singh, of Thanesur

and

B'hailal

;

B'hag Singh, of Jhind

Singh, of Keintal.

Besides

these, there are several inferior chiefs,

as

Gurudah

Singh

;

all

Singh, Jud'h Singh, and

whom

of

have a few

;

such

Carm

villages,

and some horse, and consider themselves independent; though they, in general, are content to secure their possessions by attaching themselves to one or other of the

more powerful

leaders.

The country of some it,

the

Malawa Singh

is,

in

parts, fruitful: but those districts of

which border on Hansya and Carnal, are

very barren and, in water.

;

being covered with low wood,

many

places, almost destitute of

Sarhind was formerly the capital of

* This province now forms almost the whole tory of Daulet

Rao

Sinclia.

terri-

m

SKETCH OF THE SIKHS. country

this

and has

;

but

now a complete

it is

probably

never

ruin,

recovered

the

dreadful ravages of the Bairagi Banda,

who

not only to have destroyed

stated

is

mosques, but to have levelled

and public Patiala

now

is

with

buildings

the largest

all its

its

palaces

ground.

the

and most

flourish-

ing town of this province, and next to T'hanesur, which

is

still

held in high

gious veneration by the Hindtis also

;

reli-

who have

a very high reverence for the river

which flows through

Serasweti,

The

vince.

territories

this

of the chiefs of

the Satlej

pro-

Ma-

W. by

lawa Singh are bounded to the N.

between which and the Bey ah,

;

the country called

is

it

or Jalendra

Duab;

the Jalendra

the

Beit,

Sikhs inhabiting

which are called the DtiaM Singh, or the Singhs

*

who

With

Duab we

dwell between the rivers*.

The

the chiefs of the Sikhs in the Jalendra are

little

acquainted. Tara Singh

is

the most


112

country of Jalendra Duab, which reaches

from the mountains to the junction of the Satlej

and the Beyah,

of

the possessions of the Sikhs

all

is

the most fruitful ;

and

is,

perhaps, excelled in climate and vegetation

by no province of

but very productive

open and

here in

:

soil is light,

the country, which

felt in

other parts of India,

unknown

;

is

abounds with every kind of

That want of water, which

grain.

much

level,

The

India.

as

it

is

is

so

must be

found every where

abundance, within two, or at furthest from the surface of the

three, feet

The

soil.

towns of Jalendra and Sultanpur are the principal in the

Duab.

The country between Ravi

rivers

is

called Bari

and the Sikhs

considerable

;

weakened by divisions.

the

Duab,

inhabiting

it

Beyah and or Manj'ha are

;

called

but he and the others have been greatly their

constant and increasing internal v

SKETCH OF THE SIKHS. The

Manj'ha Singh.

Amritsar are both in

113

of Lahore and

cities

province; and

this

it

becomes, in consequence, the great centre of the power of of Lahore

;

Ranjit Singh,

this nation.

Fateh Singh*, of Alluwal

;

and

Jud'h Singh, of Ramgadia-f ; are the principal chiefs of this country.

The country of Bari fertile,

particularly towards the mountains,

than Jalendra level, it

but, as

;

it lies

on the same

must possess nearly the same

mate and

The

said to be less

is

cli-

soil.

inhabitants of the country between

the Ravi and Chanhab, are called D'harpi

Singh,

from

D'harpi.

the

country

being

The D'hanigheb Singh

called

are be-

yond the Chanhab J, but within the Jehalam

river.

/

* Fateh Singh

is,

like

Ranjit Singh, of a Jat family.

f Jud'h Singh, of Ramgadia, I

The term Gujarat Singh

is

of the carpenter cast.

is

sometimes given to

the inhabitants of this Duab, of which the chiefs of

Gujarat and Rotas are the principal I

rulers.


1X4

The Sind Singh

is

the term

by which

the

inhabitants of the districts under the Sikhs,

bordering on the Sind, are

Nakai Singh

is

the

name

known; and

given to the Sikhs

who reside in Multan. With the leaders of the Sikhs in these provinces, the extent of their possessions, or the climate

and productions

of the country under their rule, I

acquainted.

Those in Multan,

am

little

as well as

those settled on the river Jehalam, are said to be constantly

engaged in a predatory

warfare, either with the officers of the Af-

Muhammedan

ghan government, or with chiefs

who have jagirs

in their vicinity.

The government of the in

its

stated,

theory,

may,

as

Sikhs, considered has, been

be termed a theocracy.

a temporal chief, preserves his

it

is

true

;

before

They obey

but that chief

power and authority by pro-

fessing himself the servant of the Khalsa*,

*

The word Khalsa, which has

plained to

mean

before been

the state or commonwealth,

is

exsup-


115

or government, which can only be said to act,

in

times of great public emergency,

through the means of a national council, of

which every chief

is

a member, and which

supposed to deliberate and resolve under

is

the immediate inspiration

an

invisible being;

and impulse of

who, they

believe,

always

watches over the interests of the commonwealth.

The nature of

the

power

by

established

the temporal chiefs of the Sikhs, has been sufficiently

explained in the narrative of It will be necessary, before

their history.

any account

given

is

of the forms and

actions of their Guru-mata, or great national council,

which

is

intended to have a su-

preme authority over

their federative

re-

posed, by the Sikhs, to have a mystical meaning , and 1

to imply that superior government, under the protec-

tion of

which " they

live,

and to the established rules

" and laws of which, as fixed by Guru G6vind,

"

is

their civil

and religious duty to conform."

it


ng to

public,

take a view of that body of

who, under the double

Acalis, or immortals,

character of fanatic priests and desperate

have usurped the

soldiers,

at Amritsar,

religious affairs

all

which

is

men

leading

consequently,

sole direction of

which deliberates under

all

are,

a council

in

held at that sacred

and

place,

and

the influence of

religious enthusiasm.

The Acalis*

are a class of Sikh devotees

who, agreeably to the nation, were

whose

first

;

historians of that

founded by Guru Govind,

institutes, as

it

has been before stated,

they most zealously defended against the innovations of the Bairagi Banda.

wear blue chequered

*

Aca.li,

cal, death,

clothes,

derived from Acal, a

It

is

and bangles,

compound term

and the Sanscrit privative

never-dying, or immortal.

They

a,

of

which means

one of the names of the

Divinity; and has, probably; been given to this re-

markable ing Acal

!

class of devotees,

Acal

!

from their always exclaim

in their devotions.

SKETCH OF THE SIKHS. round

or bracelets of steel*, initiate converts,

117

their wrists,

and have almost the

direction of the religious ceremonies at ritsar,

where they

deem themselves

reside,

sole

Am-

and of which they

the defenders

sequently, never desire to quit

and, con-

;

unless in

it

cases of great extremity.

* All Singbs do not wear bracelets

pensable to bave steel

;

but

it is

indis-

about their persons, which they

generally have in the shape of a knife or dagger.

In

support of this ordinance they quote the following verses of

Guru Govind Saheb bea

Tuhi

ki

:

rach'ha hamne,

Sri Saheb, churi, kati,

Acal puvukh

ki rach'ha

katar—

hamne,

Serv loh di rach'ha hamne, Servacal di rach'ha hamne,

Serv lohji di sada rach'ha hamne.

which may be translated "

infinite

"

lass,

Lord

is

over us

:

" The protection of the

:

thou art the lord, the cut-

The

the knife, and the dagger.

" the immortal Being

is

over us

:

protection of

the protection of

the protection of all-time

" all-steel

is

"

the protection of all-steel

is

over us

u over us."

:

over us

:

is

constantly


H8

This order of Sikhs have a place,

or

Bunga*, on the bank of the sacred

reser-

where they generally

resort,

voir of Amritsar,

but are individually possessed of properly,

though they charity

;

affect poverty,

and

subsist

which, however, since their

upon

num-

bers have increased, they generally extort,

by accusing the principal imposing

fines

chiefs of crimes,

upon them

;

and, in

the

event of their refusing to pay, preventing

them from performing

their

ablutions, or

going through any of their religious cere-

monies at Amritsar. It will not,

*

when the above circumstances

The Shahid and Nirmala, two

among

tribes

other religious

the Sikhs, have Bungas, or plaees, upon

the great reservoir of Amritsar;

but both these are

peaceful orders of priests, whose duty

is

to address the

Deity, and to read and explain the Adi-Grant'h to the Sikhs.

A

They

are, in general,

Sikh, of any tribe,

these classes, as their

among

body who choose

men

of some education.

may be admitted the Acalis, to

conform

into either of

who admit

all

to their rules.

into

;


||g

are considered, be thought surprising, that the most powerful of the Sikh chiefs should desire to conciliate this

body of

no

fanatics,

individual of which can be offended with

impunity, as the cause of one

cause of the whole

;

and a

is

made

chief,

the

who

is

become unpopular with the Acalis, must not only avoid Amritsar, but

have

his

likely

to

dependants taught, when they pay

devotions

their

is

at

that

place,

that

it

is

pious to resist his authority.

The

Ac&lis have a great interest in main-

taining both the religion

and government of

the Sikhs, as established

by Guru G6vind

on

as,

its

religious

pend. of

continuance in that shape, their

and

political influence

must de-

Should Amritsar cease to be a place

resort, or

be no longer considered as the

religious capital of the state, in

which

all

questions that involve the general interests

of the commonwealth are to be decided, this

formidable order would at once

fall

from that power and consideration which

;


120 they

now

to a level

possess,

with other

mendicants.

When council, to be,

a Guru-mata, or great national is

called, (as

it

always

or ought

is,

when any imminent danger

threatens

the country, or any large expedition

be undertaken,)

the Guru-matd,

and when the occasion,

it

is

this

solemn

concluded that

all

private

;

sacri-

and, actuated by prin-

pure patriotism, thinks of nothing

but the interests of the

monwealth,

When

man

personal feelings at the shrine of

the general good ciples of

called

meet upon

animosities cease, and that every fices his

is

convened by the Acalis

chiefs

is

to

the Sikh chiefs assemble

all

The assembly, which

at Amritsar.

is

to

religion,

and com-

which he belongs.

the chiefs

and principal leaders

are seated, the Adi-Grant'h and

Dasama

Padshah ka Grant'h are placed before them.

They

all

tures,

and exclaim, Wli

W& !

Giiriyi hi Fat eh

bend

their

heads before these scrip-

!

!

Guruji ka Khalsa

A

!

great quantity of

SKETCH OF THE SIKHS. cakes,

made of wheat,

121

and

butter,

sugar,

are then placed before the volumes of their

sacred writings, and covered with a cloth.

