The Battle of Saragarhi
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- “It is no exaggeration to record that the armies which possess the valiant Sikhs cannot face defeat in war” - Queen Victoria, British Parliament 1897
- 21 vs 10,000. To the last man, with the last round.
The inset (bottom right) locates Saragarhi with relation to Jammu & Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh
This is a collection of articles archived for the excellence of their content. |
The authors of this article are
Charles Eve
Eh Mera Punjab | The Battle of Saragarhi (12 September 1897)
The Battle of Saragarhi | Australian Sikh Heritage
Parvesh Sharma | These facts about The Battle of Saragarhi will leave you stunned! | JAN 20, 2016 | Speaking Tree Mr Sharma is the author of Saragarhi: The Forgotten Battle. He wrote this article in 2016, more than three years before the release of Kesari
A summary
Twenty-one Jat Sikhs of 36 Sikh Regiment of the British Indian Army [and one Muslim non-combatant] were stationed at Saragarhi, North Western Frontier Province (NWFP) [now the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan] as part of Tirah campaign. This was an Indian frontier war, fought in 1897-98 in an attempt by the British to subdue the western frontier of the British Empire. These men were led by Havildar Ishar Singh. Hindustan Times
In terms of the ratio on the odds faced, only a few battles come close to those faced by Sikh soldiers of the [4th Battalion of the] 36th Sikhs [36th Sikh Regiment] in Saragarhi. On September 12, 1897 these 21 Sikh soldiers were up against approximately 10,000 - 14,000 Afridi and Orakzai tribes of the Pashtun. The staggering ratio of 1:500 stacked against the Sikhs is both unmatched and unprecedented, ensuring their "last stand" will never be forgotten in history. (Australian Sikh Heritage)
The Queenslander of Australia, November 18, 1897, was even more effusive in its praise of the heroic Sikhs and put the number of Pashtuns at 20,000.
The clipping has been reformatted (enlarged) for easy reading
The clipping has been reformatted (enlarged) for easy reading
The battle took place nearly two decades after the Second Anglo-Afghan War. The British Army, trying to gain control of the hilly Central Asian provinces, was in a long-standing conflict with local tribes and clans. Many battles were fought, with hundreds of Indian foot-soldiers martyred towards the British cause. (Condé Nast Traveller)
The Battle of Saragarhi will definitely go down as one of the fiercest last-stands in history. A last-stand is when a defensive army holds on to a fort against an opposing army in much bigger numbers.‘‘Hindustan Times ‘‘
The Afghan tribal army, with 10,000 warriors couldn’t breach the Saragarhi Fort, in northwest frontier of India at the time, for over 7 hours (Shibaji Roychoudhury | Times Now News)
It was said that the Afghans were so in awe of the Sikh soldiers that they tried to not only bribe them to give up the fort but also offered them to join the Afghan army. Of course, the Sikh soldiers lead by Havildar Ishar Singh had other plans. (Shibaji Roychoudhury | Times Now News)
The forts, and Saragarhi’s importance
As part of the British defensive measures, a series of forts were built along the 30-mile stretch, through the Orakzai and Afridi territory, from Kohat to Hangu and along the Samana Ridge. (Pankaj Vohra | ‘‘ The Sunday Guardian’’ )
The British had taken control of forts, originally built by the great Emperor Maharaja Ranjit Singh, dotting the hilly terrain, during his Western campaign. These included Fort Gulistan and Fort Lockhart in the Kohat region of the frontier province. Since these two forts were miles apart, Saragarhi fort was built in between which also served as ‘heliographic’ communications centre.‘‘Hindustan Times ‘‘
Fort Lockhart and Fort Gulistan were not intervisible [their residents could not see each other], but were connected for communications by a heliograph operated from a tower in the small fort of Saragarhi. There was also a system of communicating with flags, the semaphore. Fort Saragarhi was at the highest point at about 6,000 feet, while the other two were at 5,000 feet. Therefore, to examine the battles along the Samana Ridge in 1897, it is prudent to view the three forts in entirety—Fort Lockhart, the main fort; Fort Saragarhi, the little heliograph fort; and Fort Gulistan, a smaller fort. (Pankaj Vohra | ‘‘ The Sunday Guardian’’ )
