Though there is not much that is original in the doctrines of Kabir, he is a considerable figure in Hindi literature and may justly be called epoch-making as marking the first fusion of Hinduism and Islam which culminates and attains political importance in the Sikhs.  Other offshoots of his teaching are the Satnamis, Radha-swamis and Dadupanthis.  The first were founded or reorganized in 1750 by a certain Jag-jivan-das.  They do not observe caste and in theory adore only the True Name of God but in practice admit 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.