ms. sKm^H OF THE 'Slims. 



which they have narrated the wonders that prognosticated the rise of this, 

 the most revered of „all their priestSj to power; or to enter, at any length. 

 Into those;. a<jcounts'^hich they^ ^nd Go vind vhimself, for he is equally 

 Q^lehr^ted Man aytj^i? and 4^,^j^f rrior, have.giy;©^ (^| his eivploici:. It, 

 will be sufficient for the purpose of this sketqji;.^,- state the.^esse^ti^, 

 changes which he efie<51:ed in his tribe, and the consequences of his in- 

 novations, ~ ' ^ K 



Tnov G H^ the. Sikhs had already, under Har Go'vind, been tnitiated in 

 ^rmS:, ypt they appear to have us3d these only in self defence ; and as 

 eyOTj tribe of Hindus, from the BraJimen to tjie lowest of the Sudra, may, 

 in cas^fof n@(;essity, use, them without violation of the original institu- 

 t^Qns of t|ieir tribe, po violation, of these institutions was caused by the 

 icule^ of M^Jnag; which, framed with a view to conciliation, carefully ab- 

 stained frppi all interference with the civil institutes of the Hindus. But 

 h;s K|prp jl^ran^ successor, Gu ru' GoVind, saw that such observances 

 we?T at .y^nfince with the plans ^ol" his lofty; ambition ; and be wisdy 

 fudged J t^t tJie on^y mean^ Ijy.whjciij-he could ever hope to oppose tlije 

 Muhamm^da^i govern;nent with success, were not only to admit converts 

 from all tribes, but to ^reak, at once, those rule^ by which the Hindus had 

 been so long chained, to arm, in short, the whole population of the coun- 

 try, and to make worldly wealth and rank an chje6l to which Hindus, of 

 flirery plass, might ajsgire, - 



-^^ The extent 'to which Go'vind succeeded, in this 4€sign, will be more 

 Ml^ noticed in another place. It is here only necessary to stat6 the lead- 

 ing feaWresW those changes by which he subverted, in so short a time; 



the. hoary institutions , pf Brahma';* and made the Muhamrnkdaiis con- 



* Tli€ object @f Na'nac was to abolish the distiactioiis of cast amongst the Hindus ^ ant!" 



