1 POLITICAL ORGANIZATION OF THE SIKHS, 295
2 of the founder of their faith. They never carried arms, and pursued peace-
3 ful occupations, generally as travelling merchants,*
4 Revenue defaulters and debtors, absconding to the territory of another
5 chief, and seeking his protection, were not molested, the pettiest chief
6 invariably refusing to deliver up any person claiming his protection. The
7 delinquent was, however, given to understand that he would have to dis-
8 charge his debt in full as soon as the opportunity occurred for his so doing.
9 The Sikhs were all believers in witchcraft and sorcery. If any member
10 of the community was attacked with a severe and sudden illness, vomited
11 blood, or suffered anything unusual, the nature of which could not be readily
12 understood, it was attributed to necromancy, or an evil spirit, or the machi-
13 nation and malice of an enemy. The possession of a waxen image or
14 dough effigy, half burnt human bones, or an amulet, or charm wrapped up
15 in paper and labelled, found in the house or on the person of the suspected
16 individual, was regarded as unmistakeable proof of witchcraft. It was not
17 an uncommon practice to bring charges of sorcery against persons in the
18 courts of justice, and there have even been instances of such prosecutions
19 being instituted in British courts in early times, while it was invariably only
20 with considerable difficulty that the prosecutors were persuaded to with-
21 draw their absurd complaints.f
22 Cases of satti, or women burning themselves with the corpse of their
23 husbands, were of frequent occurrence among the Sikhs. In all cases, how-
24 ever, they were understood to be willing victims, a slow, reluctant promise
25 exacted from, or made by, the wretched woman, under the influence of grief,
26 being considered sufficient warrant for immolating her upon the funeral
27 pyre of her deceased lord. A multitude immediately assembled round the
28 house of the miserable creature, and a host of females surrounded her
29 person ; noise and uproar, confusion and clamour ensued; hopes were held
30 out of embracing the departed husband in paradise after the hour of trial
31 was over, and that both would live there in perpetual peace and happiness;
32 no time was given for reflection; she was hurried off to the altars of her
33 lord and to the land of promise.
34 Another barbarous practice of the Sikhs in those days was that of com-
35 pelling people to work without payment or compensation of any kind. This
36 was called by them kar begar, and was very oppressively felt by the poorer
37 classes.
38 It is now necessary to give a brief outline of each of the Sikh misls or
39 confederacies referred to in this chapter, as they materially contributed to
40 ‘the establishment of the Sikhs as a power in the Panjab.
41 * When that illustrious British commander, Lord Lake, entered the Panjib in 1805, the
42 principal chiefs requested general protection for Ndnakputras, on account of their religious
43 sanctity, which, it was said, enabled them to move about uninjured where the most deadly con-
44 flicts existed. The request was graciously granted.
45 + Such charges have certainly been brought into the courts in England, and many instances
46 are on record of persons being sentenced to be burnt to death. Thus, Mathew Hale, I believe,
47 was the last judge in England who passed such a sentence for such an offence. The Bible
48 gives instances of witches ; see the following passages :—
49 Exodus, 22nd chapter, 18th verse.
50 ist Samuel, 15th 5 8rd 4,
51 Deuteronomy, 18th $s 10th 4,
52 Ond Kings, Sth - 22nd yy
53 2nd Chronicles, 33rd “9 6th ,,
54 Micah, 5th ey 12th ,,
55 Nahum, 3rd - 4th ,,
56 The Qurdn, too, gives many instances ; see the 113th Sura, entitled ““ Daybreak,” and innu-
57 merable other instances.
58 Revenue defaulters.
59 The Sikhs believed
60 in witchcraft,
61 ra
62 The Sate rites
63 Forced labour,
64 Sri Satguru J agjit Singh Ji eLibrary NamdhariElibrary@ gmail.com