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lowers, he caused them to swear eternal hatred to the Mohammedans, and in no case, however great the extremity, ever to submit to them; and he exacted the same oath from all those who afterwards joined him. Having been acknowledged Guru or spiritual leader, as well as temporal chief, in addition to the former tenets of his sect, he admitted as laudable all just exertions for obtaining worldly advantages: he declared such as should enter into the sect, upon a level with all the other Sikhs, and ordained that distinctions should depend entirely on what should be done to merit them. Hence the highest of the Hindu casts, who became a Sikh, had no preeminence over the Sudras who are the lowest: but besides that the Sudras compose by far the most numerous cast, he knew that they would more readily be disposed to quit it, than those of the superior tribes. Further, to inspire men, hitherto of mean habits, with more elevated sentiments, he gave to all his warlike followers, without

exception, the name of Sinh, or Lion, till then exclusively assumed by the Rajapūts. To reconcile those of superior birth with having Sudras introduced amongst them, he employed some of these to bring away the remains of Tégh Singh from Dehly, a thing which all the Sikhs most ardently desired, but which had never been thought practicable. The service, though most difficult, was performed; and those who had not only displayed an extraordinary degree of courage, but dexterity in executing it, were unanimously allowed to have merited the honors that were conferred on them. Numbers of the same class afterwards resorted to his standard, and many imitating the example that had been set to them, and to maintain their reputation, distinguished themselves by their valour and good conduct.

In the Panjab his cause was warmly espoused by a Hindu chief, in rebellion against: the Mohammedan government, and who gave him possession of Mak'haval, and

some villages contiguous to it on the banks of the Setlege.* He ordained that his disciples, on meeting each other, should begin their salutations, by saying, Success to the state of the Guru! Victory ever attend the Guru! and that they should wear a dress of a blue colour, and preserve their hair and beards. The last ordinance was, perhaps, merely to distinguish them from other classes; but an institution by which all were enjoined to exercise arms, and to use an exclamation that so frequently revived in their minds the sentiment of attachment to their chief and the state, announce the policy of the Guru as a leader. We shall not follow Govind through the subsequent part of his life. After great efforts to defend himself against the powerful forces sent to subdue him, by the Emperor Aurengzebe, he was ultimately obliged to abandon the Panjab. Neither the place nor manner of his death has been transmit~

*The Hesudrus of the Greeks.

ted to us. He left several writings behind him, on theological subjects, commentaries of his life, and a history of his pedigree. He was the tenth and last acknowledged spiritual chief of the Sikhs.—A prophecy had limited the number to ten, but a faithful disciple and friend of Govind, named Banda, united the Sikhs under his banners: and the disorders that happened on the death of Aurengzebe, in 1707, afforded him a favourable opportunity of again bringing them into the field. After defeating different parties of Mohammedans, he resolved to attack Foujdar Khan, governor of Sirhind, who was particularly obnoxious to the Sikhs, as murderer of the infant children of Govind Singh. A battle was fought with great valour on both sides; but the Sikhs, inspired with a spirit of religious frenzy, accompanied by the deadly wish of revenge, ultimately prevailed. Foujdar Khan fell, and with him the greatest part of his army. Banda entering Sirhind cut off almost all the Mohammedans whom he found there. He next subdued the coun

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try between the Setlege and the Jumna,* and, crossing that river, made inroads into the province of Saharanpur. The first

check which the Sikhs received after these successes, was from a general of the Emperor Behauder Shah, named Kuli Khan; who defeated a body of them that had advanced to Pannipath. The death of Behauder Shah, which happened about this time, and the confusion that ensued, prevented Kūli from pursuing the advantage he had obtained, and Banda soon afterwards defeated Islam Khan, the governor of Sirhind: but a large army being sent against him by the Emperor Farakseir, under the command of Abdal Samad Khan, an officer of high reputation, after a most desperate action, Banda was defeated, and his followers dispersed. With some of these he got into the fortress of Lohgad, where, after suffering extreme famine, he was constrained to surrender. Banda, with several principal persons of his tribe were

The Hesudrus and Jomanes of the Greeks.

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