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JANUARY, 1873.]
CORRESPONDENCE, &c.
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religious and social cerernonies, even the same songs mothers, and orphans, loudly bewailing the loss of among their females and the language peculiar to those dear to them, surrounded the palace asking for them.
support. There was no such thing as a pension under It is natural that by long intercourse with Hindus the Muhammadan rule. Promising them to devise and Muhammadans, many customs should be ex- suitable means for their maintenance, Aurangzeb bade changed, and pure Hindi has with them already them go home; and summoned Lallu and Jagdhar, given place to mixed Urdu. As Khatris mostly in- two Khatri chiefs, to take their advice in the matter. habit the Muhammadan capitals-Lahor, Dehli, Agra, The prudent Muhammadan ruler thought of the Lakhnau, &c.-many Moslem customs, as wearing desirability of re-marrying their widows, but they the Sarhi on marriage, the use of shoes by females, said, in reply, that it was beyond their power to in&c., have crept not only into our society, but also troduce the system, though very advisable, until among Kayaths, Agraw&l Banias, Oswals,&c. Khatris they should consult with their caste-fellows on the and Kayaths use a greater number of Persian words matter. A grand meeting of the Khatris of Dehli in familiar language than other Hindus.
was called for the purpose. Some agreed and signed I append the following notes, which may interest a bond, but when Lallu and Jagdhar's turn came, some readers
they refused until they should get the permission of 1. In the time of Nanak the site on which the now their old mother. They went home and explained commercial town of Amritsar stands, was a forest the whole to her. She tauntingly answered "If with a pond, a solitary place well fitted for retired you are fully determined to introduce the Muhamfakírs. Nának, once in company with many others, madan Nikah system among us, which shall for went to bathe in it; he dipped in and was lost ever stamp your name with the black stain of hetersight of. His associates gave bim up for lost, and odoxy, select a good old fellow of eighty for my remained there without food and drink, bewailing husband." The youths, thus put to shame, went no the untimely death of their favourite. They searched more to the Panchayat. for his body in the water but could not find it. On The meeting waited Lallu and Jagdhar's return the third day, to their great joy and astonishment, he froin morning till evening ; one of the number in suddenly appeared on the surface of the water with despair taking a stone threw it into a well, repeatsteaming hot Monbhog (a sweetmeat), since helding the words 'aise ki tasi main jaya Lallu aur Bacred to bím, in his right hand and repeating the Jagdhar,' meaning 'let Lallu and Jagdhar go, I words"Wah Guruji ! Dhanyah Guruji. Sath Guru- won't wait any longer.' The sentence has since ji/" meaning Glory to the Teacher. He is blessed. passed into a proverb. The meeting dispersed He alone is true.' The terms signifying God are
without deciding the question. On the following day mostly used on solemn occasions and in saluting the report was made of this disregard to the royal one another. His companions, thus convinced of his mandate; the Emperor, in his usual indignation, divine origin, became his proselytes. To comme
dismissed all Khatris from the imperial service and morate the miracle the institution of Kadhây& proclaimed that they should never be taken into state Pras'kda ( ST) was established among the employ. Thus thousands were thrown out of busiKhatris.
ness and began to starve. One day they suddenly 2. The Khatris are descendants of a warlike race. surrounded the imperial palace, humbly supplicatThe name Khatri occurs in the Indian History since
ing the Emperor to provide for their livelihood. the time of Baber when he visited Guru Nanak.
Aurangzeb thought it prudent to appease the enThey were constantly employed by the Mughul
raged mob. He promised them support, but he was emperors as soldiers. Toder Mall, the celebrated
not willing to restore them to their former positions. financier of Akbar. belonged to this caste. Au
The next day a royal firman was granted them, rangzeb sent all the Khatri forces on the great
conferring on their caste the sole privilege and expedition into the Dekhan against the kings of inonopoly of Daláli, or profession of broker, in the Golkonda and Bijapur and the Marathas. Great
bazars of Dehli and Agra. Since that time the prowas the slaughter in the imperial armies ; the Khatri fession, though now humble, has been confined to and Hindu forces were almost annihilated. On the Khatris. Even under British rule, in which freereturn of the camp to Dehli, the widows, sisters,
dom of choice is the privilege of every subject, • This ceremony is celebrated by Khatris on occasions celebrator's friends, relations, and neighbours, invited for of marriage or child-birth, and sometimes as a thanks
the occasion. When the sermon is over, the presiding giving when blest with prosperity in any dealing, or wben
fakir stands up, and with him all the party. He repeats aloud relieved from distress. The Inrge pan in which the the tenets and prayers-adis s'abile composed by Ninakin gloAlonbhog, sweetmeat made with butter, wheat-fiour, and
rification of the one Eternal Being without form, Creator sugar, in equal proportions, has been prepared, is placed
and Protector of the Universe. At the end of each hymn on a wooden elevated plate and covered with a white sheet. the party joins with the fakir in the acclamation Wak A Nanak Shabi fakir, either quru of the family, or any
Guruji ! After this every one presents to the fakir someono else known for his religious knowledge and merit, thing in money (rare) according to his means. The presiding, takes a seat just behind the pan; the Granth ceremony ends with the distribution of the contents of the Saheb or words of Nanak and his followers being reve- pan as a treat (pras'ada) to all present. rentially placed on a wooden stool before him. He reads See my letter on Rajah Toder Mall-Proceedings of from it to the audience, which is chiefly composed of the Asiatic Society of Bengal for August 1872.