Saragarhi was a communication relay post between Fort Lockhart and Fort Gulistan (also known as Fort Cavagnari) in the Sulaiman Range of the NWFP. Since Fort Lockhart and Fort Gulistan were not in a visual line of sight due to geographical attributes a midway heliograph communication post was built at Saragarhi. Heliography is a communication technique used by reflecting sunlight with a mirror and transmitting it via [Morse] coded messages. Saragarhi was vital in ensuring the survival of these two forts and the defence of the region. Saragarhi consisted of a small block house with loop-holed ramparts and a signalling tower. (Australian Sikh Heritage)
The regiment
The regiment was raised at its depot in Jalandhar, comprising Jat Sikhs from the Trans Sutluj, under a special Army Order dated 23 March 1887. Thereafter, it has remained in active service as first, the 36th Sikhs, then in the reorganisation of 1922 as the 4th battalion of the 11th Sikh regiment, and finally to its present designation in 1950, as the 4th Battalion of the Sikh Regiment. Earlier, the regiment came into existence from the 10,000 Malwai soldiers, who were sent home post the First Anglo-Sikh war, following the treaty of Sutluj, as the Regiment of Ludhiana (2 Sikh) and the Regiment of Ferozpur (1 Sikh) on 31 July 1846. (Pankaj Vohra | ‘‘ The Sunday Guardian’’ )
The regiment sent to the Samana was the 36th (Sikh) Regiment of Bengal Infantry. It was raised in March 1887 specifically for service along the unruly [sic] north-west frontier with the intent of checking tribal agitation. The unit [was] raised by … the infamous Captain Henry Holmes, … the biggest and strongest man of his time in the Indian army. It is said that he challenged men in Ludhiana, Punjab, to a wrestling match, with the proviso that if they lost, they would enlist. This novel way of recruitment saw young men flock to try and beat the Brit… (Captain Jay Singh-Sohal| ‘‘ History Extra ‘‘)
1897: a Pashtun uprising
From SBS.com.au
The origin of the tribal uprising
In 1891, Brigadier General Sir William Lockhart led two expeditions of the Miranzai Field Force on to the Samana [mountain range] in order to bring the tribes there under British rule, aiming eventually to build forts on the high ground of the Mastan plateau... (Captain Jay Singh-Sohal| ‘‘ History Extra ‘‘)
The Durand Line was drawn up in 1893, demarcating the border between India and Afghanistan, tearing down through the middle, a tribal people, from Swat to Balochistan.
While the 36th Sikhs took to their daily duties, the action of drawing boundaries on the frontier led to the Afridi people of nearby Tirah rising up…By August 1897 the Mullah of Hadda, an influential preacher, had declared a jihad “to go out for a holy war and defend the religion of the Holy Prophet”. The Afridis convinced their neighbouring Orakzai clan to join the cause and marched on the Samana…. (Captain Jay Singh-Sohal| ‘‘ History Extra ‘‘)
Between August and September that year [1897], a general uprising of Pashtuns took place, wherein they attacked Fort Gulistan, which was repulsed. On September 12, an estimated 10000 strong force of Pashtun tribesmen attacked Fort Saragarhi.‘‘Hindustan Times ‘‘
Initially, the tribals sent a stout-hearted feeler to the [Sikhs] that they would be provided a safe passage if they jumped ship, since their fight was solely against the British. However, Ishar Singh rebuked them in a colourfully rebellious manner, refusing to budge an inch. Incensed by this retaliatory response from the havaldar, the tribals launched a series of assaults. (Pankaj Vohra | ‘‘ The Sunday Guardian’’ )
September 12, 1897: a brief history
Sunrise
In 2017, Richard A. Fowell, expert heliographer, using Peakfinder and scientific calculations, published a curious but interesting finding:
Viewed from Saragarhi, the sun rose over the walls of Fort Lockhart that day. At 05:46:14 the center of the sun appeared at the parapet of Fort Lockhart viewed from Saragarhi. The sunrise time [that day] was 7:02.