These holy cakes, which are

comme-

in

moration of the injunction of Nanac, to eat

and

to give to others to eat, next receive

who then

the salutation of the assembly, rise,

and the A calls pray aloud, while the

musicians

The

play.

when the

Acalis,

prayers are finished, desire the council to

They

be seated.

sit

down, and the cakes

being uncovered, are eaten of by those

of Sikhs: tribes,

which

*

A

all

classes*

of original

on other occasions, kept

are,

up, being on

token of

distinctions

this

occasion laid aside, in

their general

and complete union

custom of a similar nature, with regard

tribes eating promiscuously,

is

observed

among

Hindus, at the temple of Jagannath, where all

religions

Maha

and

casts,

the temple.

the

men

of

without distinction, eat cf the

Prasad, the great offering;

by the cooks of the

to all

idols,

i.

e.

food dressed

and sold on the

stairs

of


122 in

one cause*.

The A calls then exclaim

" Sirdars! (chiefs)

this

:

a Guru-mata!"

is

on which prayers are again said aloud.

The

chiefs, after this, sit closer,

each other

:

"

The

sacred Grant'h

" us,

let

"

internal disputes,

all

This

and say

to

betwixt

is

us swear by our scripture to forget

moment

patriotism,

is

and

to be united/'

of religious fervor and ardent

taken to reconcile

They then proceed

mosities.

all

ani-

to consider

the danger with which they are threatened, to settle the best plans for averting

to choose the generals

*

The Sikh

priest,

who

who gave an account of

medan

Sikhs, and those

sweeper eat a

prejudices, he at

cast,

little

and

are to lead their

custom, was of a high Hindu tribe

some of his

it,

first said,

who were

this

and, retaining

;

that

Muham-

converts from the

were obliged, even on

this occasion, to

apart from the other Sikhs

:

but, on being

closely questioned, he admitted the fact as stated in

the narrative;

saying, however,

solemn occasion that these with the others.

it

was only on

tribes are

this

admitted to eat

SKETCH OF THE SIKHS. armies* against the first

123

common enemy.

The

Guru-mat& was assembled by Guru

Govind

and the

;

when the

British

was called

latest

in

1805,

army pursued Holkar

into

the Penjab.

The

principal chiefs of the Sikhs are all

descended from Hindu

tribes.

There

indeed, no instance of a Singh of a

hammedan

is,

Mu-

family attaining high power-f-:

a circumstance to be accounted for from the hatred

of

still

cherished, by the followers

Guru Govind,

* The army

is

against the descendants of

called,

when thus assembled, the

Dal Khalsa, or the army of the

state.

f The Muhammedans who have become and

their

descendants,

are,

in

the

Sikhs,

Penjabi jargon,

termed Mezhebi Singh, or Singhs of the faith; and they are subdivided into the four classes which are vulgarly, but erroneously, supposed to distinguish the followers of

Moghul tions the

the

Muhammed, Sayyad

Singh, Sheikh Singh,

Singh, and Patan Singh; by which designa-

names of the particular race or country of

Muhammedans have been

distinctions of cast.

affixed,

by Hindus, as


124 his

persecutors

spirit

their

dans

and that

:

may

undiminished,

is

this

be seen from

treatment of the wretched

who

remain in

yet

rancorous

Muhamme-

their

territories.

These, though very numerous, appear to be all

poor, and to be an oppressed, despised

They

race.

the ground, and are

till

ployed to carry burdens, and to do of hard labour

:

em-

kinds

all

they are not allowed to eat

beef, or to say their prayers aloud,

seldom assemble

and but

mosques*; of

their

in

which few, indeed, have escaped destruction.

The lower

happy

:

they are protected from the tyranny

and violence of the they

live,

religion, try,

*

more

order of Sikhs are

chiefs,

by the precepts of

under their

and by the condition of

which enables them The Muhammedan

to flock to the British

their

coun-

abandon, when-

inhabitants of the Penjab used

camp; where, they

enjoyed luxuries which no

had not suffered privation. and feast upon beef.

to

whom

common

man

said, they

could appreciate that

They could pray

aloud,

SKETCH OF THE SIKHS. ever they

a

choose,

125

whom

leader

they

and the distance of a few miles

dislike;

generally places

them under the protection

of his rival and enemy.

It

is

from

this

cause that the lowest Sikh horseman usually

assumes a very independent

style,

highest chief treats

with attention and conciliation. officers,

—

to

whom

The

civil

the chiefs intrust their

and the

accounts,

and the

his military followers

management of

their

property and revenue concerns, as well as the conduct of their negotiations, general, Sikhs of the

—

Khalasa cast

are, in ;

being followers of Nanac, and not of

who,

Guru

Govind, are not devoted to arms, but educated they

peaceful occupations, in

for

which

become very expert and

often

in^

telligent.

In the collection of the revenue in the

Penjab that

the

it

is

stated to be a general rule,

chiefs,

to

whom

the

territories

belong, should receive one half of the pro-

:: ;


126

duce*, and the farmer the other

:

but the

chief never levies the whole of his share

and

in

no country, perhaps,

or cultivator, treated with

Commerce

not

is

and

the Rayat,

much encouraged

so

heavy duties are levied upon through whose

rulers

is

more indulgence.

it

districts

by it

added to the distracted

this,

all

petty

passes state in

which the Penjab has been, from the internal disputes of

its

possessors, caused the rich

produce of Casmir to be carried to India

by the

difficult

and mountainous

Jammu, Nad6n, and

Srinagar.

tract of

The Sikh

however, discovered the injury

chiefs have,

have suffered from

which

their interests

cause,

and have endeavoured, and not with-

out success,

merchant

now

;

flows

to restore

this

confidence to the

and great part of the shawl trade through the

cities

of Lahore,

Amritsar, and Patiala, to Hindustan. * Grain pays in kind; sugar-cane, melon?, 8cc. pay in cash.

SKETCH OF THE SIKHS. The tries

127

administration of justice in the coun-

under the Sikhs,

imperfect state

;

for,

inculcate general

is

in

a very rude and

though

their scriptures

maxims of

are not considered, as the

they

justice,

Old Testament

by the Jews, or the Koran by the Mu-

is

hammedans,

as

books of law

:

and, having

no fixed code, they appear to have adopted that irregular practice, which

is

most con-

genial to the temper of the people, best suited to the unsteady

and

and changing

character of their rule of government.

The

following appears to be the general outline

of their practice in the administration of justice.

Trifling disputes

tled

about property are

by the heads of the

tion*,

or

* This general ferences

is

by the

chiefs.

village,

by

arbitra-

Either of these

called Penchayat, or a court of five

number of

set-

;

the

arbitrators chosen to adjust dif-

and disputes.

It is usual to

assemble a Pan

cbayat, or a court of arbitration, in every part of India,

under a native government; and, as they are always


12 8

modes, supposing the parties consent to refer to

it, is

final

one or other. perty

is

;

and they must agree

recovered, and the party punished

by the person from

who

is

whom

was

it

stolen,

aided on such occasions by the inha-

bitants of his

village,

punishment, however,

Murder

is

or is

his

The

chief.

never

capital*.

generally revenged by the rela-

tions of the deceased,

who,

in

such cases,

rigorously retaliate on the murderer,

on

often

to

If a theft occurs, the pro-

and

all

who endeavour

men

of the best reputation in the place

protect

to

him. chosen from

where they meet,

this court

has a high character for

justice.

*

A

cutta,

Sikh

gave

among and

his

who

has been several years in Cal-

this outline

of the administration of justice

priest,

countrymen.

He

spoke of

it

with rapture

insisted, with true patriotic prejudice,

on

its

;

great

superiority over the vexatious system of the English

government; which was, he and

expensive,

rogues.

and

said, tedious, vexatious,

advantageous

only

to

clever


Sikhs, or rather

character of the

Singhs, which

Guru Govind, who

of

followers

name by which

the

is

129

are

devoted to arms, are distinguished,

They

marked.

somewhat

and are

their long beards,

active as the

Mahratas

all

Hindu

full

by as

and much more

;

a better and colder climate. equal, at

all

very

altered

to the

robust, from their living fuller,

is

is

have, in general, the

cast of countenance,

the

and enjoying

Their courage

times, to that of

any natives

of India; and when wrought upon by prejudice or religion, are

all

their

from

and as

are bold,

address

They

country, except for the defence

forts

rally serve

They

quite desperate.

horsemen, and have no infantry in

own

of their

is

;

villages,

though they gene-

infantry in

foreign armies.

and rather rough,

which appears more

to

in their

a stranger

their invariably speaking in a loud tone*

* Talking aloud

is

so habitual to a Sikh, that he

bawls a secret in your

It

ear.

me, that they have acquired

K

it

has often occurred to

from living in a country

SKETCH OF THE SIKHS

13

of voice

but

:

alike used

this is quite

by them

express

to

ments of regard and

a habit, and the

The Sikhs

hatred.

have been reputed deceitful and cruel I

is

senti-

but

;

know no grounds upon which they can

be considered more so than the other of India.

They seemed

intercourse I

to

me, from

had with them,

tribes all

the

more

to be

open and sincere than the Mahratas, and less

rude and savage than the Afghans.

They have, success, too

and too

indeed, become, from national

proud of

own

their

irritable in their

strength,

tempers, to have

patience for the wiles of the former

;

and

they retain, in spite of their change of manners

and

religion, too

much

of the original

where internal disputes have so completely destroyed confidence, that they can only carry on conversation

with each other at a distance to

impute

this boisterous

:

but

it is

fairer,

perhaps,

and rude habit to their living

almost constantly in a camp, in which the voice certainly loses that nice

modulated tone which

guishes the more polished inhabitants of

cities.

distin-

SKETCH OF THE SIKHS. character of their

Hindu

131

ancestors, (for the

great majority are of the

Hindu

race,) to

have the constitutional ferocity of the

The Sikh

soldier

generally

is,

latter.

speaking,

brave, active, and cheerful, without polish,

but neither destitute of sincerity nor attach-

ment

;

and

humanity,

if

he often appears wanting in not so

it is

much

to be attributed

to his national character, as to the habits of

a

life,

which, from the condition of the

society in which he

is

born,

is

generally

passed in scenes of violence and rapine.

The Sikh merchant, soil, if

he

is

a Singh,

or cultivator of the differs

little

in cha-

racter from the soldier, except that his oc-

cupation renders him boisterous.

