The Valentine Democrat. [volume] (Valentine, Cherry Co., Neb.) 1896-1898, 1898-04-28
a MODERN DEMlGOD.
An English Captain Deiiied by War
Ioyin. Tribes In India,

loving Tribes in India.
The crushing defeat of the Skins n
Guirat, Feb. u. 1919, gave the Punjab
TO England. Capt. John Nicholson was
appointed deputy commissioner OF the
district, where his name was soon in
every mouth. The popular fancy. cap
tivated by his fiery courage and uDqui-
tOus energy, magnified him into the
foremost hero of the war, and ascribed,
to him everything great or gallant
achieved by English arms.
Then began the transformation of the
popular hero into a god-a process as-
natural to q Hindu, with his plurality
of gods and ordered hierarchy of heav-
enly beings, as it was to the old Greeks,
who translated their heroes into demi-
gods. A Hindu devotee, or gosain, dis
covered in Nicholson a new avatar. or
incarnation of the Brahmanic godhead,
and at once began to preach the wor
ship of the new god, Nikalsain. Five
or six of his brother gosains accepted
the new creed, and the sect of Nikal-
sains became Il historical fact.
Captain Trotter, treated this kind of
apotheosis with unexpected vigOr of
speech ard arm He drove the beliey-
ers in it from his presence by threats
and fioggings. They came back to fall
at his feet and worship him IS the
great god Nikalsain, and took their
punishment as martyrs. When he BAN
ished them from the city, they retired
to their monastery among the hills. and
at once renewed their worship OF the
relentless hero.
One day, three years after the last
banishmert and fOgging of his deyO-
tees. while Nicholson was holding court
at Peshawar, several fakirs entered the
courtroom and Frustrated themselves
at his feet Nicholson, resenting their
alteration, ordered the sheriff to whip
the leader, and sent them all away
with warning never to moleSt him
again.
When these Nikalsain worsh:pers
heard of their hero's death al Delhi
they gathered to lament their loss. One
of them stood forth. There is no gain
from living in a world which no longer
holds Nikalsain,' said he, and deliber-
ately cutting his throat died there.
THAT is not the way to serve our
great guru'' (master) said another. adj
dressing his fellowdevOtees. IF we
hope to see him again in future state,
and wish to please him while we live
in this world, we must learn to Worship
Nikalsain's GOdr'
The rest applauded, and several of
the devotees started Immediately for
Peshawar, and finding the missionary
stationed there told him of their desire.
Seeing that they We're seeking the I'm
known God, he instructed them in the
first principles of Christianity. Within
a year they asked to be baptized. that
they might publicly profess their faith
in Nicholson's God. The missionary,
satisfied that several of them under-I
stood what they asked for and We're
sincere, baptized them.
The most ignorant, deprayed and
bloodthirsty people in the Punjab were
the Banuchis, a MOhammedan tribe.
John Nicholson was appointed to rule
over them after Edwards and his
troops had knocked down the walls of
their forts. He reduced the people to
good order and to a wholesome respect
for the laws, so that in the last year
Of his rule there was not case OF mur-
der. burglary. or highway robbery
Such a revolution so impressed the
Banuchis that they spoke of Nicholson
as every inch q hakim (master). and
concluded that the good Mohammedans
of historic ages must have been like
Nikalsain.
The old Sikhs. when showing visit
or over the battlefield of Gujrat. where
their army was defeated. used 70 be.
gin their narrative by saying, ''N:chol.
son stood just there
EIlt the most emphatic testimony to
Nicholson's power over the wdr-like
classes of India is the fact that withiD
ten years after his death an English
captain heard several WANDERING min
strels chanting a ballad in PuC jab tC
the praise of the hero in the streets OF
the city he had died to take. These meE
sang for their livelihood, and the bal
Lad must. therefore. have been pOpU
Lar song in the city of Delhi. The sen.
timent of the Nikalsain worshipe-S re,
appears in the last four lines Of thn bal
lad:
We ceaseless pray the warriors God. =
with all a soldiers love.
That He would make brave Nicholas q
prince in heaven above.
Oh. godlike chieftain Nicholson. oUr chill
dren lisp thy name,
Thou'lt not forget the Khaisas' ffgltcrsD
prayers. their babies prate try name.
Mercenary Marriages.
In 80