SltBTCH OF THE SIKHS. ^l^ 



'qswerors of India, see with terror and astonishment^ thQ religious prejudices 

 of the Hindus ^wl^ch., t\iej\wi calculated uppn as one of the pillars of their 

 safety, |)ec2Wg« they liralted the great majority of the population to peace-^ 

 able Qccppaticftis, f&ll before the touch of a bold and enthusiastic innovator, 

 who opened jfl once, to mem of the lowest tribe,* the prospe6l of earthly 

 glory; for all who subscrihed to his tenets were upon a level, and the, 

 Brahmeti who entered his se<5l,i had no higher claims to eminence than the 

 lowest i^i^ira who swept his hoase. Jt was the obj^dl of Govind to raak^ 

 all Sikhs equal ;"f and, that their advancement should solely depend UipoiJi 

 their exertions, and well aware how necessary it wajs, to insjire men, of a: 

 low race, and of groveling minds, with pride in themselves, he changed- 

 the name of his followers from Sikh to Sink, or lion; thus giving, to, all 

 his followers, that honorable title which had been befpre exclusively as- 

 sumed by the Rajaputs, the first military class of Hindds; and every„ 

 Sikh felt himself at once elevated » by this proud appellation, to a footing 



with the fii:s,t class, 



(. ■ ■ " ' ' '^" ' ''I :7'^ .ro'-^-^nib-rc 



to bring them to tlie adoration of that Supreme Being, before wlsom all men, he coniended, 

 were equal. G.u'rbt' Go'vind, who adopted all the principles of his celebrated predecessor, as 

 far as rctigious usages were coacerned, is reported to feave said, on this subject, that the four 

 tribes of Hindihj tlje Brahmen^ Cshafri^a, Vaisya and Sudra, would, like Pan, (betle- 

 lca.0 Chundm J (lime) Sitpdri, (betle-nut) and Khat, (terra Japonica or Catechu) become 

 all of one colour, when well chewed, 



* Some men of the lowest Hindu tribe, of the occupation of sweepers, were employed to 

 bring away the corpse of Te'gh Beha'duh, from Dehli. Their success was rewarded by 

 high rank and employment. Several of the same tribe, ^ho have become Sikks, liave beert 

 remarkable for their valor, and have attained great reputation : they are distinguished, among 

 the Sikhs, by the name of Ran-Rata Siiih. 



+ That he did not completely effect this object, and that some distinctions of their former 

 tribes, particularly those relating to intermarriage, should still be kept up by the Sikhs, can* 

 not be a matter of astouishmeot to those acqpiaiolcd with the decp>rooted prejudices of the 

 J/inc/Mj upon this point] which is as much a feeling of family pride as of religious usage. 