He

also

less

presuming and

wears arms, and

is,

from education, prompt to use them whenever his individual interest, or that of the

community

in

which he

lives*, requires

* The old Sikh soldier generally returns village,

where

his

wealth,

him

to his native

courage, or experience,

always obtains him respect, and sometimes station and


132 to

do

The

so.

general occupations of the

Khalasa Sikhs has been before mentioned. The second march which

consequence.

army made

the British

into the country of the Sikhs, the head-

quarters were near a small village, the chief

who was upwards

a soldier, and retained

see

general, who was 3iniled,

and

said

which,

manner of

the look and

all

He came

former occupation. his anxiety to

or'

of a hundred years of age, had been

to

Lord Lake.

showed him the

I

He

sitting alone, in his tent, writing.

he knew better

:

his

me, and expressed

" The hero

who had

" overthrown Sindia and Holkar, and had conquered " Hindustan, must be surrounded with attendants, and " have plenty of persons to write for him."

him

that

coming

it

was Lord Lake; and, on

I

his

assured lordship

to breakfast, I introduced the old Singh,

seeing a

number of

officers collect

last satisfied of the truth of

what

I

who

round him, was at said

;

and, pleased

with the great kindness and condescension with which

he was treated by one great a man, sat talkative,

and related

sion of Nadir

whom

down on

Shah

all

he justly thought so

became quite

the carpet,

he had seen, from the inva-

to that

moment.

Lord Lake,

pleased with the bold manliness of his address, and the

independence of his sentiments, told him he would grant

him any favour he wished.

"

I

am

glad of

it,"

SKETCH OF THE SIKHS. Their character

133

widely from that of

differs

the Singhs. Full of intrigue, pliant, versatile,

and

insinuating, they have

lower classes

employed

whom,

all

the art of the

of Hindus, who

business

transacting

in

are usually

from

:

indeed, as they have no distinction

of dress,

very

is

it

difficult

distinguish

to

them.

The

religious

of Acalis, Shahid,

tribes

Their

and Nirmala, have been noticed.

said the old 4<

from

my

man

" then march away with your army

;

which

village,

be destroyed."

will otherwise

Lord Lake, struck with the noble

spirit

of the request,

assured him he would march next morning, and that, in the mean-time,

he should have guards, who would

protect his village from injury.

Satisfied

with this

assurance, the old Singh was retiring, apparently full

of admiration and gratitude at Lord Lake's goodness,

and of wonder meeting two

at the scene he

officers at the

had witnessed, when,

door of the

tent,

hand upon the breast of each, exclaiming time, " Brothers <(

you

at this

!

where

zcere

you

born,

he put a

at the

moment?" and, without waiting

answer, proceeded to his village.

same

and where are for

an


134

general character

of

The Acahs

life.

and daring which

formed from

is

are insolent, ignorant,

presuming upon those

:

numbers and

their

have established,

their

strangers,

for

deportment

whom

hardly

they entertain a

The Shahid and

particularly

is

and insufferable

contempt, which they take conceal.

rights

fanatic courage

tolerant to the other Sikhs, to

their habits

little

pains to

the Nirmala,

have more know-

the latter,

ledge, and more urbanity. They are almost all

men

many

and

of quiet, peaceable habits;

of them are said to possess learning.

There

is

called the

another tribe

Nanac

among

the Sikhs,

Pautra, or descendants of

Nanac, who have the character of being a mild, inoffensive race

not acknowledge the

;

and, though they do institutions

of Guru.

Govind, they are greatly revered by followers,

race

who

hold

of their

sacrilege to injure the

founder

advantage which fords them, the

it

his

;

and,

under the

this general veneration af-

Nanac Pautra pursue

their

;

SKETCH OF THE SIKHS. occupations cants,

which,

if

they are not mendi-

generally that of travelling mer-

is

They do not

chants. fess,

;

135

carry arms

and pro-

;

agreeably to the doctrine of Nanac, to

be at peace* with

The Sikh stated,

all

mankind.

converts,

continue,

after

it

has been before

they have quitted

their original religion, all those civil usages

and customs of the

tribes to

which they

belonged, that they can practise, without infringing the tenets of tutions of Gurd

Nanac, or the

insti-

Govind. They are most par-

ticular with regard to their intermarriages

and, on this point, Sikhs descended from

Hindus almost invariably conform

to Hindti.

customs, every tribe intermarrying within

*

When

Lord Lake entered the Penjab,

in 1805,

a

general protection was requested, by several principal chiefs, for the

Nanac Pautra, on

the ground of the

veneration in which they were held, which enabled

them,

it

was

stated, to travel all over the

country with-

out molestation, even when the most violent wars existed.

It

was, of course, granted.


136

The Hindu

itself.

usage, regarding diet,

also held equally sacred

;

is

no Sikh, descended

from a Hind 6 family, ever violating

it,

ex-

cept upon particular occasions, such as a

Guru-mata, when they are obliged, by

and

institutions, to eat promiscuously.

strict

observance of these usages has

tenets

The

their

enabled

many

of the Sikhs, particularly of

the Jat* and Gujarf* tribes, which include

almost

all

those settled to the south of the

Satlej, to preserve

an intimate intercourse

with their original tribes

;

who, considering

the Sikhs not as having lost cast,

Hindus that have joined a *

The

but as

political associa-

are Hindus of a low tribe,7 who,' takinc o advantage of the decline of the Moghul empire, have,

by

their

Jats

courage and enterprise, raised themselves into

some consequence on the north-western dustan, and

India are

many

still

parts of Hin-

of the strongest forts of that part of

in their possession.

f The Gujars, who

are also Hindus, have raised

themselves to power by means not dissimilar to those used by the Jats. are of this tribe.

Almost

all

the thieves in Hindustan


137

which obliges them to conform

tion,

general rules established for

its

to

preservation,

neither refuse to intermarry* nor to eat with

them.

The

higher cast of Hindus, such as Brah-

mens and

Cshatrijas,

who have become

Sikhs, continue to intermarry with converts

of their

own

tribes,

but not with Hindus of

the cast they have abandoned, as they are

polluted

by eating animal food

;

all

kinds

of which are lawful to Sikhs, except the

cow, which

it

held sacrilege to slay-f.

is

Nanac, whose object was

Muhammedans

to

his

hog's flesh also; but his

successors, as

spirit

it

to conciliate the

creed,

prohibited

was introduced by

much, perhaps, from a

of revenge against the Moslems, as

from considerations of indulgence

*

A

to

the

marriage took place very lately between the

Sikh chief of Patiala, and that of the Jat Raja, of B'haratpur.

f Their

prejudice regarding the killing of cows

stronger, if possible, than that of the Hindus.

is


138

numerous converts of the Jat and Gujar

among whom

tribe,

wild hog

a favourite

is

species of food.

The Muhammedans, who become

Sikhs,

intermarry with each other, but are allowed preserve none

to

of their usages, being

obliged to eat hog's flesh, and abstain from circumcision.

The but

Sikhs are forbid the use of tobacco*,

allowed

liquors,

excess

;

indulge

to

which they almost

and

it is

* The Khalasa Sikhs,

f Spirituous

all

drink

to

rare to see a Singh soldier,

Their drink

after sunset, quite sober.

Guru Govind's

spirituous -j*

in

who

institutions,

is

an

follow Nanac, and reject

make

use of

it.

liquors, they say, are allowed

by that

verse in the Adi-Grant'h, which states, " Eat, and give

" unto others to eat.

" drink.

Be

Drink, and give unto others to

glad, and

also an authority, quoted

make

others glad."

There

is

by the Sikhs, from the Hindu

Sastras, in favour of this drinking to excess.

Durga,

agreeably to the Sikh quotations, used to drink, because liquor inspires courage; and this goddess, they say,

was drunk when she slew Mahishasur,

SKETCH OF THE SIKHS. made

ardent spirit*,

139

the Penjab; but

in

they have no objections to either the wine

when they can obtain

or spirits of Europe,

them.

The use of opium,

common

to intoxicate,

is

very

with the Sikhs, as with most of the

They

military tribes of India.

also take

B'hang-f, another inebriating drug. to their

women

no material respect from

that of

The conduct of the Sikhs differs in

the tribes of Hindus,

from

whom

they

are

or

Muhammedans,

moral character with regard #

When

him by a

phant, and

to

women, and

Fateh Singh, of Aluwal, who was quite a

young man, was with the gratified

field

attended

I

British army, Lord

review.

He

;

him upon another.

and B'hag Singh, an old

ners, at

"

is

once

said,

ashamed

Lake

was upon an

before sunset he became low and uneasy. it

Their

descended.

I

chief, of frank,

A

ele-

little

observed

rough man-

" Fateh Singh wants his dram, but

to drink before you."

I

requested

lie

would follow his custom, which he did, by drinking a large cup of spirits,

f Cannabis

sativa.


140

indeed in most other points, may, from the

freedom of

be con-

their habits, generally

sidered as

much more

ancestors,

who

lived

severe restrictions,

lax than that of their

under the

and whose

communication from

their

restraint of

fear of ex-

at

cast,

least

obliged them to cover their sins with the veil

of decency.

Sikhs despise

famy which

:

This the emancipated

and there

this

is

hardly an in-

debauched and

dissolute

race are not accused (and I believe with justice) of

committing in the most open

and shameful manner.

The Sikhs

are almost

all

horsemen, and

they take great delight in riding.

Their

horses were, a few years ago, famous

;

and

those bred in the Lak'hi Jungle, and other parts of their territory,

were justly

cele-

brated for their strength, temper, and activity

:

but the internal distractions of these

territories

has

been

unfavourable to the

encouragement of the breed, consequently declined

;

which has

and the Sikhs now

SKETCH OF THE SIKHS. are

in

no

respect

it

would be

difficult to

of their

select

would be admitted as

horses that

mount

mounted than

better

From a hundred

the Mahratas.

cavalry

141

native

troopers

in

the

ten to

fit

English

service.

Their horsemen use swords and spears,

and most of them now carry matchlocks, though some

still

use the

bow and arrow

;

a

species of arms, for excellence in the use of

which

their forefathers

which

their descendants

were celebrated, and

appear to abandon

with great reluctance.

The education of

the Sikhs renders them

hardy, and capable of great fatigue; and the condition of the society in which they live, affords

spirit

constant exercise to that restless

of activity and enterprise which their

religion has generated.

not be epicures

:

rally to despise

they appear, indeed, gene-

luxury of

themselves in their coarse is

Such a race can-

diet,

fare.

and pride Their dress

also plain, not unlike that of the Hindus,


142

and

equally light

divested

of ornament.

