Battle of Saragarhi one of the greatest last stands in military history 21 Sikh soldiers held fort against more than 10,000 rampaging Pashtun tribesmen for over six hours.
The Battle of Saragarhi was fought before the Tirah Campaign on 12 September 1897 between the British Indian Empire and the Afghan tribesmen. In the 19th Century, Saragarhi was a tiny, nondescript village in what was then the North-West Frontier Province.
Fort Gulistan and Fort Lockhart in Afghanistan were two fortresses under British control at the time. The forts would communicate with each other by using mirrors to flash Morse Coded messages.
But the distance between them was quite a bit, and so, 21 Sikh soldiers of the 36th Sikh Regiment in the British India contingent were stationed there to set up a communication network between Fort Lockhart and Fort Gulistan on the Hind Kush mountains.
The Pashtuns, however, wanted to capture both forts for themselves. To that end, the Afghani tribes mounted numerous attacks on the post between 27 August and 11 September. But the biggest assault came on the final day of the battle –on 12 September 1897. Ten thousand Afghani tribesmen charged the Saragarhi post.
On the morning of 12 September, a Solider at Saragarhi sees a dust cloud rise in the distance. Sepoy Gurmukh Singh signals to Colonel Haughton, situated in Fort Lockhart, that they are under attack. Haughton states he cannot send immediate help to Saragarhi. The soldiers in Saragarhi decide to fight to the last to prevent the enemy from reaching the forts.Sepoy Bhagwan Singh was the first soldier to be killed and Naik Lal Singhwas seriously wounded
Haughton signals that he estimated that there were between 10,000 and 14,000 Pashtuns attacking Saragarhi. The leaders of the Pashtun forces reportedly made promises to the soldiers to entice them to surrender. Two determined attempts were made to rush open the gate, but were unsuccessful. Later, the wall was breached.
Havildar Ishar Singh ordered his men to fall back into the inner layer, whilst he remained to fight. Sepoy Gurmukh Singh, who communicated the battle to Haughton, was the last surviving Sikh defender. He asked for permission to close the heliograph and take up his rifle.
He is stated to have killed 20 Afghans, the Pashtuns having to set fire to the post to kill him. As he was dying, he was said to have yelled repeatedly the Sikh battle cry “Bole So Nihal, Sat Sri Akal!”
The 21 Sikh soldiers killed between 180-600 Afghan tribesmen. Eventually, each of the soldiers succumbed, but they had fought through the day, giving Fort Lockhart and Fort Gulistan enough time to prepare. They had also inflicted heavy losses on the invading forces. Saragarhi fell, but was soon recaptured by the British forces.
It wasn’t until the next day that the British Army reached the Saragarhi post. After fighting the tribesmen for another two days, they won it back.
The 36 Sikh Regiment later became the 4th Battalion of Sikh Regiment in the Indian Army and the force commemorates September 12 as Saragarhi Day to honour their fallen comrades.
The 21 soldiers were from Punjab’s Majha region and were posthumously awarded the Indian Order of Merit, at that time the highest gallantry award which an Indian soldier could receive.
After the Battle of Saragarhi, tributes were paid to the 21 bravehearts in the British Parliament. They were also honoured with the Victoria Cross. Till date, the Sikh regiment celebrates Saragarhi Diwas on 12 September. The 4th battalion of the Sikh Regiment of Indian Army commemorates the battle every year on 12 September, as Saragarhi Day.
