^2 SOCIAL SCIENTIST tices and beliefs which had not been 'sanctioned' by them/5 There were attempts to identify and establish the moral and religious basis of Sikhism.7 The drive to popularise and spread the religious beliefs of Sikhism was made not only by the new elite.7 There were widely respected saints like Atar Singh and Ishwar Singh of Raewale and numerous village folk who followed the tenets of Sikhism.8 The self perception of these reformers was challenged and contradicted by oth( reforming organisations. This set the pace for ongoing controversies and polemical debates among reformers. The Arya-Sikh relations reflected this very aspect.9 Alongside, divergent views among those who were engaged in the process of Sikh "regeneration" were also emerging. In fact, when Kahan Singh wrote Hum Hindu Nahin in 1898, his main aim (as he himself observed in the introduction) was to provide; information to those Sikhs who considered themselves to be an integral part of Hindu society. Written in a form of conversation between a Hindu and a Sikh, the tract used views enshrined in the writings of Bhai Gurdas, Bhai Nandlal, Rahit Nama of Bhai Chaupa Singh, Darsam Granth and Vichitra Natak of Guru Govind Singh and Adi Granth to stress that Sikh Gurus did not believe in idol worship, worship of goddesses, observation of caste regulations and numerous other passage de rites. These were associated with the Hindus and it was reiterated by Kahan Singh that Sikhs had faith only in the teachings of Adi Granth and they did not believe in what he termed as religious practices of the Hindus.10 The distinct identity of the Sikhs as expoused and reiterated by reformers like Kahan Singh, had attracted the attention of the rulers also. The details provided in the Census Reports indicated the same1 attitude.11 However, the official perception came in through the judicial set up when the widow of late Dyal Singh Majitha challenged the will of her late husband in 1900 on the ground that he, being a Sikh, the case could not be tried under Act V of 1881 which was meant for Hindus. The judgement in this case was very significant as it pointed out that though the term Hindu in the Indian Succession, the probate and administration must be understood in a theological sense, it never meant that the Court could decide which doctrines belonged to Hinduism and who were the Hindus. In fact such an enquiry was impossible and the decision impracticable. Therefore the Court accepted the generally accepted meaning of the expression and in this connection Sikhs were regarded as Hindus only.12 The judgement evoked a sharp reaction from many Sikh reformers and the press became the medium for representing and championing different opinions.13 The efforts at defining Sikh identity were intertwined with a conscious attempt to assert the religious beliefs of the Sikhs. In this connection, there was a growing concern with the performance of religious ceremonies in the Golden Temple. Situated at Amritsar, the