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80 80 HISTORY OF INDIA. [Book IV.

A.D. — The Almighty will not ask to what tribe or persuasion he belongs. He will only ask, What has he done? Therefore, those violent and continued disputes which subsist between the Hindoos and Moslemans, are as impious as they are unjust."^

GovindSiDh. Govind Sinh, while adopting the leading principle of Nanak as to the accept- ableness of all sincere worship to the supreme Being, is chiefly distinguished from him bv the abolition of the distinction of castes, the mode of admittino- proselytes, and not only permitting the use of arms, but making it the religious duty of all his followers. As to the mode of admitting a proselyte, it may be suflicient to mention, that he required him to clothe himself from head to foot in a blue dress, to allow his hair to grow, put into his hand five weapons — a sword, a firelock, a bow, an arrow, and a pike ; and after reading some of the first chapters of a work composed by Nanak, and of another composed by him- self, concluded the initiation by exclaiming — Wa! Guruji ha Khalsa! Wa! Guruji lei Fateh {Success to the state of the Garu! Victory attend the Guru!) The forms still observed differ little from the above. At present, the Sikhs consist of seven distinct branches, all professing to follow the doctrines of Nanak, though separated by diflferences in practice or the choice of a teacher.

Different The Ulasis, professing, as their name denotes, indifference to worldly vicissitudes,

braiiclies

of siidis. are purely religious characters, devote themselves to prayer and meditation, prac- tise celibacy, and are usually collected in sanjats, colleges, or convents. They may be regarded as the genuine disciples of Nanak. The Suthrek Shahis, dis- tinguished by wearing a perpendicular black streak down the forehead, and carrying two small black sticks, aljout half a yard long, which they clash together when they solicit alms, lead a vagabond life, begging and singing songs, mostly of a moral or mystic tendency. They bear a bad name, and must deserve it, as many of them are gamblers, drunkards, and thieves. The great body of the nation are both politically and religiously Govind Sinhs, or fol- lowers of the celebrated chief of whom some account has been given. In addi- tion to what has been said of their tenets, it will be sufficient here to observe, that though they have their own sacred books and eat all kinds of flesh, except that of kine, and treat the distinction of castes as imposture or delusion, they are still, to a certain extent, Hindoos. They worship Hindoo deities, celebrate Hindoo festivals, and derive their legends and their literature from Hindoo sources.

The Jains. fjij^g rcHgion of Buddha, who, as we have seen, is often ranked as one of the

avatars of Vishnu, at one time gained an ascendency in India, and has left in many parts of the country, and particularly in some of the rock cave.s, remark- able monuments of its power and popularity. These having brought it into collision with the Brahmins, a fierce contest ensued, and terminated in its expul- sion. In many adjoining countries, it still holds undisputed sway, and counts

' Sir John Malcolm's Sketch of the Sikhs, Asiatic Researches, vol. .i. p. 274, 275.