The events of the battle
The First Attack on the Fort
The Pathans attacked at around 9am, but were repulsed with around 60 losses as the Sikhs fired upon the mass of men. The [Pashtuns] dived behind rocks and dips in the ground for cover, but two tribesmen had also managed to get to the post and remained close under the walls of the north-west bastion where there was a dead angle [that cannot be reached directly by defenders’ fire]. (Captain Jay Singh-Sohal| ‘‘ History Extra ‘‘)
Unseen by the Sikhs inside, they began digging beneath the walls. The [Pashtuns] next set fire to bushes and shrubbery to create a smokescreen with which to edge forward. They concentrated their gunfire on the wooden front door, a defect of planning which presented a weakness. (Captain Jay Singh-Sohal| ‘‘ History Extra ‘‘)
The Pathans [shouting] at top of their voices rode with guns blazing onto the Sikhs in order to breach the main gate of the post. One of the sepoys sounded the army trumpet as per Havildaar Ishar Singh’s command and in a flash they formed two lines, one row in a squatting firing position and the other standing. With having had only a few months of [experience with] a new type of rifle which was capable of firing ten rounds of 303 calibre bullets a minute, it proved to be more than a match to the muzzle loading rifles possessed by the tribesmen. Tribal leaders called for the Sikhs to surrender as their fight was the British and not with the Sikhs, however Havildaar Ishar Singh, a fearless Gursikh, just stared back at them. (Eh Mera Punjab )
On that fateful morning when Havildar Ishar Singh (the detachment commander) peered through his binoculars from the watch tower of his post, he saw columns upon columns and rows upon rows of Pathans. Sepoy Gurmukh Singh, the detachment signaller, went up the signalling tower to set up his heliograph and began signalling to Fort Lockhart about their predicament: "ENEMY APPROACHING THE MAIN GATE...NEED REINFORCEMENT". (Australian Sikh Heritage)
Despite repeated communications sent to Fort Lockhart for reinforcements, none arrived. There were attempts to break open the gate but they were unsuccessful. Later, one of the walls was breached. What followed thereafter is considered by many as one of the fiercest hand-to-hand combat.‘‘Hindustan Times ‘‘
The Sikhs Fire Bullets
The effective range of the Henry Martini rifle was around 600 yards (550m). Havildaar Ishar Singh held his order to fire until the enemy closed in within 250m from his post. Once the Pathans breached this marker, he yelled: "NAA DARRO AR SIO JAB JAAE LARRO" and in a loud chorus all the soldiers repeated: "NISCHAI KAR APNEE JEEET KARO" … With the effective firing-range the Sikhs destroyed the first line of the Pathan advance. However reloading the guns were time consuming. From atop the post, Havildaar Ishar Singh saw again thousands of Pathans in rows upon rows, waiting to charge against them. Now the Pathans knew the actual strength of the Sikhs and planned for a massive assault on all flanks, a multi-pronged attack designed to divide the outnumbered Sikhs into much smaller groups thereby ensuring weaker defensive formations. (Eh Mera Punjab )
It is also said that once the Afghans had breached the walls of the fort, platoon leader Havildar Ishar Singh asked his team members to retreat further inside the fort and took two of his best soldiers to face the Afghans face-to-face. (Shibaji Roychoudhury | Times Now News)
Second-Attack on the Fort
The attack this time was with such fury that the earth around the fort shook as the Pathan horsemen thundered across the barren land to slice the Sikhs into pieces. Havildaar Ishar Singh, unnerved by this onslaught, gave battle orders again:“SQUATTING SOLDIERS TO THE RIGHT … STANDING SOLDIERS TO THE LEFT … QUICKLY … QUICKLY…”, with clarity amid the chaos of battle. The highly disciplined Sikh soldiers followed the orders like clock-work. The tribesmen attacked in two formations, one towards the main gate and the other towards the gap at the fort. Havildaar Ishar Singh calculated that at least 150 tribesmen rode in this wave. He could see only the white of their eyes as the tribesmen approached closer, masking their faces. Undeterred, he and the other 20 soldiers roared like thunder, "BOLE SO NIHAL … SAT SRI AKAAL!“. The tribesmen’s attack was repulsed once again by the Sikhs due to superior marksmanship and motivation but the soldiers’ ranks and ammunitions also started to dwindle. (Eh Mera Punjab )
Lt Col Haughton, Commanding Officer of the 36th Sikhs, attempted to rush his troops to assist the outnumbered Sikhs however it was too late. The Pathans had systematically cut-off the supply route between Fort Lockhart and Saragarhi. Fort Lockhart transmitted back: "UNABLE TO BREAKTHROUGH...HOLD POSITION". (Australian Sikh Heritage)
