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elocution, and was endowed with a calm paffive fortitude, which fuccefsfully fupported him through the long courfe of a dangerous occupation. The tenets of Nanock forbid the worship of images, and ordain that the places of public prayer fhall be of plain conftruction, and devoid of every exhibition of figure. A book, entitled the Grunth, which contains the civil and religious inftitutes of Nanock, is the only typical object which the Sicques have admitted into their places of worship. Inftead of the intermediation of fubordinate deities, they are directed to addrefs their prayer to one God, who, without the aid of any delegate, is to be confidered the unaffociated ruler of the univerfe.* Though many effential differences exift between the religious code of the Hindoos and that of the Sicques, a large space of their ground-work exhibits strong features of fimilarity. The article indeed of the admiffion of profelytes amongst the Sicques, has caufed an effential deviation from the Hindoo fyftem, and apparently levelled thofe barriers which were conftructed by Brimha, for the arrangement of the different ranks and profeffions of his people. Yet this indifcriminate admiffion, by the qualifications which have been adopted, do not widely infringe on the customs and prejudices of thofe Hindoos

When it is noticed that the worship of the Hindoos is loaded with a mafs of puerile ceremony, and oftentimes conducted with a ridiculous grimace, it will not feem furprizing that a creed, founded on principles calculated to promote the eft-blishment of a fimple uniform religion, and promulgated by a man of diftinguished tribe and exemplary manners, fhould draw to it profelytes even in the bigotted regions of India.

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who have embraced the faith of the Sicques. They still preferve the diftinctions which originally marked their fects, and perform many of the ancient ceremonies of their nation. They form matrimonial connections only in their own tribes, and adhere implicitly to the rules prefcribed by the Hindoo law, in the choice and preparation of their food. The only aliment ufed in common, by the Sicques at this day, is the purfaud,* or facred bread, from the participation of which no tribe or clafs of their people is excluded.

FEW events of hiftorical importance are related of Nanock, the founder of this fect, who poffeffing neither territory nor wealth, nor aided by the force of arms, preached his doctrine in peace, and manifefted, in the countries which he vifited, an unaffected fimplicity of manners. He journeyed through most of the kingdoms in India, from whence, according to the tradition of the Sicques, he went into Perfia and Arabia. In his travels, which with fhort intervals continued for the space of fifteen years, he was attended by a Mahometan musician, named Murdana, who became his convert, and ever remained faithfully attached to his perfon. It is faid that in one of the expeditions of Baber + inte

* The purfaud is faid to be a compofition of flour, butter, and certain spices; this bread after being confecrated by the Bramins, is alfo ufed by fome fects of Hindoos in the ceremony of adminiftering an oath, particularly in that quarter of the Orifla province, contiguous to the temple of Juggud Nautt.

+ Baber defeated the Patan King of Hindoftan, in A. D. 1526.

India, Nanock having been apprehended by some of the foldiers, was brought before that prince, who informed of the fanctity of his character, treated him with respect and indulgence. As no records of the Moghul Empire bear a teftimony of the existence of this fect during the period in which Nanock lived, it cannot be fuppofed that his converts were numerous or powerful. Nanock, according to the Sicque records, died in the month of August, A. D. 1539, aged seventy years, at Dayrah, a village on the banks of the Rawee, about forty miles to the northward of Lahore, where a vast concourse of people annually affemble, to perform certain ceremonies in commemoration of the day of his decease. Nanock, though he had two fons, devolved the charge of the miffion to his favourite difciple Anghut,* a Hindoo of the Chittery tribe, to whom he also entrusted the publication + of the laws and precepts of his doctrine. Anghut, who feems to have passed his time in retirement, died about the year 1542, at the town of Khadour,‡ the place of his nativity. He was fucceeded by Ammerdafs, a native of the Lahore district, who propagated the new doctrine without molestation, and died in the year 1574, at the village of

Nanock changed the original name of his fucceffor, which was Lina.

+ The religious and hiftorical writings of the Sicques, are written in a character called the Gooroo Mhookee, or the language of the Gooroos, or priests. This letter, which is faid to have been invented by Nanock, differs from the various characters in ufe among the Hindoos.

A village in the Punjab, about forty miles to the eastward of Lahore.

VOL. I.

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Govindual.* Ramdafs,+ who had espoused the daughter of the laft preceptor of the Sicques, was then chofen the representative of their fect. This priest lived in the reign of Açbar, and, according to the tradition of the Sicques, experienced some marks of that emperor's favour. Retiring in the latter part of his life to a small district in the vicinity of Lahore, which Acbar had granted to him, he founded the town of Ramdafspour. He repaired alfo and ornamented a refervoir of water, which had in ancient times been dedicated at that place by the Hindoos to their God Ram, and to which he now gave the name of Amrut Sir.§ Ramdafs made a compilation of the history and precepts of his predeceffors, and annexing his own commentaries, ordained that his disciples should form the principles of their faith on the doc◄ trine fet forth in the joint collection. Ramdafs died at the town he had founded about the year 1581, and was fucceeded by his fon Arjun, who having incurred the displeasure of a Hindoo || fa、 youred by Jehanguir, was committed by that prince to the perfe cution of his enemy; and his death, which happened in the year 1606, at Lahore, was caufed it is faid by the rigour of confine

Situate on the Byas, the fecond Punjab river from the eastward.

+ This Gooroo was born in the city of Lahore.

At the diftance of twenty four miles from Lahore.

Amrut, according to the mythology of the Hindoos, is a water faid to bestow immortality on thofe who drink it; and Si, in certain dialects of the Hinduce, figni hes a piece of water.,

Named Chaundoo.

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ment. The focceffion, devolved on Hurrgovind, his only fon, who actuared by revenge for the cruelties exercifed on his father, and ftrongly fupported by the enthufiaftic valour of his adherents, he dragged the Hindoo from his houfe, though within the walls of Lahore, and put him to death. Fearing the effects of the emperor's difpleafure, Hurrgovind fled to Hurtarpour, a village. founded by his father, where he collected an armed body for the defence of his perfon, and according to the records of the nation, defeated a force that Jehanguir had fent to punish his rebellion. But the vein of incongruous story which runs through the atchievements of this militant prieft, precludes the derivation of any extensive hiftorical ufe. The only paffage deferving a serious notice, reprefents, that an officer of Jehanguir, named Mahobut Khan, effected the Sicque's fubmiffion to the emperor, who ordered him to be imprisoned in the fort of Gualior: but that after a fhort confinement, he was, at the interceffion of Mahobut Khan, fet at liberty. It is not feen that Hurrgovind disturbed the peace of the Moghul government at a future period, but paffing his days in a reclufe manner, he died about the year 1644, at Khyrutpour, a village in the Punjab. The Sicques conferred the office of priesthood on Harray, the grandfon of Hurrgovind, though four of their late preceptor's fons were alive. No other mention is made of Harray, than that he died in the year 1661 at Khyrutpour. At his death, a violent conteft arofe for the fucceffion, which was claimed by the refpective adherents of his two fons, Ramroy,

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