0^-^ SKETCH OF THE "SHCHar. 



Of^ different' rank and' pretensions : a greater number of followers, -higher 

 reputation, the possession of -wealth, or lands, coastitute.d thatilifference; 

 and, from ^one or other of these causes,. one, chief generally ejijoyed a ^.e- 

 cided pre-eminence, and consequently had a lead in their military conn- 

 ciJts. But nevertheless they always w^it through tlie form of sele61ing a 

 injilitary .leader,, at their Guru mat d,_ or national coui;icil, where, hov^^^ 

 evier,., influence prevailed, and the most powerful was pertain of being 

 elected^ ^ , 



"Such a mode of government w;as in itself little calcukted to give that 

 strength and union which the cause of the •S'/M^ required, but the peculia- 

 rities of their usage?, the ardent character of their f^ith, the power ,of, 

 their enemies, and the .oppression they endured, amply supplied the place 

 ©f all .Qth^r, ordinances. To unite ;and to act in <?ne body, ajid on one 

 principle, was, with the &st.5'/Mf, a law pf necessity ; it was, ,araid the. 

 dangers with which t]iey were su;rrounded, their only hope of success, and 

 their sole means of preservation ; and it was to these causes, combined 

 ■y^ith the weakness and interi^al contests of their enemies, to which this 

 se6l owes its extraordinary rise, not to their boasted constitution, which, 

 wl?ietlier we call it an oligarchy^ which it really is^ or a theocracy, which 

 |:he Sikhs _ Qonsidex it, has not a principle in its composition, that would 

 preserve it one day from ruin, if vigorously assailed ; but of this their hi?- 

 ^or J will furnish the best example » 



■ Emcouraged by the .confiision wljich toc^ place on the first Afghan* 

 invasion, the Sikhs ^ade themselves masters of a .considerable part of the 

 J)udh Qf Rcivi di\dL Jalendra,-f zn^ extended their ;ncursions to the neigh- 



* A. D. 1746. 



t Tlie couiitrj between tlie-rivei^s Eavi&nd Biij-ah^ arid tliat river .and tiie Sci/e/, 