Some

of the chiefs wear gold bangles

this

rare ;

is

their dress

The

but

characteristic of

living, is simplicity.

principal leaders

affect to

among

the Sikhs

be familiar and easy of intercourse

with their

and

and the general

and mode of

;

inferiors,

and

to despise the

Muhammedan

state of the

chiefs

pomp :

but

their

pride often counteracts this disposi-

tion;

and they appeared

proportion

in

quence, more if

to

me

to have,

to

their

rank and conse-

state,

and

to maintain equal,

not more, reserve and dignity with their

followers, than

usual with the Mahrata

is

chiefs.

It

would be

difficult, if

to ascertain the

of the Sikh the

territories,

number of

raise

or even to

compute

the armies which they could

bring into action.

can

not impracticable,

amount of the population

They boast

that they

more than a hundred thousand

horse: and,

if it

were possible

to

assemble

every Sikh horseman, this statement might

SKETCH OF THE SIKHS. not be an exaggeration haps, no chief

143

but there

:

among them, except

is,

per-

Ranjit

Singh, of Lahore, that could bring an effec-

body of four thousand men

tive

The

field.

in 1805,

force of Ranjit Singh did not,

amount

to eight

thousand; and

part of that was under chiefs

subdued from a

state of

whose turbulent minds pation which they

but

is

it is

independence, and

ill

brooked an usur-

commonwealth.

now more numerous

than

it

His was,

composed of materials which have

no natural cohesion check which its

who had been

deemed subversive of the

constitution of their

army

into the

it

dissolution.

;

and the

first

serious

meets, will probably cause


144

There is

is

SECTION

III.

no branch of

this

sketch which

more curious and important,

offers

more

difficulties to

the religion of the Sikhs.

or

that

the inquirer, than

We

meet with a

creed of pure deism, grounded on the most

sublime general truths, blended with the belief of all the absurdities of the

mythology, and the fables of

danism;

for

Nanac

Hindu

Muhamme-

professed a desire to

reform, not to destroy, the religion of the tribe in

which he was born

;

and, actuated

by the great and benevolent design of reconciling the jarring faiths of

Muhammed,

Brahmd and

he endeavoured to conciliate

both Hindus and Moslems to his doctrine,

by persuading them

to reject those parts of

their respective beliefs

and usages, which,

he contended, were unworthy of that

God


whom

He

they both' adored.

145

upon

called

the Hindus to abandon the worship of idols,

and

to return to that pure devotion of the

Deity, in which their religion originated.

He

called

stain

upon

the

Muhammedans

to ab-

from practices, like the slaughter of

cows, that were offensive to the religion of the Hindus, and to cease from the persecution of that race.

He

to conciliate them,

many

adopted, in order

maxims

of the

which he had learnt from mendicants, who professed the principles of the Sufi sect;

and he constantly

celebrated

writings of the

Kabir*,

who was a

admired

referred to the

Muhammedan

professed

and who

Stifi,

* This celebrated Sufi, or philosophical deist, lived in the time of the Ernperor

trade,

a weaver;

works.

They

are

but has written all

He

Shir Shah.

composed

philanthropy and benevolence

and, above

Muhammedans and Hindus, by both is

by

in a strain of universal ;

culcated religious toleration, particularly

memory

was,

several admired

all,

he

in-

between the

of

whom

his

held in the highest esteem and veneration.

L

;


146

inculcated the doctrine of the equality of the relation of

all

created beings to their

Nanac endeavoured, with

Creator.

power of

his

authorities,

the

all

own genius, aided by such both

impress

to

Muhammedans

Hindus and

with a love of toleration

and an abhorrence of war

;

and

He

as peaceable as his doctrine.

was

his life

appears,

indeed, to have adopted, from the hour in

which he abandoned pations

to

that

his

worldly

occu-

of his death, the habits

practised by that crowd of holy mendicants,

Sanyasis and

Fakirs,

with

swarms.

He conformed

and

extraordinary

his

whom

India

to their customs austerities*

are

a

constant theme of praise with his followers.

His works are

all in

praise of

God

;

but he

* Nanac was celebrated for the manner in which he

performed Tapasa, or austere devotion, which requires the mind to be so totally absorbed in the Divinity, as to

be abstracted from every worldly thought, and

for as

long a period as

sustaining.

human

strength

is

this

capable of


polytheism of the Hindus with

treats the

respect,

and even veneration.

shows a disposition

its

and

false

He

to destroy the

but only wishes to divest tinsel

147

of

it

its

never fabric,

useless

ornaments, and to establish

complete dependence upon the great

Creator of the universe.

He

where of Muhammed, and with moderation

;

speaks every

his successors,

but animadverts boldly

on what he conceives to be and, above

on

all,

their

their errors;

endeavours to pro-

pagate their faith by the sword.

As Nanac made no

material invasion of

either the civil or religious usages of the

Hindus, and as store a nation their original

he

may

his

only desire was to re-

who had degenerated from pure worship* into idolatry,

be considered more in the light of a

reformer than of a subverter of the Hindu

* The most ancient Hindus do not appear

to

have

paid adoration to idols; but, though they adored God,

they worshipped the sun and elements.


!48

and those Sikhs who adhere

religion

;

tenets,

without admitting those of

to his

Guru

Govind, are hardly to be distinguished from the great

whom

mass of Hindu population are

there

much more than

many

who

sects

that of

among

;

differ,

Nanac, from the

general and orthodox worship

at

present

established in India.

The

first

successors of

Nanac appear

have taught exactly the same leader;

their

armed

all

and

though

his followers,

ciple of self-defence, in justified,

It

character

lowers

;

Har

Govind

was on a

prin-

which he was

fully

even by the usage of the Hindus.

was reserved

new

it

to

doctrine as

for

Guru Govind

to give a

the religion of his

to

not by making any material

tion in the tenets of

blishing institutions

only separated

fol-

altera-

Nanac, but by

esta-

and usages, which not

them from other Hindus,

but which, by the complete abolition of distinction of casts, destroyed, at

a system of

civil

polity, that,

all

one blow,

from being


149

interwoven with the religion of a weak and bigoted race,

upon a

fixed the rule of

had withstood the shock

basis that

of ages.

Though

commu-

a vast

and obedience

nity in tranquillity rulers, it

Hindus

the code of the

to preserve

was calculated

priests

its

had the natural

the country, in which

it

its

of making

effect

was

to

established, an

easy conquest to every powerful foreign invader; and

appears to have been the

it

contemplation of

Govind

resolve

this effect that

made Guru

on the abolition of cast, as

a necessary and indispensable prelude to

any attempt

to

arm

the

original

native

population of India against their foreign tyrants.

He

called

break those chains bigotry

in

upon

all

Hindus

to

which prejudice and

had bound them, and

to

devote

themselves to arms, as the only means by

which they could free themselves from the oppressive government of the

Muhamme-

dans; against whom, a sense of

his

own

wrongs, and those of his tribe, led him to


150

preach eternal warfare.

was meant

trine

and

be popular,

to

The

promised equality. lations of

His religious doc-

invidious appel-

Brahmen, Cshatriya, Vaisya, and

Sudra, were abolished.

The

pride of descent

might remain, and keep up some tions

but, in the religious code of

;

it

every Khalsa Singh

(for

Govind,

such he termed his

was equal, and had a

followers)

distinc-

like title to

the good things of this world, and to the blessings of a future

life.

Though Guru Govind mixes, even more than Nanac, the mythology of the Hindus with

own

his

though

tenets;

desire

his

them, in opposition to the

to conciliate

Muhammedans,

against

whom

he always

breathed war and destruction, led him to

worship

at

though

the

among

Hindu peculiar

sacred

shrines

customs

and

his followers, are stated to

and

;

dress

have been

adopted from veneration to the Hindu goddess of courage,

impossible

to

Durga Bhavani

reconcile

the

;

yet

religion

it is

and

SKETCH OF THE SIKHS. usages, which

established, with

G6vind has

It does not, like

the belief of the Hindus. that

of Nanac,

dogmas of the

some

question disciples

151

favourite

of Brahma-, and

attack that worship of idols, which few of

upon the ground of

these defend, except

these figures, before which they bend, being

symbolical representations of the attributes of an all-powerful Divinity at once to subvert the

;

but

Guru Govind

prevails,

Brahma must

fall.

proceeds

foundation of the

Wherever the

whole system.

it

religion

the institutions of

The admission of

pro-

selytes, the abolition of the distinctions cast, the eating

of

all

of

kinds of

flesh,

of

except

that of cows, the form of religious worship,

and the general devotion of

all

Singhs to

arms, are ordinances altogether irreconcilable with

Hindu mythology, and have

dered the religion of the Sikhs as to the

Brahmens, and higher

Hindus, as

it

orders of that

is

ren-

obnoxious

tribes

of the

popular with the lower

numerous

class of

mankind.


152

character of the religion shall take

of the

Sikhs,

a more detailed view of

progress, tenets,

A

general

rapid sketch of the

After this

I

origin,

its

and forms.

Sikh author*,

whom

I

have followed

in several parts of this sketch,

very par-

is

ticular in stating the causes of the origin of

the religion of different

Yugas, or ages of the world, stated

is

the present,

written that the

is

human

completely depraved author,

"

he describes the

:

The

Hindu mythology.

in the

which

Nanac

:

that in which

race would

Yug, it

become

speaking of the Cali Yug, "

rise in the

world,

" tend with cast friction,

;

was

" Discord," says the

sin

prevail,

" universe become wicked

"

Cali

;

will

and the

cast will con-

and, like bamboos in

consume each other

to embers.

" The Vedas, or scriptures," he adds, "

will

" be held in disrepute, for they shall not

" be understood, and the darkness of igno-

*

B'hai

Gdr6 Das

B'hale.

SKETCH OF THE SIKHS. " ranee this

will prevail

Such

every where f

is

author's record of a divine prophecy

regarding this degenerate age. to state

what has ensued

" lowed

own

his

" separated

" prayed

:

path,

He

;

and

some Surya

to the earth, to

sects

" others worshipped " judge of the dead)

fol-

were

Chandra

(the sun)

;

some

the sky, and the

and the water, and the

air,

proceeds

" Every one

some worshipped

;

" (the moon)

"

153

fire,

while

D'herma Raja ;

and

(the

in the fallacy of

" the sects nothing was to he found but " error.

In short, pride prevailed in the

" world, and the four casts* established a

" system of ascetic devotion.

From

these,

" the ten sects of Sanyasis, and the twelve " sects of Yogis, originated. " the

Srivira,

Thejangam,

and the Deva Digambar,

" entered into mutual contests.

The Brah-

" mens divided into different classes

;

# Brahmen, Cshatriya, Vaisya, and Sudra.

and

.


