The Battle of Saragarhi has been rated as one of the 10 most historic battles of the world. On September 12, 1897, 21 Sikh soldiers in the fort of Saragarhi faced an estimated 15,000 Afghan tribesmen who wanted to control Saragarhi. The 21 brave soldiers did not surrender but fought the attackers, and lost their lives. Anniversary of the Battle of Saragarhi falls on September 12.
The Battle of Saragarhi, one of the greatest last stands in history that was fought on September 12, 1897, by 21 Sikh soldiers of the British India Army against 15,000 Afghans in the Samana Valley of Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, which was then part of India. During this battle, all the 21 soldiers of 36 Sikh Regiment fought till their last breath against the Afghan hordes with unprecedented courage and unparalleled valour and went down as superheroes. Here’s the story of the Saragarhi’s legendary battle.
Where is Saragarhi?
Saragarhi was a small village in the Kohat district along with the Samana range (modern-day Pakistan). The British succeeded in gaining control over the Khyber Pakhtunwa region, although they were prone to attacks from rebellious Pashtuns. Saragarhi served as a communication post between Fort Lockhart and Fort Gullistan which served as headquarters for the British Indian army in the North-Western region, as these two forts were not visible to each other despite being a few miles apart.
Between August 27 to September 11, 1897, the Pashtuns tried to attack these British strongholds but their efforts were continuously thwarted by the 36th Sikh regiment under the command of Col. Haughton. Communication between Saragarhi and Fort Lockhart took place over heliograph. On September 12, 1897, 15,000 Pashtuns attacked Saragarhi in order to break communication between the two forts. The Battle of Saragarhi is considered to be one of the greatest last stands in history. Where 21 soldiers of the 36 Sikh Regiment fought an army of over 15,000 Afghans and killed more than 600 of them before perishing to enemy bullets. The 36 Sikh Regiment leader Ishar Singh managed to kill over 20 enemies in this epic battle.
Most Epic Battle Of All Time
This battle is epic because these 21 soldiers sacrificed their lives for their country and managed to hold back 15,000 men for an entire day until reinforcements arrived. The efforts of 36th Sikh Regiment soldiers never went unnoticed when the news received a standing ovation at the British Parliament in London. A commemorative tablet was put stating the names of the 21 men, after recognising their efforts. Post the battle, Col. Haughton narrated the heart-wrenching story of the battle to the top brass of the British Indian Army. As a result, all 21 soldiers were awarded the prestigious Indian Order of Merit Class III award. It was also for the first time in history, that each and every member of the unit won the gallantry awards for a single battle.
Remembrance and legacy
Khalsa Bahadur is an epic poem written by Chuhar Singh describing the chivalry and sacrifice of Sikh soldiers at the Battle of Saragarhi. The poem is 55 pages long in the Punjabi language.
In remembrance of these 21 warriors, the British built two gurdwaras, one in Amritsar near the Golden Temple and another in Ferozepur Cantonment, which was in the district where these men hailed from.
Even today, 12th September is celebrated as the Saragarhi Day in honor of the sacrifices made by those 21 brave soldiers and it’s observed as the Sikh military commemoration day. Three gurdwaras – Saragarhi, Ferozepur and Amritsar have been made to commemorate their sacrifice.