Tempo:
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HISTORY OF THE SIKHS
18
The
Muhammadans.
The Christians.
Brahmanism struggling with
Buddhism
becomes
elaborated.
CHAP. U
they enrolled Getae among their most famous tribes/
and they made others serve as their valiant defenders.India afterwards checked the victorious career of Islam,
but she could not wholly resist the fierce enthusiasm
of the Turkoman hordes; she became one of the most
splendid of Muhammadan empires, and the character
of the Hindu mind has been permanently altered by the
genius of the Arabian prophet. The well-being of India's
industrious millions is nov/ linked with the fate of
the foremost nation, of the West, and the representatives of Judaean faith and Roman polity will long
wage a war of principles with the speculative Brahman, the authoritative Mulla, and the hardy believing
Sikh.
The Brahmans and their valiant Kshattriyas had a
long and arduous contest with that ancient faith of
India, which, as successively modified, became famous
as Buddhi^m.^ When Manu wrote, perhaps nine cen[A dread effectually removed by the systematic
conquest of Eastern Turkestan by the Chinese during the
nineteenth century. Ed.]
of Tibet.
1 The Getae are referred to as the same with the ancient
Chinese Yuechi and the modern Jats, but their identity is as
yet, perhaps, rather a reasonable conclusion than a logical or
critical deduction.
'The four Aghikula tribes of Kshattriyas or Rajputs are
here alluded to, viz. the Chohans, Solunkees, Powars (or Prumars), and the Purihars. The unnamed progenitors of these
races seem clearly to have been invaders who sided with the
Brahmans in their warfare, partly with the old Kshattriyas,
partly with increasing schismatics, and partly with invading
Graeco-Bactrians, and whose warlike merit, as well as timely
aid and subsequent conformity, got them enrolled as 'fireborn',
in contradistinction to the solar and lunar families. The
Agnikulas are now mainly found in the tract of country
extending from Ujjain to Rewah near Benares, and Mount
Abu is asserted to be the place of their miraculous birth or
appearance. Vikramajit, the champion of Brahmanism, was
a Powar according to the common accounts.
3
The relative
priority
of
Brahmanism and Buddhism
continues to be argued and disputed among the learned. The
wide diffusion at one period of Buddhism in India is as certain
as the later predominance of Brahmanism, but the truth seems
to be that they are of independent origin, and that they existed
for a long time contemporaneously; the former chiefly in the
south-west, and the latter about Oudh and Tirhut. It is not,
however, necessary to suppose, with M. Burnouf, that Buddhism
(Introduction a V Histoire du
is purely and originally Indian
Buddhisme Indien, Avertissement i), notwithstanding the probable derivation of the name from the Sanskrit 'Buddhi',
intelligence; or from the 'bo' or 'bodee', i.e. the ficus religiosa
The Brahmanical genius gradually received
or peepul tree.
a development which rendered the Hindus proper supreme
HISTORY OF THE SIKHS
18
The
Muhammadans.
The Christians.
Brahmanism struggling with
Buddhism
becomes
elaborated.
CHAP. U
they enrolled Getae among their most famous tribes/
and they made others serve as their valiant defenders.India afterwards checked the victorious career of Islam,
but she could not wholly resist the fierce enthusiasm
of the Turkoman hordes; she became one of the most
splendid of Muhammadan empires, and the character
of the Hindu mind has been permanently altered by the
genius of the Arabian prophet. The well-being of India's
industrious millions is nov/ linked with the fate of
the foremost nation, of the West, and the representatives of Judaean faith and Roman polity will long
wage a war of principles with the speculative Brahman, the authoritative Mulla, and the hardy believing
Sikh.
The Brahmans and their valiant Kshattriyas had a
long and arduous contest with that ancient faith of
India, which, as successively modified, became famous
as Buddhi^m.^ When Manu wrote, perhaps nine cen[A dread effectually removed by the systematic
conquest of Eastern Turkestan by the Chinese during the
nineteenth century. Ed.]
of Tibet.
1 The Getae are referred to as the same with the ancient
Chinese Yuechi and the modern Jats, but their identity is as
yet, perhaps, rather a reasonable conclusion than a logical or
critical deduction.
'The four Aghikula tribes of Kshattriyas or Rajputs are
here alluded to, viz. the Chohans, Solunkees, Powars (or Prumars), and the Purihars. The unnamed progenitors of these
races seem clearly to have been invaders who sided with the
Brahmans in their warfare, partly with the old Kshattriyas,
partly with increasing schismatics, and partly with invading
Graeco-Bactrians, and whose warlike merit, as well as timely
aid and subsequent conformity, got them enrolled as 'fireborn',
in contradistinction to the solar and lunar families. The
Agnikulas are now mainly found in the tract of country
extending from Ujjain to Rewah near Benares, and Mount
Abu is asserted to be the place of their miraculous birth or
appearance. Vikramajit, the champion of Brahmanism, was
a Powar according to the common accounts.
3
The relative
priority
of
Brahmanism and Buddhism
continues to be argued and disputed among the learned. The
wide diffusion at one period of Buddhism in India is as certain
as the later predominance of Brahmanism, but the truth seems
to be that they are of independent origin, and that they existed
for a long time contemporaneously; the former chiefly in the
south-west, and the latter about Oudh and Tirhut. It is not,
however, necessary to suppose, with M. Burnouf, that Buddhism
(Introduction a V Histoire du
is purely and originally Indian
Buddhisme Indien, Avertissement i), notwithstanding the probable derivation of the name from the Sanskrit 'Buddhi',
intelligence; or from the 'bo' or 'bodee', i.e. the ficus religiosa
The Brahmanical genius gradually received
or peepul tree.
a development which rendered the Hindus proper supreme
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