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thy enemies to friends. Fight with valour, but let thy weapon be the word of God.” When speaking of the founders of the Hindu and Mohammedan religions, he says: "These are all perishable, God alone is immortal. He alone is a true Hindu whose heart is just, and he only a good Mohammedan whose life is pure."

The first successors of Nanac adhered strictly to the doctrines and spirit of their leader; and though Har Govind, the fifth in succession from him, armed his followers, it was on a principle of self-defence. But Guru Govind, the tenth and last great spiritual chief, gave a new character to the religion of the Sikhs. Animated with a sense of his own wrongs, and those of his tribe, when addressing himself to the Hindūs, in whom he principally trusted, to enable him to oppose the Mohammedans, he sought, by every means, to rouse them to join with him against these. He 'conjured them to devote themselves to arms, by which alone they could hope to deliver

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themselves from their oppressors. The distinctions of casts, or birth, were completely abolished by him. The remembrance of descent, and the influence of it, in preserving connexions among particular families, may remain; but it is in no degree sanctioned by law, or interferes in the general order of society. To please his Hindū followers, he professed particular respect for the places held sacred by them; and the dress, adopted by him, and still used by all Singhs, was said to be in imitation of that ascribed to the goddess of courage, Durga Bhavani. It is light, plain, divested of all ornament. Guru Govind, says: "In my dress I follow not the fashion of any one, but use that which has been appointed me. I use no artful locks, nor adorn myself with earrings." The chiefs sometimes wear gold bracelets; these, however, are seldom seen, and the Sikhs are particularly characterised by the simplicity of their dress, manners, diet, and habits of living in general.

Nanac, in order to conciliate the Mohammedans to his tenets, prohibited the use of hog's flesh; and, by not mentioning circumcision, seemed to leave it to them to do in that respect as they thought fit; but Govind expressly forbad the latter, and recommended the former; and the hog, especially the wild hog, which is of a much superior quality to the domestic animal, has become a favourite food with the Sikhs.

But, notwithstanding all that was done by Nanac, and more especially by Govind, in conformity to the notions of the Hindūs, the precepts that were openly professed by both, are subversive of almost the whole practice and mode of worship of the Brahmins. The religion of the Sikhs not only denies a plurality of Gods, but forbids the use of idols, even in the sense explained by the Hindu Pandits, of being merely representations of the different attributes of the Supreme Being; contrary to that of the

Hindūs, it admits of proselytes, and eating

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all kinds of animal food, except the cow race; and it rejects the division of the people into casts. Like the Hindū, Mohammedan, and, indeed, all other religions we are acquainted with, it announces a state of rewards and punishments; and, according to some Sikh authors, Nanac seemed to believe in the Hindu doctrine of the metempsychosis, or transmigration of souls.

General Malcolm, in his Sketch of the Sikhs, gives an account of the ceremonies observed in admitting proselytes. After these are performed, the disciple is asked, if he consents to be of the faith of Guru Govind. He answers, I do consent. He is then told: "If you do, you must abandon all intercourse with, and forbear to eat, drink, or sit in company with men of five sects, which I shall name: the first, the Mina D'hirmal, who, though of the race of Nanac, were tempted by avarice to give poison to Arjun;* and though they did not

* The fourth Guru.

succeed, they ought to be expelled from society: the second, are the Musandia, a sect who call themselves Gurus, or priests, and endeavour to introduce heterodox doctrines: the third, Ram Rayi, the descendants of Ram Ray, whose intrigues were the great cause of the destruction of the holy ruler, Tegh Sinh: the fourth, are the Kudi-mar, or destroyers of their own daughters: the fifth, the Bhadani, who shave the hair of their head and beards." The disciple after this warning against intercourse with schismatics, is instructed in some general precepts, the observance of which is ordained for the welfare of the community into which he is received. He is told to be civil to all with whom he converses, to endeavour to attain wisdom, and to emulate the persuasive eloquence of Baba Nanac. He is particularly enjoined, whenever he approaches any of the Sikh temples, to do it with reverence, and to go to Amritsar to pay his devotions there, and offer up his vows for the Khalsa, or

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