Machine transcription
114
Kings of Delhi. Even to this day his name is held in great reverence by the Afghans, who call him Baba (Father) Nanak. Sikhism, like Islam, inculcates belief in one God. It denounces idolatory, caste distinctions, and the claims of Brahmanism.
In the beginning the followers of Baba Nanak or the Sikhs as they were called, led the peaceful life of ascetics, but later on they aspired to temporal power and taking advantage of the anarchy in Northern India, they took to arms in the hope of extending their hold over the Panjab. This brought them into conflict with the Afghans. Ahmad Shah Durrani and his son Timur Shah were able to keep them in check, but during the reign of Zaman Shah, the Sikhs, encouraged by his manifold occupations at home, redoubled their efforts, and this brought the Afghan King to India several times. The Sikhs seldom met him in the open field. On his approach they, leaving the plains, took to the hills, where they felt themselves safer from attack. As soon as Shah Zaman quitted the country, they returned from their hiding places and began to oppress the Muslim population of the Province.
Roughly two thirds of characters agree with a modern printed edition of the same text. Much of the disagreement is editorial, not misreading. Treat the transcription as a finding aid and read the page image before quoting. How this was measured.