As he watched from Fort Lockhart, Haughton counted at least 14 enemy standards (each representing 1,000 tribesmen) facing the 21 Sikh soldiers. Sepoy Gurmukh Singh passed on this message to Havildar Ishar Singh. As he assessed the grim situation facing him and his men, Havildar Ishar Singh called upon his men to seek their consultation on whether to hold the fort or abandon their post in the hope of surviving. The Sikhs unanimously agreed to hold the position. Saragarhi flashed back: "UNDERSTOOD". (Australian Sikh Heritage)
A devout Sikh and fatherly figure to his unit, the troops under Havildar Ishar Singh’s command knew full well the ability of this NWFP veteran. Havildar Ishar Singh understood this terrain very well, especially the character and fighting ability of the Pathans. As the Pathans moved to begin their attack, one of the Sepoys sounded the bugle as per Havildar Ishar Singh's command and the Sikhs formed two lines abreast, one row in a squatting firing position and the other standing. Havildar Ishar Singh held his order to fire until the enemy closed in within 250m from his post. The .303 calibre was deadly and effective at this range, coupled with the grouping shots formed by the line abreast formation. The first line of the Pathan advance was completely decimated. However, there was no time to reflect upon their success. (Australian Sikh Heritage)
News of the event shot around the world as demonstrated by [the above] article (one of many) in [the] Australian newspaper [The Queenslander]. (Australian Sikh Heritage)
The Pathans planned for a massive assault on all flanks - a multi-pronged attack designed to divide the outnumbered Sikhs into much smaller groups. The tribesmen attacked in two formations, one towards the main gate and the other towards the gap at the fort. Undeterred, Havildar Ishar Singh yelled their regiment battle cry together with his troops "JO BOLEY SO NIHAAL! SAT SRI AKAAL!" Whoever utters the following phrase shall be fulfilled! True is the timeless being! The tribesmen's attack was repulsed once again by the Sikhs. At this stage some tribesmen had fallen just yards away from the Sikh position. (Australian Sikh Heritage)
The Sikh soldiers' ranks and ammunitions were now beginning to dwindle. Out of the full strength of 21 soldiers at the start of the battle, there now were 10. (Australian Sikh Heritage)
10 Soldiers Left
From 9am to 12pm the Sikhs had been charged at seven times and had been now left with 10 soldiers led by the wounded Havildaar Ishar Singh, who despite being injured by bullets and saber slashes continued his duties. The ammunition gradually finished and by 2pm, Sepoy Gurmukh Singh signalled Fort Lockhart Battalion HQ: "LOW ON AMMO … NEED AMMO … URGENTLY!”. Lt Col Haughton sent some men to try and pass the ammunition to the trapped Sikhs, but again to no avail. As the Pathans attacked again, the 10 Sikhs repelled them back once again. The tribesmen now resorted to sitting fire to the bushes and scrubs around Fort. With the thick smoke the Sikhs could not see the enemy. The Battalion HQ in Fort Lockhart could clearly see the tribesmen approaching the breach in the fort due to their elevated position above Saragarhi. Lt Col Haugton frantically signalled Saragarhi: "ENEMY APPROCHING THE BREACH …!“ Havildaar Ishar Singh, due to injuries sustained, had to drag himself towards the breach, accompanied by two other soldiers, to stop the tribesmen from entering the fort. Out of ammunition, all three of them fixed their bayonets and charged the tribesmen. Overwhelmed by the sheer numbers facing them, all three fell were they stood bravely. At the same time, the tribesmen entered the main gate due to the thinning of the defensive lines. However, hand to hand fighting still took place inside the fort, in full view from Fort Lockhart. (Eh Mera Punjab )
The battle had gone on from 0900 hrs to 1200 hrs with the Sikhs having fought off seven charges by the tribesmen. The ever inspiring Havildar Ishar Singh was still leading his men despite being gravely injured by bullets and sabre slashes. At 1400 hrs, Sepoy Gurmukh Singh signaled Fort Lockhart Battalion HQ: "LOW ON AMMO...NEED AMMO...URGENTLY". Lt Col Haughton attempted to send his personal orderly to try and pass the ammunition to the trapped Sikhs, but again to no avail. As the Pathans attacked again, the Sikhs with less than 10 men put up a stiff resistance and managed to repel the attack once again. (Australian Sikh Heritage)
The tribesmen resorted to a traditional tactic. They set fire to the bushes and scrubs around Fort Saragarhi. Clouds of smoke blanketed the fort, making it impossible for the Sikhs to see the enemy. Soldiers at Fort Lockhart could clearly see the approach of the tribesmen due to their elevated position above Saragarhi. Lt Col Haughton frantically signaled Saragarhi: "ENEMY APPROCHING…THE BREACH". Havildar Ishar Singh was severely injured by this time and ordered the remaining Sikhs to fall back into the inner wall. He then ordered two Sepoys to drag him towards the breach to buy some time for his men. Out of ammunition all three of them fixed their bayonets and charged the tribesmen. With this act Havildar Ishar Singh provided the final lesson of true leadership to his men. (Australian Sikh Heritage)
