it ordinary Hindu
worship. The Radha-swamis, founded in 1861, profess a combination of
the Kabirpanth with Christian ideas. The Dadupanthis show the
influence of the military spirit of Islam. They were founded by Dadu,
a cotton weaver of Ahmedabad who flourished in Akbar's reign and died
about 1603. He insisted on the equality of mankind, vegetarianism,
abstinence from alcohol and strict celibacy. Hence the sect is
recruited by adopting boys, most of whom are trained as soldiers. In
such conditions the Dadupanthis cannot increase greatly but they
number about nine thousand and are found chiefly in the state of
Jaipur, especially in the town of Naraina.[665]

2

The Sikh religion[666] is of special interest since it has created not
only a political society but also customs so distinctive that those
who profess it rank in common esteem as a separate race. The founder
Nanak lived from 1469 to 1538 and was born near Lahore. He was a Hindu
by birth but came under Mohammedan influence and conceived the idea of
reconciling the two faiths. He was attracted by the doctrines of Kabir
and did not at first claim to teach a new religion. He wished to unite
Hindus and Moslims and described himself simply as Guru or teacher and
his adherents as Sikhs or disciples.

He spent the greater part of his life wandering about India and is
said to have reached Mecca. A beautiful story relates that he fell
asleep with his feet turned towards the Kaaba. A mollah kicked him and
asked how he dared to turn his feet and not his head towards God. But
he answered, "Turn my feet in a direction where God is not." He was
attended on his wanderings by Mardana, a lute-player, who accompanied
the hymns which he never failed to compose when a thought or adventure
occurred to him. These compositions are similar to those of Kabir, but
seem to me of inferior merit. They are diffuse and inordinately long;
the Japji for instance, which every Sikh ought to recite as his daily
prayer, fills not less than twenty octavo pages. Yet beautiful and
incisive passages are not wanting. When at the temple of Jagannath, he
was asked to take part in the evening worship at which lights were
waved before the god while flowers and incense were presented on
golden salvers studded with pearls. But he burst out into song.[667]

"The sun and moon, O Lord, are thy lamps, the firmament
thy salver and the orbs of the stars the pearls set therein.

"The perfume of t