SKETCH OF THE SIKHS.. 2m 



who detra6l from all the pretensions of this enemy of their faith and nam^p 

 "by his disciples who exalt the slightest of his a6lions into the achievementiS''* 

 of a divinity, or lastly by himself, for he wrote an account of his own 



wars, in terras more calculated to inflame the courage of his followers,, 

 than to inform the historian. 



Guru' Govind Sinh, in the Vichitra J^dtac, a worL written by hrm-" 

 self, and inserted in the Dasama Padshah ka Grant'h, traces the descent of, 

 the Cshatriya tribe of Sondi, to which he belongs, from a race of Hifidi^. 

 Rdjds* who founded the cities of Casur and Lahore. He was born, he 

 states, at Patan, or Patna, and brought up at MhdraDe's'y in the P'enjdh. 

 He went, after his father's death, to the banks of the Cdlmdi or TdfMnu^^ 

 and addi61:ed himself to hunting the' wild beasts of the forest, arid bther^ 

 manly diversions; but this occupation? li'e^adds, offended the ^tcipeJcc^of^ 

 Dehli, who ordered chiefs of the MuJiammedan race, to attack him. OV- 

 Ru' Govind describes, in this work, v/ith great animation, his own fe^l^^* 

 and those of his friends, -f-. in the first of his a6lions-in whichv by hiS'^e-' 



* These Rajas appearyfiom the same a«tlioi[*ty<,'tid8l>^'J3^ceiriiedln a direct-' line' froia 

 Hindu goAs, ,. _ ■ . M\ ^\yy^^^&i ^ !:::■■ \ - /, -i/xl riMr?'-^ " 



+ The following short extract from thetrattslation of the' Vicfiiln'a Natat, 'Wiffs!iSl;v'that 

 Go'viND gave bis friends their fall meed of praise, and will also exhibit the character of his ' 

 style : " Ckipa'l rages, wielding his mace : he crushed the 'skull of the fierce Hya't Kii^^." 

 *' He made the blood spurt aloft, and scattered the brfeinfe of th© Chief a^OnWHwA' crtishM' 

 *'.tbo earthea vessel of butter. Then NANDCuANiy raged' iri dreadful'^ ir^/ launching tie^* 

 ** spear, and wielding the sword. He broke his keen scyniiter, and drew his dag;g^i', to sup- 

 ** port the honor of the Sondi race. Then my maternal uaicle CniPA'L. advanced in his rage, 

 *' and exhibited the skilful war feats of a true C'^A^fir/^rt/' The' mighty warrior, though 

 " struck by an arrow, with another made a valiant Jt7f^»» fall'fiom his'saddle, and Sa'h=eb 

 « CiiANn, of the Cshnlri/yn race, strove in the battle's fury, ancrste\V'a'bl6od-'thirstjf' K/inn, 

 *<* a warrior of Klforasan.'''' After recordiifig the actions cof many- others, Go'viNDthtis dc- 

 ficribes his own deeds: "Tlie blood-drinking spectres :nid ghosts yelled for carnage, the fiercG 

 " ViiTA'i.A, the chief of the specties, laughed for joy, aud sternly prepared for 'his t^aB*,' ■ 



