Page:The Sikhs (Gordon).djvu/16

 SIKHISM. In disoitting the religions of the Punjab, iling sect vliich hnd which ' i million i adhorenu provin Michael do voted an intcr- 'ii o Sikhism, tlio religion its origin in tho Punjab, w professed by over three -ibis, and, while it has few •tside the inhabitants of tho '* vigorous expression to lost Strongly-marked cha. the Punjab races and par- tho typical Punjabi peasant Sikhism, as pointed out by Ibbet&on mid others, was like Buddhism 20 cen- turies earlier, a rovolt against tho pre i Jot. -....vo u mvon against the pre- to sions of tho Brnhmius, tho fettorB 01 the cast® system, and tho exaggera- tion of Hindu ritual. But Buddha living in the very centro of Hinduism, while ho rejected tho gods of tho Hindus, knowing no other, proachcd n vague pantheism, that thoro was no personal God, and that escape from the weariness of this world to Nirvana or Nothingness was to bo found only in a blameless life, tfnnok f tho founder of tho Sikh religion, was, I iiko Buddha, a Kshntriya Hindu! born towards tbo end of the loth century 1 near Lahore in tho bordorland between advancing Islam and receding Hindu- nnder tho shadow of monotheism. , travelled fnr in Mohammedan lands and was on friendly terms with .uohammedan religious teachers. TOLERANCE. . r •—** circumstances profoundly mfludicod his _ touching, which may bo summed up in a few worn* , -tho Fatherhood of God and the s brotherhood of man. Eo taught 1 vii, Thcr ? , nQ8 but ono God, not tho 'Vw- °J nor th ® Para mesh var of H'admsm but tho God of all man- kind and of all religions. While not attacking eitlior Hinduism or Islam he preached what was best in both! 'Mule claiming neither direct divine W I ?, or tho miraculous powers "heh his followers have credited him with in many beautiful incidents of his ife, ho declared himself a prophet (Guru) and propounded a simple but lofty moral code. Ho prescribed n, i caste rules or ceremonial rites, regard !"? , So. ns unnecessary if not harm- ■i ; but ho accepted the Hindu venera- i r "m for tho cow (of which tho Sikhs 0 f n- 0 ! 0 t . l ° stou,est champions) and the Hindu doctrine of transmigration ■ os t . h .°, raenns b ? 'vhicb the soul became I fX'** ," na 10 r °j° in 'ts maker. In Ibbetson s words, he attacked nothing I ho condemned nobody, ho sought to, draw men from tho shadow to the sub- I maker and br>nfi tLcm noarer to their - PEACEFUL CRRED. t /° I,0 T* ° f this P° acef '*i »nd tolerant creed were known ns Sikhs or disciples, and the doctrines spread steadily among the Hindus and even among the -Mohammedans of the cen- tral Punjab. Nanok was held in equal reverence by both, and at his death both claimed him as their prophet and his shroud was divided between them. Na link's quietist teachings were earned on by his successors. Gurus Angad, Anuir Dos and Ram Das during tho 16th century. Ram Das ,h0 fourth Guru nbout 1580 a.i> ob- tained from tho tolerant Emperor Akbar— whose attempt to establish a "nu- religion combining tbo best features -Iimlmcm -..-I l_l i ■ for him. They hnd been pra mendacity for three or four Th° idea struck mo sove.„, . put a stop to this trickery or tho Guru a conrort to Islam, till n at this tiino Kbusru crossed tho in that direction. Tho Guru w seo him and ho happened to at tho place whore tho Guru livi hod an interview with tho Prii supplied him with much iufoi Ho applied to the Prince's forel murk of saffron, culled, in tho .... °* tho Hindus. Sashka: they do i _iEny_of-fl-good omen. No sooner hear oT this than, convinced as I the absurdity oi the notion, 1 <^ho Guru to b" brought into my sence, I ordered his sous and his tntious and dwellings to be banded i to Murtaaa Khan (tho Governor Lahore). All Ins property was coi * pd to the State and lie himself „ in rigorous confinement." In such words might ono of u Glnud art Emperors of R omo have described the measure* taken to mimic i Unl *"? successors and prevent the spread oi the new cult of the Christ iani in the Imperial household. RESULT OF TYRANNY. This happened in 1606. The Guru was imprisoned just outside the Lahore tort wke.o hi, S.mdJI, „„„ Ho died within a few months ns tho result of his captivity; but pious Sikhs believe that having obtained leave to bntlio in the Ravi he miraculously ilia, appeared in its waters. The blood of martyrs is the seed of tho Church land tween tho Sikhs and tho Mohammedan power which for centuries caused to mud, disorder and bloodshed in the
 * idcs and evinced tho great
 * thus began the senes of confiicta be-
 * not th of India, and ended in the oust-