154

" the Sastras, Vedas, and Puranas*, con-

" tradicted each other. " (philosophical

sects)

The

six

Dersans

exhibited

enmity,

" and the thirty-six Pashands (heterodox " sects) arose, with hundreds of thousands " of chimerical and magical

" sects

:

and

thus,

mantra)

from one form, many

" good and

many

" and

prevailed

error

(t antra

forms originated,

evil

in

the

Yug,

Cali

" or age of general depravity."

The Sikh author pursues

this

account

of the errors into which the Hindus

fell,

regarding

the

passage

with

a

origin

and progress of the Muhammedan

curious

religion

" The world," he writes, " went on with " these numerous divisions, when

"

med Yara-f

appeared,

Muham-

who gave

origin

* Different sacred books of the Hindus.

t Yar titles,

among

of God.

and one of the prophet's

signifies friend;

his followers,

is

Yar-i-Khuda, or the friend


155

" to the seventy-two sects*, and widely

He

" disseminated discord and war. " blished the Rozeh o Aid

"

vals),

"

made

and

and

festi-

(prayer),

and

(fast

Namaz

the

esta-

his practice of devotional acts pre-

" valent

a multitude of

in the world, with

" distinctions, of Pir

" (prophet),

Ulema

(saint),

Paighamber

order of priest-

(the

" hood), and Kitab (the Koran).

He

de-

" molished the temples, and on their ruins

" built

mosques,

the

slaughtering

cows

" and helpless persons, and spreading trans-

" gression " Cafirs

and wide, holding

far

Mulhids

(infidels),

in hostility

(idolaters), Ir-

" menis (Armenians), Rumis (the Turks), " and

Zingis

(Ethiopians).

" greatly diffused " Then," " two races

" the other

*

this

Thus

vice

the universe."

itself in

author adds, " there were

in the

world

;

Muhammedan

The Muhammedan

into seventy-two sects.

religion

the one Hindu, ;

and both were

is

said to

be divided

;:

SKETCH OF THE SIKHS,

156

" alike excited by pride, enmity, and ava-

"

rice, to viotence.

" heart on "

The Hindus

Ganga and Benares

hammedans on Mecca and

;

set their

Mu-

the

the Caaba:

" the Hindus clung to their mark on the

" forehead

and brahminical

" Moslemans to

" the

their

Ram

" one cried other

(the

Rahim

circumcision

name (the

the

string; :

merciful)

one

;

" name, but two ways of pronouncing " forgetting

" Koran "

:

equally the

Vedas and

it

the

and through the deceptions of

lust, avarice,

" swerved

the

of an Avatar),

the world, and Satan, they

equally

from the true

path

" while Brahmens and Moulavis destroyed " each other by their quarrels, and the " vicissitudes of

life

and death hung always

" suspended over their heads. "

When

the world was in this distracted

" state, and vice prevailed," says this writer, " the complaint of virtue, whose dominion " was extinct,

reached the throne of the

" Almighty, who created Niinac,

to en-


157

w lighten and improve a degenerate and

" corrupt age "

God

:

and that holy man made

Supreme known

the

to

all,

giving

" the nectareous water that washed his feet

He

" to his disciples to drink.

" Virtue her strength,

restored to

blended the four

" casts * into one, established one

mode

of

" salutation, changed the childish play of

" bending the head at the

feet of idols,

" taught the worship of the true God, and " reformed a depraved world/'

Nanac

appears, by the account of this

have established

author, to

by the usual modes

sanctity

mendicants. living

He

for

of religious

upon sand and swallow- wort, and

* There

is

no ground

altogether abolished by

to

and unite

all in

;

and, after attain-

conclude that casts were

Nanac; though

and writings had a tendency

A

fame

performed severe Tapasaf*,

sleeping on sharp pebbles

"t*

his

his doctrines

to equalize the

Hindus,

the worship of one God.

kind of ascetic devotion, which has been before

explained.


158

ing fame by this

commenced

his

of penance,

kind

he

with the view of

travels,

spreading his doctrine over the earth.

Nanac had completed

After trial

he

travels,

cended

Sidd'his*,

supposed to have

is

Sumeru,

to

all

his terres-

seated

where he a

in

as-

saw the These,

circle.

from a knowledge of that eminence for

which he was predestined, wished to make

him assume

the characteristic devotion of

their sect, to

which they thought he would

While means were used

be an ornament. to effect

this

purpose, a divine voice was

heard to exclaim ««

own

" and

:

"

Nanac from

sect, distinct

all

and

his

" joyful to the

Cali

Yug."

gods.

who

The name

(saints) are is

form

his

the Yatis-f-

name

Sidd'his;

* The Sidd'his

shall

shall

After

be

this,

the attendants of the

most generally applied

to those

wait on Gauesa.

+ The name Yati priests of the Jainas;

yasis,

is

most usually applied

but

and other penitents.

it is

to the

also applicable to San-

SKETCH OF THE SIKHS. Nanac preached

God

to

the adoration of the true

Hindus; and then went

the

instruct the

Muhammedans,

temples at Mecca. the holy

159

men

are

to

in their sacred

When

that place,

at

said to have

gathered

round him, and demanded, Whether

their

of the Hindus, was the best

faith, or that

?

" Without the practice of true piety, both/' said

Nanac, " are erroneous, and neither

" Hindus nor Moslems " before the throne of

" tinge of

God

scarlet, that

be acceptable

will

for the

;

faded

has been soiled by

" water, will never return.

You

both de-

Ram

" ceive yourselves, pronouncing aloud

" and Rahim, and the way of Satan pre"

vails in the universe."

The courageous independence with which

Nanac announced hammedans, biographers.

is

his religion

Mu-

to the

a favourite topic with

He was one day

even struck, as one of these

his

abused, and relates,

by a

Moullah, for lying on the ground with feet in the direction of the sacred

his

temple of

—


160

How

"

Mecca.

darest thou, infidel!" said

Muhammedan

the offended

priest,

" thy feet towards the house of

" Turn them,

you can,"

if

" turn

God

s

V

—

said the pious

but indignant Nanac, " in a direction where " the house of

Nanac

is

not."

Mu-

" That prophet was sent," he

hammed. said,

God

did not deny the mission of

" by God, to

this

world, to do good,

" and to disseminate the knowledge of one "

God

through means of the K6ran

" he, acting on the principle of " which

all

human

;

but

free-will,

beings exercise, intro-

" duced oppression, and cruelty, and the

" slaughter of cows*, for which he died.

"

lam now sent,"

he added, " from heaven,

" to publish unto mankind a book, which "

shall

"

God

"

who *

to

reduce to

all

the

names given unto

one name, which

calls

him by any

Nanac appears on

this,

is

God

of the Hindus.

and he

and every other occasion,

have preserved his attachment to

dogma

;

other, shall fall into

this

favourite

:

SKETCH OF THE SIKHS. " the path of the **

bound

**

You

and have

chains

the

in

devil,

i6'l

his feet

of wretchedness.

Muhamme-

have/' said he to the

dans, " despoiled the temples, and burnt

"

and

the sacred Vedas, of the Hindus;

" you have dressed yourselves

in dresses

of

" blue, and you delight to have your u praises sung from house to house but I, :

" who have seen " that

" your jarring

"

to

faiths,

is

and

sent to reconcile I

implore you to

no

man

taught;

for

will

What

has

The Al-

not ask to what tribe or

" persuasion he belongs. " ask,

God

shall be saved except he

" has performed good works.

" mighty

your own

useless without obedience

doctrine

the

said,

am

I

their scriptures, as well as

" but reading "

you,

tell

the Hindus equally hate you and

" your mosques. u read

the world,

all

He

will

only

has he done ? Therefore those

"

violent

and continued disputes,

"

subsist

between the Hindus and Mosle-

" mans, are

as

which

impious as they are unjust."

M

;:


162

Such were the

according to

doctrines,

which Nanac taught to both

his disciples,

He

Hindus and Muhammedans.

professed

veneration and respect, but refused adoration to the founders of both their religions

had great " of

"

tolerance.

Muhammeds,"

A hundred

said

;

he

for which, as for those of all other tribes,

thousand

Nanac, " a million

u of Brahmas, Vishnus, and a hundred " thousand Ramas, stand at the gate of the "

Most High. These

"

is

immortal.

" the

" of

praise

" whose

all.

heart

good

God

;

alone

Yet men, who unite

of God,

proves

subdued

" a

perish

not

are

living in contention with

" which *<

all

that

He is

the

alone just:

ashamed

each other

evil is

in

spirit

has

a true Hindu

and

he only

Muhammedan whose

life

is

is

" pure."

Nanac

whom

is

stated,

by the Sikh author from

the above account of his religion

is

taken, to have had an interview with the

supreme God, which he thus describes

— ;

SKETCH OF THE SIKHS. " One

day Nanac

163

heard a voice from

He

" above exclaim, N&nac, approach!" replied, "

Oh God

what power have

!

" stand in thy presence?"

" Close thine eyes."

and advanced

:

The

Nanac

shut his eyes,

Wa !

did so, and heard the word

Guruji, or

God

said,

voice said,

he was told to look up

done, pronounced five times well done

:

he

or well

and then

;

I to

Wa !

After this

teacher.

" Nanac! I have sent thee into

Yug (or depraved my name/' Nanac

" the world, in the Cali " age)

go and bear

Oh God how can I bear the mighty burthen? If my age was extended to

said,

"

;

"

!

" tens of millions of years,

" immortality, aud

my

if

I

drank of

eyes were formed of

" the sun and moon, and were never closed,

" *'

still,

oh God!

I

could not presume to

take charge of thy wondrous name."

" I

will

be thy

Guru

(teacher)," said

" and thou shalt be a

M and thy sect

shall

"

is

their

word

Guru

to all

God,

mankind,

be great in the world

Puri

Puri.

The word

! ;


164

" of the Bairasi 4C

Ram Ram that of the Om Nama Narayen and the

Sanyasi,

is

!

!

!

!

!

" word of the Yogis, Ades

Ades

!

and the

!

" salutation of the Muhainmedans " Alikam "

Ram

!

and that of the Hindus,

;

but the word of thy sect

" Guru, and I

will forgive

" thy disciples. " the Bairagis

Mat

;

is

called

the crimes of

Ramsala; that of

Dherma

Thou must teach unto thy

my name

;

be

that of the Sanyasis,

;

" lowers three lessons "

Ram

shall

that of thy tribe shall be

" Sala.

Salam

The place of worship of

" the Yogis, Asan "

is

:

the

to worship

first,

the second, charity

fol-

;

the third,

" ablution. They must not abandon the " world, and they must do ill to no being; " for into every being have I infused breath

" and whatever I am, thou

" us there

is

no

difference.

art, for

It is

betwixt

a blessing

" that thou art sent into the Cali Yug." After

this,

" teacher

!

