A history of the Sikhs, from the origin of the nation to the battles of the Sutlej.

52

HISTORY OF THE SIKHS

CHAP. III

1581-1606. predecessors; 1 he added to them the best known, or the
Compiles most suitable, compositions of some other religious rethe Adi- formers of the few preceding centuries, and completing the
Granth. whole with a prayer and some exhortations of his own, he
declared the compilation to be pre-eminently the ' Granth '
or Book; and he gave to his followers their fixed rule of
religious and moral conduct, with an assurance that multitudes even of divine Brahmans had wearied themselves
with reading the Vedas, and had found not the value of an
Reduces oil-seed within them.2 The Guru next reduced to a systemcustomary
offerings to atic tax the customary offerings of his converts or adherents,
a systema- who, under his ascendancy, were to be found in every city
tic tax or
tithe;or and province. The Sikhs were bound by social usage, and
disposed from reverential feelings, to make such presents
to their spiritual guide; but the agents of Arjuin were
spread over the country to demand and receive the contributions of the faithful, which they proceeded to deliver to
the Guru in person at an annual assembly. Thus the Sikhs,
says the almost contemporary Muhsin Fani, became accustomed to a regular government.3 Nor was Arjfun heedand en- less of other means of acquiring wealth and influence; he
gages in
traffic. dispatched his followers into foreign countries to be as keen
in traffic as they were zealous in belief, and it is probable
that his transactions as a merchant were extensive, although
confined to the purchase of horses in Turkestan.4
Arjun became famous among pious devotees, and his
biographers dwell on the number of saints and holy men
who were edified by his instructions. Nor was he unheeded
Taran Taran, which lies between that city and the junction of the
Beas and Sutlej. (Cf. the Dabistan, ii. 275.)
1 Malcolm, Sketch, p. 30. General tradition and most writers attribute the arrangement of the First Granth to Arjin; but Angad is
understood to have preserved many observations of Nanak, and
Forster (Travels, i. 297) states that Rim Dis compiled the histories
and precepts of his predecessors, and annexed a commentary to the
work. The same author, indeed (Travels, i. 296 note), also contradictorily assigns the compilation to Angad.
2 Adi-Granth, in that portion of the Suhi chapter written by Arjfin.
For some account of the Adi, or First Granth, see Appendix I.
3 The Dabistdn, ii. 270, &c. Cf. Malcolm, Sketch, p. 30.
4 The ordinary Sikh accounts are to this effect. Cf. the Dabistdn,
ii. 271.