ing of the Moghuls and the establish* men t of a Sikh kingdom in the Punjab. As Elpliinstono writes, "This net of tyranny changed tho Sikhs from in- offensive quictists into fanatical warriors." Har Govind, the son and successor I of Aryan, inspired his followers with iko spirit of revenge and hatred of the , oppressor, and began that process 0 ( transforming the Sikhs into a militant nationality (similar cuuses led to the simultaneous growth of the -Mnhrntta i uution in Southern India) which was carried on by his .successors Har Raj Har Kislian and Teg Bnlindur and was completed nearly 100 years later by tjie tenth Guru, Govind Singh. The' pro- selytising persecutions of Aurangiib in mulated that transformation. About 1675 the ninth Guru leg Bahadur was birmgtu captive to Delhi because he Imd opposed tho Emperor's attempts to forco tho inhabitants of Kashmir to * embrace Islam. Ho was there behead- ed under tbo Emperor's ordbrs, and an j interesting Sikh tradition attributes to (him. before bis execution, tho prophesy • °f th® coining of a race from bevond the sens that would root out Ids' Moghul j ■^■'THE NEW ETHlCSflHHH Guru Govind the last and greatest ^ Guru succeeded his father in 1675, at 1 the age of 15. Ho spent many years in organising his followers ami preparing them for the final stage of militant Mklitsm which he had ovolved. This he of Hinrli.i.rn 1 i'i" 8 U '°, fenturci; Sikhism which he had ovolved This Ik- fc p m te &•. tank and tho construction of tho Goldon <«c; n no *i,„ temple m its centre. This work was Vi.k ! 1 i f °. ° Bn Na " nk ' completed towards tl.o end of tho f, ■ 1 ", pnhu ' been customary. Mon century by tbo fifth Guru, Arjnn a l < rj f , ,, w . nt * r in which tho Gurus hud 01 an of great enterprise and ability, ' v oaUO^ t hei r f eo t, a custom which led who compiled tho Adi Grnntli or Sikh , gfCa , t humility But tho Eiinlsa cun — - . . ... now only bo maintained as a nation by ■ vunijiiiu.i uiu ,iai unintn or MKh — ipture. amassed mucli wealth, and placed tho Sikh religion and its fol- lowers under a definite organisation. Aryan's growing influence in the Central Punjab brought him into collision with tho Moghul Empire, of which at that time Luhoro was usually tlio capital. LAHORE BESIEGED. Akbar was succeeded in 1605 by his son Juliaugir. Julmngir's oldest son, Khusru, promptly raised tlio standard of revolution, besieged Lahore, and rallied to his standard ull such local forces ns be could influence. Ho was however, dofented by Jahangir in 16U6 and taken prisoner. Jahangir believed that Guru Aryan had assisted Khusru fin his rebellion. In his memoirs lie (gives a most graphic account of tile then Sikh situation and how lie hand' ed it. . As the pnssngo i- little known T quote it in full. Jnlinngir writes: — "At Goviudwal. on tl.e banks of tlio i Bias, there lived n Hindu named Arjau I who had assumed tlio part of a spiri- tual guide or Sheikh (ho confuses Sikh (disciple) with Sheikh, Mohammedan ,, religious guide). He made numbers I ignorant Mussulmans, captives to bis I wiles and bad the drum of his sanctity widely beaten. They called him Guru'. I Disciples flocked rn.'.nd k'm from all bravery and skill in arms. I now in- stitute tho custom of baptism by water stirred with n dagger and change mv followers from Sikhs (disciples) into Singhs (lions). Those who uecopt the uoctnr of tlio palful shall bo changed lie foro your very eyes from jackals into lions nnd shall obtain empire in this world and bliss hereafter. Let all embrace our crocd and obiternto differ- ences nf religion. Let no innn deem himself superior to another. Let no one pay heed to tho Gnnges and other places of pilgrimage. Lot men of tlio four castes receive my baptism, eat out of ono dish and feel no disgust or con- I tomjit for ono another. " ENCOURAGE WAR." Ho then lays down theso further rules for his followers : — . "They shall have ono form of initia- tion, the sprinkling of water by five of the faithful; they shall worship tho one invisible God; they shall honour the memory of Nnnak and his successors; their watchword shall bo "Hail Guru" (Wnh Guru); but they shall ere and bow to nought visible save tlio Granth, the book of their belief. 'They shall linliie from timo to time ' tlio pool of Amritsar; their locks I shall remain unshorn; they shall all j name themselves Singhs or soldiers nnd of material things they shall devote their energies to steel alone. Arms should dignify their person; they should for o. ir . ncournge War nnd great will be his merit who fought in tbo Van, who slew an enemy and who despaired not though overcome." THEORY AND PRACTICE. ( Tlio Guru would probably not have qualified for udmission to tlio Longue of Nations to-dny. But is it any wonder I that theso glowing words stirred to I their very depths the minds and hearts of tho hardy, wnrlike men to whom I they ) addressed, and consecrated I the Singhs to tho service of arms. In I I theory ilia religious principles of Nnunk I I were retained; tbo invisible God. tlio I Guru and tho Gmnth Sahib remained I I unchanged, but while Nnnnk inculcate* liulincvi of life rather than casta oli- | servauccs and elaborate ritual, Govind l in the altered conditions demanded, us ■ the proof of faith, brave deeds and I devotion to the cause. His disregard of j caste nnd repudiation of the Brahmins 1 such os tho Rajputs, but attracted tho
 * tho latter half of tho 17th century sti-
 * oppressors.
 * of stupid Hindus, nay, oven foolish and
 * alienated some of tho higher cnstc-s. !
 * lower und especially tbo independent j

democratic Jat peasantry to bis stan- dard.