The Sikh or Nanak Shahi, in their religious• doctrines, have several sects, amongst whom may be mentioned 1st. Oodasee, founded by Sree-Chund, a sou of Nanak. The Oodasee were rejected by Ummer Das as not being genuine Sikhs.
2d. Behdee, founded by Lukshee Das, another son of Nanak.
3d. Teehun, founded by Guru Unggaid.
4th. Bhulleh, founded by Guru Ummer Das. 5th. Sodhee, founded by Guru Ram Das.
The Behdee, Teehun, Bhulleh, and Sodhee arer rather Sikhs of the subdivisions of Kshatris, so called (i.e. of the tribes of certain gurus), than distinct sects.
6th. Ram Rayee, seceders who adhered to Ram Raee, when Tegh Bahadur became guru. They have a, considerable establishment in the Lower Himalayas, near Hardwar.
76. Bunda-Punt'hee, i.e. of the sect of Bunda, who succeeded Govind as a temporal leader.
8th. Mussundee. Mussund is simply the name of a subdivision of Kshatri ; but it is also -specially applied to the followers of those who resisted Govind, some say as adherents of Ram Raee, and others as instigators of the guru's son to opposition. The more common story, how ever, is that the Mussund were the hereditary stewards of the household of the several gurus, and that they become proud and dissipated, but nevertheless arrogated sanctity to themselves, and personally ill-used many Sikhs for not deferring to them, whereupon Govind, regarding them as irreclaimable, expelled them all except two or three.
9th. Rungret'ha, converts of the sweeper, and some other inferior castes, are so called.
10th. Ramdasee, i.e. Rao or Raee Dasee, Sikhs of the class of Chamars or leather-dressers, and who trace to the Rao Das or Rake Das, whose writings are inserted in the Grant'h.
11th. Mazahbee, converts from Muhammadanism are so called.
12th. Akali, worshippers of Akal (god), the most eminent of the orders of purists or ascetics. 13th. Nihung, the naked, or pure.
14th. Nirmulleh, the sinless. One who has acquired this title usually administers the Pahul to others; also written Nirmala.
15th. Gheianee, the wise or perfect. A term sometimes applied to Sikhs, who are at once learned and pious.
16th. Soothra, Shahee, the true or pure ; said to have been founded by one Sootcha, a Brahman.
17th. Sutcheedaree, likewise the true or pure ; the founder not ascertained. Suthreh Shahi priests lead a vagabond life, begging and singing songs of a moral or mystic tendency, but are not unfre quently gamblers, drunkards, and thieves. They look up to Tegh Bahadur, father of Guru Govind, as their founder.
18th. Bhaee, literally brother. The ordinary title of all Sikhs who have acquired a name for holiness ; and it is scarcely the distinctive title of -a sect, or even of an order.
The Udasi, as their name denotes, profess in difference to worldly vicissitudes. They are purely religious characters, devoting themselves to prayer and meditation, and are usually collected in con vents or colleges called Sangat. They are ascetics, though they do not solicit alms, are generally well dressed, and celibacy does not seem imperat ive. Many of them are well read in Sanskrit, and are able expounders of the Vedanta, philo sophy, on which the tenets of Nauak are founded ; and in the Gangetic provinces their office consists chiefly in reading and expounding the writings of Nanak and Govind Singh, as collected in the Adi Grant'h and Das Padsbah-ki-Grantl.
Ganj Bakshi, a small sect of no note.
Ram Raga, a small political sect, claiming for their founder Ram Raya, who flourished in A.D. 1660.
Govind Sinhi are the most important of the Sikh community, and comprehend the political association of the Sikh nation generally.
The Nirmala, who observe celibacy, and go nearly naked, iu other respects resemble Udasi Sikhs.
Naga go without clothes, but otherwise resemble the Nirmala, and, unlike the Saiva and Vaishnava Nagas, do not wear arms.—Cunaingham's Hist. of the Sikhs.