"

Wa Guru I

or

zvell

done,

was pronounced from the mouth

u of the most high

Guru

or teacher (God),

;

SKETCH OF THE SIKHS. " and

"

Nanac came

dom

to give light

165

and

free-

to the universe."

The above

a sufficient view of

will give

the ideas which the Sikhs entertain regarding the divine origin of their faith as

;

which,

taught by Nanac, might justly be

first

deemed

the religion of peace.

" Put on armour," says Nanac, " that

"

harm no one

will

" be

;

let

thy coat of mail

that of understanding,

" thy enemies to friends.

and convert

Fight with va-

" lour, but with no weapon except the " word of God."

Nanac

All the principles

which

inculcated, were those of pure deism

but moderated, in order to meet the deeprooted usages of that portion of

mankind

which he wished to reclaim from

Thou
the lives and habits

Muhammedans, he approved

Koran-, * This fact

He is

error.

of the

admitted the truth of the

admitted by Sikh authors.

It

is,

how-

ever, probable, that Nanac was but imperfectly ac-

quainted with the doctrines of that volume.


166 ancient

Hindu

Vedas, religion

contended

but

that

the

had been corrupted, by the

introduction of a plurality of gods, with the

worship of images

;

which led

their

minds astray from that great and eternal Being, to

whom

adoration should alone be

He, however, followed the forms of

paid.

the Hindus, and adopted most of their doctrines

which did not

and leading

tenet.

to veneration, of the

interfere with his great

He

admitted the claim

numerous catalogue of

Hindu Devas, and Devatas, deities

held

it

;

or

inferior

but he refused them adoration.

impious to slaughter the cow

;

He

and he

directed his votaries, as has been seen, to

consider ablution as one of their primary religious duties.

Nanac,

according to

Penjabi authors,

admitted the Hindu doctrine of metempsychosis.

He

believed, that really

would enjoy Paradise

;

good men

that those,

who had

no claim to the name of good, but yet were not bad, would undergo another probation,

:

SKETCH OF THE SIKHS. by

revisiting the

and

that the

world in the

167

human form

bad would animate the bodies

of animals, particularly dogs and cats it

appears, from the same authorities, that

Nanac was acquainted with medan

state

;

to his followers

Muham-

the

doctrine regarding the

and a future it

but

:

of man,

fall

and that he represented system, in which

as a

God, by showing a heaven and a hell, had, his great

goodness, held out future rewards

and punishments had

man, whose

to

him

left free, to incite

and deter him from bad. reward and punishment in

the

in

Hindu and

gion, that

it

is

in the

was not

reconcile his followers

to

good

The

same

Muhammedan this

reli-

Nanac

point

:

to

but

he seems to have

bent to the doctrine of Brahma. writings, however,

principle of

difficult for

in this, as in all others,

actions,

so nearly the

upon

he

will

In

all his

he borrowed indifferently

from the Koran and the Hindu Sastras

and

his

cessors

;

example was followed by

;

his suc-

and quotations from the scriptures


168

of the Hindus, and from the book of

hammed, into

all

are

indiscriminately

Mu-

introduced

their sacred writings, to elucidate

those points on which

it

was

their object to

reconcile these jarring religions.

With the exact mode instructed his

followers

in

which Nanac

to

address

prayers to that supreme Being

taught them to adore, I

am

their

whom

he

not acquainted.

Their D'herma Sala, or temples of worship, are,

in

are,

of course, banished.

general,

plain

buildings.

Images

Their prescribed

forms of prayer are, I believe, few and simple.

Part of the writings of Nanac,

which have since been incorporated with those of his successors, in the Adi Grant'h, are

read,

or rather recited,

solemn occasion.

These are

upon every

all in

praise of

the Deity, of religion, and of virtue against impiety

and immorality.

Grant'h, the whole of the is

ascribed to Nanac,

rest

of the

is

first

;

and

The Adi

part of which

written, like the

books of the Sikhs, in the

!

SKETCH OF THE SIKHS. Gurumuk'h*

character.

169

can only judge

I

very imperfectly of the value of this work

but some extracts, translated from

it,

ap-

pear worthy of that admiration which

bestowed upon

by the

it

The Adi-Grant'h

is

in verse;

termed Pidi, which means,

by which a man

;

is

Sikhs.

and many

Nanac, are

of the chapters, written by

or flight of steps

:

literally,

a ladder

and, metaphorically, that

ascends.

In the following fragment,

literally trans^

lated from the Sodar rag asa mahilla pehla

of Nanac, he displays the supremacy of the

God, and the

true

vatas,

and

of the

De-

other created beings, to the uni-

Creator;

versal

inferiority

however they

been elevated into

deities

may have

by ignorance or

superstition.

Thy

portals,

how wonderful

thy palace, where thou

Numberless and

they are, sittest

infinite are the

how wonderful

and governest

claim thy praises.

*

A

all

sounds which pro-

modified species of the Nagari character.

;

!


17 q

How

numerous are thy

Peris, skilful in

music and

song

Pavan (air), water, and Vasan tar (fire), celebrate thee

D'herma Raja

Hindu Rhadamanthus)

(the

cele-

brates thy praises, at thy gates.

Chitragupta (Secretary to D'herma Raja) celebrates thy praises

;

who,

skilful in writing, writes

and

administers final justice. Iswara, Brahma, and Devi, celebrate thy praises

they declare in

fit

;

terms thy majesty, at thy

gates.

Indra celebrates thy praises, sitting on the Indraic throne amid the Devatas.

The

just celebrate thy praises in profound meditation, the

pious declare thy glory.

The Yaris and The

the Satis joyfully celebrate thy might.

Pandits, skilled in reading, and the Rishiswaras,

who, age by age, read the Vedas,

recite thy

praises.

The Mohinis

(celestial courtezans), heart alluring,

inhabiting Swarga, Mritya, and Patala, celebrate thy praises.

The Ratnas

(gems), with the thirty-eight Tirt'has

(sacred springs), celebrate thy praises.

Heroes of great might celebrate thy name; beings of the four kinds of production celebrate thy praises.


continents, and regions of the world, celebrate

thy

praises

mundane All

171

Brahmanda

(the

which thou hast established

firm.

the

;

egg),

who know thee

universal

praise thee, all

who

are desirous

of thy worship.

How numerous they are who praise thee my comprehension: how, then, describe

He, even he,

He

is,

of

them is

shall

Nanac

?

the Lord of truth, true, and truly just.

he was, he passes, he passes not, the preserver all

that

Of numerous

is

preserved.

hues, sorts and kinds, he

author of

Maya

Having formed the

pleases

is

the original

(deception). creation,

Avork, the display of his

What

they exceed

!

him he

he surveys his

own

own

greatness.

does, and no order of

any

other being can reach him.

He

is

the Padshah and the Fudsaheb of Shahs;

Nanac

resides in his favour.

These few verses to show, that

it

are, perhaps, sufficient

was on a principle of pure

deism that Nanac entirely grounded religion.

It

was not

that the minds of

possible,

his

however,

any large portion of man-

kind could remain long fixed in a belief

;


172

which presented them only with general

and those of a nature too vast

truths,

their contemplation or

followers of

for

comprehension. The

Nanac, since

his death,

paid an adoration to his name, which

have is

at

variance with the lessons which he taught

they have clothed him in of a

saint:

all

him

they consider

lected instrument of

God

the true faith to fallen

the attributes

to

man

;

as the se-

make known and, as such, not only

they give him divine honours;

performing pilgrimage to his tomb,

but

addressing him, in their prayers, as their saviour and mediator.

The

religious

tenets

and usages of the

Sikhs continued, as they had been esta-

by Nanac*,

blished

till

the time of

Guru

* Certainly no material alteration was made, cither in

the belief or forms of the Sikhs, by any of his suc-

cessors

armed

before

Guru Govind.

liar

G6vind, who

his followers to repel aggression,

appear to

have made a temporary

effort to

would only

oppose

his


173

Govind; who, though he did not

alter the

fundamental principles of the established

made

faith,

so complete a change in the

sacred usages and

character

them an

entirely

and though the Sikhs

:

their veneration for

Govind

habits of his fol-

civil

lowers, that he gave

new

retain

all

Nanac, they deem Guru

have been equally exalted, by

to

the immediate favour and protection of the

Divinity

and the Dasama Padshah ka

;

Gran th,

or

book of the tenth king, which

was written by Guru Govind,

is

in every respect, as holy as the of I

Nanac, and cannot

better

his

considered,

Adi Grant'h

immediate successors.

explain

the

which Guru Govind has made

pretensions to the

rank

of a prophet, than by exhibiting his

own

account of

from

his mission in

his Vichitra

a

literal

version

Natac.

enemies, without an endeavour to effect any serious

change

in the religious belief or

which he belonged.

customs of the sect to

:

SKETCH OF THE

174 " I

now

my own

declare

" the multifarious

SIKHS.

austerities

and

history,

which

I

have

" performed. " Where the seven peaks

rise

beautiful

" on the mountain Hemacuta,

and the

" place takes the

name

of Sapta Sringa,

" greater penance have I performed than " was ever endured by

" tating constantly on " "

till

diversity

My

father

Pandu

Raja, medi-

Maha Cal and

was changed

into

Calica,

one form.

and mother meditated on the

" Divinity, and performed the Yoga, "

Guru Deva approved

"

Then

the

Supreme

till

of their devotions.

issued his order,

and

" I was born, in the Call Yug, though

my

" inclination

the

" world,

was not

my

mind being

" of the Supreme.

" Being

" addressed

—

I

come fixed

When

made known

" into the world.

"

to

The

into

on the foot

the

supreme

his will, I

was sent

eternal Being thus

this feeble insect

have manifested thee as

my own

M son, and appointed thee to establish a

—

SKETCH OF THE SIKHS. " perfect Pant'h

Go

(sect).

175

into the world,

" establish virtue and expel vice/' "

"

—I

my

stand with joined hands, bending

head

at thy

word

" prevail in the world, " thine

" world

the Pant'h shall

when thou

was

lendest

sent into

the

thus I received mortal birth.

As

aid. :

—Then

:

I

" the Supreme spoke to me, so do

I speak,

" and to none do I bear enmity.. Whoever " shall

call

me Parameswara,

" into the pit of hell

:

he

shall sink

know, that

I

am

only

" the servant of the Supreme, and con" cerning

this entertain

As God

no doubt.

" spoke, I announce unto the world, and

" remain not " As

God

silent in the

world of men.

spoke, so do I declare, and

" regard no person's word.

