1 Annexation — and After. 225
2 and light cavalry, are, when well and sufficiently led
3 by English officers, equal to any troops in the world,
4 and superior to any with whom they are likely to
5 come in contact."
6 The growing popularity among the Sikhs of service
7 in the Indian army, added to the fact that the
8 Government obliges every Sikh recruit, who is not
9 already a Singh,1 to take the pahul, has replenished
10 the ranks of the Khalsa, and has led to a rapid and
11 extensive development in its organization. The
12 general direction and control of religious matters is
13 now vested in a Council known as the Chief Khalsa
14 Diwan, with its headquarters at Amritsar. Like the
15 gwrwmata of former days it is a representative and
16 elective assembly, and is open to sirdars, military
17 officers, graduates, and other Sikhs of position. It
18 has no connection with the management of the
19 Golden Temple, but the superintendent of the latter
20 is ex officio a member of the Council. In addition to
21 this Council there are smaller representative bodies
22 at all important Sikh centres known as Khalsa
23 Diwans, and minor associations in the smaller towns
24 and villages called Singh Sabhas. All these are
25 affiliated to the Chief Khalsa Diwan, and elect
26 representatives to serve on that body. The aim of
27 this organization is to further the intellectual, social,
28 moral, and material development of the people of the
29 Khalsa, to promote the study of the Granth Sahib by
30 providing preachers and religious instructors, and to
31 represent the claims of the Khalsa to the supreme
32 Government. The last of these functions can be
33 1 See Appendix D.
34 (1,841) 15