Ramroy and Hurkishen, then in infancy; but not being enabled to adjust their claims at home, they appealed to the courts of law at Dehli, where the opponents appeared, and fet forth their feveral pretenfions. The cause it is faid terminated in a permiffion being. granted to the Sicques to nominate their own priest; when, adjusting the conteft, they elected Hurkishen, who died at Dehli in 1664, a fhort time after his inveftiture. HURKISHEN Was fucceeded by Taigh Bhahauder, his uncle, who appears to have been perfecuted with inveterate animofity by the adherents of Ramroy; who being fupported by fome persons of influence at the court of Aurungzebe, an order was obtained for the imprisonment of the new priest. Taigh Bhahauder, after remaining in confinement at Dehli for the space of two years, was released at the intreaty of Jay Sing, the powerful chief of Jaynaghur, who was at that time proceeding to Bengal on the service of government. The Sicque accompanied his patron to Bengal, whence he returned to the city of Patna, which became his usual place of abode. The records of the Sicques say that Ramroy still maintained a claim to the priesthood, and that after a long feries of virulent perfecution, he accomplished the destruction of Taigh Bhahauder, who was conveyed to Dehli by an order of Court, and in the year 1675, publickly put to death. The formal execution of a perfon, against whom, the Sicques fay, no criminal charge was exhibited, is fo repugnant to the character and the actions of Aurungzebe, that we are involuntarily led to charge the Sicques of a of a wilful mifrepresentation of facts, injurious to the memory of the prince, and extravagantly partial to the cause of their priest. No document for the elucidation of this paffage appearing in any of the memoirs of Hindoftan that have reached my knowledge, I am prevented from difcovering the quality of the crime which fubjected Taigh Bhahauder to capital punishment. GOVIND SING, then a youth, and the only fon of Taigh Bhahauder, was called to the fucceffion by the largest portion of the Sicque's difciples: but the intelligence of his father's death, and dread of a like fate, had induced him to fly from Patna, whence he retired after a series of various adventures into the territory of Siringnaghur. Though Govind Sing could not then have reached his fifteenth year, he evinced many marks of a haughty and turbulent fpirit, which was conspicuously shewn in his conduct to the Siringnaghur chief. On pretence of an infult being offered, he collected his party, which amounted it is faid to four or five thousand men, and defeated a body of the Siringnaghur troops; but being worsted in some future action, or, according to the authority of the Sicque, obliged by an order of the emperor to leave the country of Siringnaghur, he proceeded with his adherents to the Punjab, where he was hofpitably * received by a marauding Hindoo chief of that quarter. Endowed with an The dependencies of Mackaval, through which the river Sutledge runs, were given by this Hindoo to Govind Sing, where he founded certain villages. active and daring temper, the Sicque affifted his new affociate in various expeditions against the bordering landholders, and often in oppofing the forces of government. The predatory conduct of Govind Sing rendering him obnoxious to the governor of Sirhend, he was attacked and driven from his place of refidence. Being afterwards discovered amongst the hills in the northern parts of the Sirhend districts, he was fo vigorously preffed by the imperial troops, that abandoning his family and effects, he was compelled to save himself by speedy flight. Vizier Khan, the governor of Sirhend, fullied the reputation he had acquired in this service, by putting to death, in cold blood, the two younger fons of Govind Sing. A fevere vengeance was taken for this act at a future period by the Sicques, who giving a loose to savage and indifcriminate cruelty, maffacred the Mahometans, of every age and fex, that fell into their hands. After his late difafter, Govind Sing found a fecure retreat in the Lacky Jungles,* which its natural defence, a scarcity of water, and the valour of its inhabitants,† had rendered at that day impregnable. But when the resentment of government abated, he returned without moleftation to his former refidence in the Punjab. The Sicques fay, he even received marks of favour from Bhahauder Shah, who being apprised of his military abilities, gave him a charge in the army which A woody country, fituate in the northern part of the Punjab, and famous for a breed of excellent horfes, called the Jungle Tazee. + The Jatts. marched marched into the Decan to oppofe the rebellion of Rambuchsh.* Govind Sing was affaffinated during this expedition by a Patan foldier, and he died of his wounds in 1708, at the town of Nandere,+ without leaving any male iffue; and a tradition delivered to the Sicques, limiting their priests to the number of ten, induced them to appoint no fucceffor to Govind Sing. A Sicque difciple, named Bunda, who had attended Govind Sing to the Decan, came, after the death of his chief, into the Punjab; where, claiming a merit from his late connection, he raised a fmall force, and in various defultory enterprizes, established the character of a brave but cruel foldier. His fucceffes at length drew to his ftandard the whole body of the Sicque nation, which had now widely deviated from the precepts of their founder. A confidence in their strength, rendered prefumptuous by the abfence of the emperor, had made them rapacious and daring, and the late perfecutions, cruel and enthusiastic. Bunda, after difperfing the parties of the leffer Mahometan chiefs, attacked the forces of Vizier Khan, the governor of Sirhend, who fell in an action that was fought with an obstinate valour, but ended in the total defeat of the imperial troops. The Sicques expreffed an extraordinary joy at this victory, as it enabled them to fatiate their revenge for the death of the fons of Govind Sing. The wife of Vizier Kuan, with his chiicien, and a A brother of Bhahauder Shah. + Nandere is fituate near the banks of the Godavery, about 100 miles to the north-eaft of Hyderabad. vaft multitude of the inhabitants of Sirhend were destroyed with every species of wild fury. The mosques were overthrown or polluted, and the dead, torn out of their graves, were expofed to the beafts of prey. A party of Sicques had at the fame time penetrated the greater Duab, and feized on the town and certain districts of Saharanpour, where they flaughtered the inhabitants, or forcibly. made them converts to the new faith. Bunda, who had rapidyacquired the possession of an extensive territory, was now deserted by his good fortune. He had croffed the river Sutledge with an intention of carrying his conquests to the weftward, but being encountered by Shems Khan, an imperial officer who commanded in that quarter, he was repulfed with a great loss. The Sicque's troops employed in the Duab expedition, had even approached the vicinity of Dehli, but they were defeated by the forces of the empire, and driven back to the districts which still remained fubject to Bunda. SUCH was the fituation of the Sicques when Bhahauder Shah finished the Decan campaign, and returned in the year 1710 to Hindoftan. Alarmed at the progress, and irritated at the cruelties they had exercised, he marched towards their stations with a determination to crush the fect, and revenge the injuries that had been inflicted on the Mahometan religion. Sultan Rouli Khan, one of his principal officers, advanced with a divifion of the army, +For its fituation, fee Rennell's map. and |