I

wear

I

my

" dress in nobody's fashion, but follow that

" appointed by the Supreme.

I

perform

" no worship to stones, nor imitate the " ceremonies of any one.

" the

infinite

I

pronounce

name, and have attained

" the supreme Being.

I

wear no

to

bristling


176

H locks on

my

" ear-rings.

"

my

ears

;

head, nor adorn myself with

I receive

no person's words

but as the Lord speaks,

in

I act.

" I meditate on the sole name, and attain "

my

To no

object.

other do I perform

" the Jap, in no other do " meditate on the

" the supreme " meditate;

infinite

light.

the

confide

I

:

I

name, and attain

On no

name of no

other do I

do I

other

" pronounce. " For

this sole reason, to establish virtue,

" was I sent into the world by Gur(i Deva. "

'

Every where/

said he,

'

establish virtue,

" and exterminate the wicked and vitious/ " For

this

" birth

;

purpose have I received mortal

and

this let all the virtuous

under-

" stand. To establish

virtue, to exalt piety,

" and

the

to

extirpate

vitious

utterly.

" Every former Avatar established his

own

" Jap

;

" no

one established both the principles

but no one punished the

" and practice of virtue,

" Every holy

man

irreligious,

(Dherm Carm).

(Gh6us), and prophet


177

" (Ambia), attempted only to establish his

" own reputation

in the

world

but no one

;

" comprehended the supreme Being,

or

" understood the true principles or practice " of virtue.

" any

avail

" There

"

The

is

".

doctrine

no benefit

this fix in

"

this

;

doctrine of no other

in

fix in

is

of

your minds.

any other

doctrine,

your minds.

Whoever reads the Koran, whoever

reads the Puran, neither of them shall

" escape death, and nothing but virtue

"

Millions of

shall avail at last.

" read the Koran, they " merable Purans;

" avail in the

but

life to

may it

men may

read innu-

shall

be of no

come, and the power

" of destiny shall prevail over them."

Guru Govind, origin of

after this

his mission, gives

account of the a short account

of his birth and succession to the spiritual duties at his father's death.

" At the f

f

command

of

God

I received

mortal birth, and came into the world.

178


" This I

now

attend to

declare briefly;

" what I speak. "

My father journeyed

" performing

" springs.

ablution

When

towards the East,

in

all

the sacred

he arrived at Triveni,

" he spent a day in acts of devotion and " charity. On that occasion was I mani" fested.

In the town of Patna I received

" a body.

Then

the

Madra Des

received

" me, and nurses nursed me tenderly, and " tended me with great care, instructing

"

me

attentively

every

" reached the age of

" parted to the Deva Loca. with

my father deWhen I was

the dignity

of Raja,

" established virtue to the utmost of " power.

"

cies

I

Dherm and Carm

" (principles and practice),

" invested

When

day.

I

my

I addicted myself to every spe-

of hunting in the forests, and daily

" killed the bear and the stag.

When

I

" had become acquainted with that coun-

"

try, I

proceeded to the city of Pavata,


179

" where I amused myself on the banks of " the Calindri, and viewed every kind of " spectacle.

There

number

I slew a great

" of tigers ; and, in various modes, hunted " the bear."

The above passages of that

gave

will

convey an idea

impression which

Guru G6vind

his followers of his divine mission.

shall shortly

made it

was

enumerate those

alterations

he

whom

in the usages of the Sikhs,

render, through the

his object to

means of

I

religious enthusiasm,

a warlike

race.

Though Guru Govind was brought up the religion

of Nanac, he appears, from

having been educated priests of

in

Mathura,

to

among

Hindu

the

have been deeply

tainted with their superstitious belief;

and

he was, perhaps, induced by considerations of policy, to lean

still

more strongly

prejudices, in order to induce

come

converts

to

to their

them

that religious

community, by means of which

to be-

military it

was


180

the

destroy

object to

his

Muhammedan

power.

The of

principal of the religious institutions

Guru Govind,

is

that of the Pahal,

ceremony by which a convert into the tribe of Sikhs

;

speaking, that of Singhs. this

institution

is

to

or,

initiated

is

more properly

The meaning of

make

the convert a

member

of the Khalsa, or Sikh

wealth,

which

he

—the

common-

can only become by

assenting to certain observances

the de-

;

voting himself to arms for the defence of the commonwealth, and the destruction of its

enemies

ting

*

the wearing his hair, and put-

;

on a blue dress*.

It]

been before

has

lowers of G6vind do not

but they gard of

all it

is

of them

that

wear their hair; and

chiefs

were

Three

one day

was a Khalsa Singh,

others of the Khalasa tribe of Sikhs.

ing and joking with the

the

all

fol-

the blue dress,

their jealous re-

not to be described.

agents of Sikh

one

stated,

now wear

and I

Khalsa Singh,

inferior

ray

in

the

tent;

two

was laugh-

who

said

SKETCH OF THE SIKHS. The mode

which Guru Govind

in

initiated his converts,

writer;

and,

same

as that

state

it

is

as I believe

now

Govind, he says,

first

described by a Sikh nearly the

is

it

observed, I shall shortly

he has described

as

181

Guru

it.

Mak'-

after his arrival at

he had been ordered to attend

me

Among

to Calcutta.

other subjects of our mirth, I rallied him on trusting

himself so

much

in

my

power.

"

Why, what

" worst," said he, " that you can do

"

I

am

at such a distance

hand across

The man's and

my

from

the

me, when

to

?"

chin, imitating the act

I

passed

my

of shaving.

face was in an instant distorted with rage,

"

his sword half drawn.

he to me, " of the offence

"

home

is

strike you,

who

" master and the

You

are ignorant," said

you have given.

I

cannot

are above me, and the friend of state.

my

But no power," he added,

" shall save these fellows," alluding to the two Khalasa Sikhs, " from

my

revenge, for having dared to

« smile at your action." difficulty,

It

was with the greatest

and only by the good

chiefs, that I

of this Singh.

was able

offices of

to pacify the

some Sikh

wounded honour


182 haval,

them

initiated

how

instructions

The mode

is

and gave

converts,

five

to

others.

initiate

The convert

as follows.

is

told that

he must allow

He must

clothe himself from head to foot

He

in blue clothes.

weapons

the five

bow and those

"

Guru

then presented with

is

a sword, a

:

initiate

him then

is

first

and the

first

knife,

kings of

of

The

sugar and

round

or dagger, and

some

chapters of the Adi-Grant'h,

Dasama Pad-

chapters of the

The goddess of

sented in the

"

stirred

shah ka Grant'h, are read

*

Some

put into a cup, and

with a steel

of the

One

says,

a

thy holy teacher, and thou art

is

" his Sikh or disciple."

water

firelock,

and a pike*.

arrow,

who

his hair to grow.

;

courage, Bhavani Durga, repre-

Dasama Padshah ka

Guru Govind,

goddess of war, and

and those who

is

Grant'h, or book of

as the soul of arms, or tutelary

thus addressed

" edge of the sword, thou

:

"

Thou

art the

art the arrow, the sword,

" the knife, and the dagger."

;;


183

perform the initiation exclaim, WaJ Guruji

ka Khdlsa! TVa! Guruji to the state of the

the

Guru

been repeated " sherbet

" drink

is

Victory attend

!

exclamation

this

five times,

water of life

disciple obeys

;

and some

prepared in a similar manner,

sherbet,

sprinkled over his

head and beard.

these ceremonies, the disciple

consents to be of the faith of

He

has

they say, " This

It is the

nectar.

The

it."

Guru

After

!)

Fateh! (Success

ki

is

is

After

asked

if

he

Guru Govind.

He

answers, " I do consent."

is

then

told, " If you do, you must abandon

all

" intercourse, and neither eat, drink, nor

sit

" in company with " I shall name.

" mal

;

men

The

of five sects which

first,

the

Mina

D'hir-

who, though of the race of Nanac,

" were tempted by avarice to give poison " to Arjun

;

and, though they did not suc-

" ceed, they ought to be expelled from

" society.

The second

are the

" a sect

who

"

and endeavour

priests,

call

Musandia

themselves Gurus,

or

to introduce he-


184 " terodox " Rayi,

The

doctrines*.

the

descendants

Ram

third,

Ram

of

Ray,

" whose intrigues were the great cause of " the destruction of the holy

ruler,

Tegh

" Singh.

Kud

i-niar,

The

fourth are the

" or destroyers -f of their " Fifth, the Bhadani,

own

who shave

" of their head and beards/' after this

the hair

The

disciple,

warning against intercourse with

sectaries, or rather schismatics,

in

daughters.

some general

is

instructed

precepts, the observance of

which regard the welfare of the community into

which he has entered.

be gentle and polite to

all

He

is

with

told to

whom

he

converses, to endeavour to attain wisdom,

and

to

emulate the persuasive eloquence of

He

Baba Nanac.

is

particularly enjoined,

whenever he approaches any of the Sikh temples, to do spect, *

and

to

it

go

Guru Govind put

with reverence and reto

Amritsar, to pay his

to death

t This barbarous custom Rajaputs

in

many

many

still

of this tribe.

prevails

parts of Hindustan.

among

the

SKETCH OF THE SIKHS. devotions

of which he

interests

occasions,

consider

is

instructed

or

and

all

paramount

to

his

to labour

worship which he

he

visits

to in-

town of Arn-

at every

that

told,

the

;

on

crease the prosperity of the ritsar;

state

directed,

is

to

He

own.

Khalsa,

the

to

185

place of

will

be con-

ducted in the right path by the Guru (Guru

He

Govind).

is

the duty of

it is

Khalsa,

or

instructed to believe, that

all

who belong

those

commonwealth of

to the

the Sikhs,

neither to lament the sacrifice of property,

nor of

he

is

life,

in support of

each other

and

;

directed to read the Adi-Grant'h and

Dasama Padshah ka

Grant'h, every morn-

ing and every evening. received from

God, he

to share with others. ciple has heard

Whatever he has is

And

it is

similar precepts, he

duly

initiated.

Singh,

is

duty

his

after the dis-

and understood

and

Guru Govind

told

all

these

declared to be

agreeably to this

Sikh author, after initiating the

first

five


186

disciples in the

mode above

stated, order-

ed the principal persons among them* to initiate

him exactly on

which he

The author from whom

did.

above account

Govind was claimed,

similar occasions,

is

the

when

taken, states, that

at the point of death, he ex-

" Wherever five

Sikhs

are

as-

" sembled, there I also shall be present!"

and, in consequence of this expression, five

number necessary

Sikhs are the

a Singh,

or

institutions of

Guru

admitted from universe. at

The

any time of

Singhs

all

By

convert.

all

make

religious

Govind, proselytes are

tribes

initiation life,

the

to

and

may

casts in the

take place

but the children of the

go through

this rite at

a very early

age.

