1 HISTORY. OF THE SIKHS. 89
2 Allewal, though defeated in one and all, the Sikhs
3 persevered in shewing a front: they were bound by
4 the obligations of their faith never to lay down
5 their sword but with their lives. This spirit will |
6 account for the obstinate opposition of the Sikh
7 soldiers to the wishes of the Ranee, and even many
8 of the Sirdars themselves. In the struggles with Not operating
9 other oriental states, one complete victory on the ee
10 part of the British generally decided the fate of the
11 Native power, because the troops of the latter gave
12 their services for hire, and were animated by no
13 other principle than that which governs the merce-
14 nary in all countries. When conquered therefore,
15 they sought peace at the hands of the victors; and
16 when no longer required, laid aside their swords
17 and supported themselves by following the arts of
18 peace; in short, war with them was a matter of
19 necessity, not of choice; and if they ceased to be
20 soldiers they infringed none of the rules of their
21 religion. Even upon the slaughter sustained by
22 the Sikhs at Sobraon, and when thousands of them
23 covered the ground, or found a watery grave in the
24 Sutlej, those that escaped were as ready and deter- Sikhs regara-
25 mined to fight as if victory had crowned with suc- reverses.
26 cess their former endeavours.
27 Overlooking this important feature in the charac-
28 ter of the Sikhs, many of the English believed that
29 their army would not fight on the 21st December, —
30 and various conjectures on the subject became the imen wt ihe
31 timate of the
32 ‘ : resisti to
33 theme of conversation during the march. Others te exsected
34 thought the Sikh resistance would be feeble, and §27"°