The

leading tenet of

Guru Govind's

• Agreeably to this author, tiated on Friday, the 8th of the

reli-

Guru Govind was month B'hadra,

ini-

in the

year 1753 of the sera of Vicramaditya; and on that

day his great work, the Dasama Padshah ka Grant'h, or

book of the tenth king, was completed.

SKETCH OF THE SIKHS. gious

187

which obliges

institutions,

his

fol-

devote themselves to arms,

lowers to

stated, in one of the chapters of the

is

Dasama

Padshah ka Grant'h, or book of the tenth king, written in praise of

Durga B'havani,

the goddess of courage

" Durga,"

says, "

G6vind

:

appeared to

" was asleep, arrayed in

me when

hand the

I

The

her glory.

all

my

" goddess put into

Guru

hilt

of

" a bright scimitar, which she had before " held in her own. "

Muhammedans/

'

The country of the

said the goddess,

'

shall

" be conquered by thee, and numbers of " that race shall be slain/

" heard

this, I

exclaimed,

" be the guard to

" because, in

its

'

After I had

This steel shall

me and my

lustre,

O

" thy countenance,

followers,

the splendour of

goddess!

is

always

« reflected*/"

*

An

Guru

author,

whom

I

have often quoted,

says,

Govind gave the following injunctions to his

followers

:

"

It is right to slay a

Muhammedan

wher-


188

The Dasama Padshah ka Grant'h of

Guru Govind which

I

appears, from the extracts

have seen of

passages.

Its

it,

to

abound

in fine

author has borrowed largely

from the Sastras of the Brahmens, and the

He

Koran.

accepted of like

God

of his

that

Sanscrit

and grounds

his faith,

upon the

God; whose power and

he however describes by so

appears often

from

Hindu mythology,

difficult to

that

their gross idolatry.

taken

from

it

separate his purer

He, how-

ever, rejects all worship of images,

opinion

many

names, and with such constant

allusions to the

belief

;

as a holy saint,

predecessors,

adoration of one attributes

Nanac

praises

on an

one of the ancient

Vedas, which declares, " that to worship

" ever you meet him.

" him and "

among

plunder

you.

If

him,

you meet a Hindu, beat and divide

Employ your constant

" the countries ruled by

his

effort to

Muhammedans.

" oppose you, defeat and slay them."

property destroy If they

SKETCH OF THE SIKHS. " an idol

made

" as foolish as "

is

139

of wood, earth, or stone,

it is

impious

;

for

God

is

alone

deserving of adoration."

The

great points,

G6ru Govind

by which

however,

has separated his followers

from the Hindus, are those which

for ever

have been before stated

;

—

-the

destruction

of the distinction of casts, the admission of proselytes,

and the rendering the pursuit of

arms not only admissible, but the duty of the

all his

Hindus,

followers.

Whereas, among

agreeable

to

Sastra, (one of the

the

an occupation,

is

occa-

A

Brah-

allowed to obtain a livelihood by

is

arms,

all

their

only lawful to

the Cshatriya or military tribe.

men

Dherma

most revered of

sacred writings,) carrying arms on sions, as

religious

if

The

he can by no other mode.

Vaisya and Sudra are not allowed to make

arms

their profession,

them

in self-defence.

The

though they

sacred book of

may

Guru Govind

is

use

not

confined to religious subjects, or tales of

;


190

Hindu mythology,

related in his

but abounds in accounts

own way

of the battles

which he fought, and of the actions which were performed by the most valiant of followers.

Courage

is,

throughout

placed above every other virtue vind, like

;

work,

and G6-

Muhammed, makes martyrdom

for the faith

and most

this

his

which he taught, the shortest

certain road to

honour in

this

world, and eternal happiness in the future.

The opinion which Govind

will

the Sikhs entertain of

be best collected from

their

most esteemed authors. " Gurti Govind Singh/' one* of those writers

states,

" Avatar.

" himself,

He

own

appeared

sect,

He

eternal,

the

tenth

and incom-

established the Khalsa,

and, by exhibiting singular

" energy, leaving the hair on " seizing the

as

meditated on the Creator

invisible,

" prehensible. " his

"

scimitar,

he

his

head, and

smote

* B'hai Gtirvi Das Bhale.

every

SKETCH OF THE SIKHS. " wicked person.

He bound

" of chastity round his

loins,

igi

the garment

grasped the

" sword of valour, and, passing the true " word of victory,

" the

became

" Devatas,

he

his foes,

" punishment

;

inflicted

on them

and, with great success,

" fused the sublime

in

and seizing the

of combat;

field

victorious

Guru

dif-

Jap (a mystical

" form of prayer composed by

" vind) through the world.

Guru G6As he was

" born a warlike Singh, he assumed the " blue dress

" Turks, " (God).

;

and, by destroying the wicked

he exalted

No

the

name

of Hari

Sirdar could stand in battle

" against him, but

all

of them fled

" whether Hindu Rajas, or

;

and,

Muhammedan

" lords, became like dust in his presence. "

The mountains,

hearing of him, were

" struck with terror

;

the whole world was

" affrighted, and the people fled from their

" habitations.

In short, such was

" that they were

all

his

fame,

thrown into conster-

" nation, and began to say,

'

Besides thee.


192 "

O

Sat Guru!

" danger/ "

no

is

dispeller

of

and displayed

seized

no person could

sword,

his

there

— Having

his

resist

" might."

The same

author, in a subsequent pas-

a very characteristic account

gives

sage,

of that

of hostility which the religion

spirit

of Guru Govind breathed

hammedans it

against the

and of the manner

;

treated those sacred writings,

in

Mu-

which

upon which

most of the established usages of Hindus are grounded.

"

By

" great

" ledge.

command

the

of the Eternal, the

Guru disseminated Full of strength

the true

know-

and courage, he

" successfully established the Khalsa (or

"

Thus,

state).

at

founding

once

the

" sect of Singh, he struck the whole world

" with awe

:

overturning temples and sacred

" places, tombs and mosques, he levelled " them

all

with the plain

:

rejecting the

" Vedas, the Purans, the six Sastras, and " the

Koran

;

he

abolished

the

cry

of

;

SKETCH OF THE SIKHS. "

Namaz (Muhammedan the Sultans lords

193

prayer),

and slew

reducing the Mirs and Pirs

;

priests of the

and

Muham-

*

(the

'

medans) to

1

their sects; the

'

the

'

and found no

<

The Brahmens,

'

Jotishis (or astrologers),

'

relish for

4

ped stones and temples, and forgot the

6

Supreme.

he overturned

silence,

Moullahs

from

benefit

their studies.

Pandits,

the

worldly things

these

and

the

had acquired a :

they worship-

two

the

sects,

8

Muhammedan

4

volved in delusion and ignorance,

and Hindu, remained

the third sect of the purity.

and

(professors),

were confounded,

Kazis (judges),

Thus

all

When,

at

in-

when

Khalsa originated in the

order of

Guru

Govind, the Singhs seized and displayed the

scimitar,

then

subduing

all

their

enemies, they meditated on the Eternal

and, as soon as the order of the

High was manifested

Most

in the world, cir-

cumcision ceased, and the Turks trembled,

when they saw

the ritual of

Mu-


194 "

hammed

destroyed

:

then the

Nakara

" (large drum) of victory sounded through-

" out the world, and fear and dread were " abolished.

Thus

" established,

and

the

third

was

sect

greatly

increased

in

" might."

These

extracts,

and what

stated, will sufficiently

have before

I

show the character

of the religious institutions of vind

;

Guru G6-

which were admirably calculated to

awaken, through the means of fanaticism, a

of

spirit

courage

and

independence,

among men who had been ages,

with to

society,

that

which

degraded they

believe themselves born.

Govind sought, could

content,

for

condition

in

were

taught

to

The end which

not, perhaps,

have

been attained by the employment of other Exhortations respecting their

means.

civil

rights,

and the wrongs which they

tained,

would have been wasted on minds

enslaved

by

superstition,

sus-

and who could

only be persuaded to assert themselves men.

SKETCH OF THE SIKHS. by an impression

that

is

was the

it

Heaven they should do

195

so.

will of

His success

a strong elucidation of the general cha-

racter of the race,

Hindu

That

natives of India.

though in general mild and peaceable,

take the most savage and ferocious turn,

when roused

to

action

by the influence

of religious feeling. I

have mentioned,

in the narrative part

this

Sketch, the attempt of the Bairagi

Banda

to alter the religious institutions of

of

Guru Govind, and

its failure.

The

tribe

of

who have now assumed

Acalis (immortals),

a dictatorial sway in

all

the religious cere-

monies at Amritsar, and the Nirmala and Shahid,

who

read the sacred writings,

hereafter introduce

some changes

usages which the Sikhs revere

probable that the

spirit

:

may

in those

but

it

is

of equality, which

has been hitherto considered as the vital principle of the Khalsa or

and which makes

own

all

commonwealth,

Sikhs so reluctant to

either a temporal or spiritual leader,


196

tend greatly to preserve their

will

tutions from invasion

a

tradition

by the

which

is

and

Sikhs,

and

:

stated, in

is

it

believed

universally

been

indeed,

has,

serted in their sacred writings, that

Govind, when he was asked by

who surrounded

lowers,

whom he would

insti-

in-

Guru

his

fol-

his death-bed, to

leave his authority

?

replied,

have delivered over the Khalsa (com-

'

I

'

mon wealth)

'

have been your guide, and

'

serve

'

to

'

to the state,

you

its

to

God, who never

dies.

I

will still pre-

read the Grant'h, and attend

;

tenets

;

and whoever remains true

him

From

will I aid."

these

dying words of Guru Govind, the Sikhs believe themselves to have been placed, their last

and most revered prophet, under

the peculiar care of

ment

to

this

them

to

consider

monwealth)

God

:

mysterious

a

as

an impression serious

by

is

obstacle,

the

and

principle,

Khalsa

theocracy

likely to if

their attach-

not

;

leads

(or

com-

and

such

oppose a very an

insuperable

SKETCH OF THE SIKHS. to

barrier, chiefs,

the

designs

who may

establish

of any

hereafter

197 of their

endeavour to

an absolute power over the whole

nation.

THE END.

Printed by J. Moyeg, Greville Street, London.

Sketch of the Sikhs - LIEUTENANT-COLONEL MALCOLM

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