Even after a hefty number of soldiers in the Pashutan army, after approximately 9-12 hours [?], there were still 10 Sikh solders left, fighting bravely with heart and soul!! (Parvesh Sharma | Speaking Tree)
By the time the tribesmen breached the fort, only five Sikhs remained alive. Four in the inner building and Sepoy Gurmukh Singh at the signaling tower. The Sikhs did not give up. Instead they formed an all-round defensive position with their backs against each other and their bayonets pointing outwards. In this remarkable display of bravery four more Sikhs fought hand to hand inside the fort. (Australian Sikh Heritage)
Four Sikhs Left
Only 4 Sikhs were alive by the time the tribesmen breached the fort, with an additional soldier, Gurmukh Singh, in the nearby mound providing up to date situation report via heliograph. Out of ammunition, they did not lay down their weapons; instead, they formed an all round defensive position with their backs against each other, their bayonets pointing outwards. A force of nearly a hundred Pathans hacked the valiant Sikhs into pieces, but not before the Sikhs took a few heads with them. From Lockhart, soldiers were in utter disbelief of the raw courage displayed down below at Saragarhi and the stiff resistance put up by the remaining Sikhs. They simply gasped in awe of the action unfolding before their very eyes. (Eh Mera Punjab )
The last Sikh Left
At 3.30pm Sepoy Gurmukh Singh transmitted: "MAIN GATE BREACHED … DOWN TO ONE … REQUEST PERMISSION TO DISMOUNT AND JOIN THE FIGHT …!"Orders came back: "PERMISSION GRANTED!" 19-year old Gurmukh Singh disassembled his heliograph device, picked up his rifle and bravely went into the fort to join the fight. Soldiers at Fort Lockhart saw him disappear into the thick of the battle, right into the tribesmen line. They could only hear him roaring at the top of his voice:"JO BOLE SO NIHAAL … SAT SRI AKAAL! … JO BOLE SO NIHAAL, SAT SRI AKAAL…!" The third battle cry grew even more weaker, whilst Gurmukh Singh began choking on his blood as he stood there, bayoneting. Legend has it that he took down single-handedly 20 tribesmen before succumbing to the repeated slashes of the tribesmen’s swords and the fire that was engulfing the post. Twitching, as his last breath left him, Sepoy Gurmukh Singh, the youngest of the Sikhs at 19 years old, died, satisfied in the knowledge that he had done his duty and lived to his last breath with Kesh (hair) intact! (Eh Mera Punjab ) He was the last to fall at Saragarhi. (Australian Sikh Heritage)
An Australian Major observed from nearby Gulistan
From SBS.com.au
The clipping has been reformatted (enlarged) for easy reading
From SBS.com.au
The clipping has been reformatted (enlarged) for easy reading
Major Charles Des Voeux of Australia’s Queensland Defence Force had joined the 36th Sikh Regiment of the Bengal Infantry around 1891. He was stationed at Fort Gulistan on that fateful day. His family was with him.
In a letter, written on 18 September 1897 and published in the Western Star And Roma Advertiser on 27 Oct 1897, he recounted,
“We have had severe fighting here. We were attacked and closely invested for three days – 12th, 13th and 14th September, when we were relieved.
, Major Des Voeux wrote, "The fort next to us [i.e. Saragarhi], with twenty-one men of mine and one follower, was taken by storm, and fell at 3.40pm on the 12th.
"The whole garrison were killed. I hear they died fighting like demons.”
What was the Tirah Campaign?
After the fall of Saragarhi, forts Lockhart and Gulistan continued their defence until reinforcements could arrive from Hangu to clear the tribesmen. The Kohat Field Force of just over 34,000 men under General Yeatman-Biggs undertook the Tirah campaign, one of retribution, days later in response to the Pathan attacks. The 36th Sikhs took part in the campaign, alongside English units, but were mainly used as an advanced guard or in a recce role. The campaign ended with the submission of the tribes. (Parvesh Sharma | Speaking Tree)
The final result
At the end of it, all twenty-one Sikh soldiers were killed and an approximate 180 Pathans lay dead. While the Afghan tribes had claimed that they only lost a total of 180 men in the Battle of Saragarhi, it was reported that a total of 600 bodies of Afghan tribal warriors were found on the battlefield. (Shibaji Roychoudhury | Times Now News) However, in two days, the fort was recaptured by the British, after the Pathans came under heavy artillery fire. Post recapturing, as many as 600 bodies were counted.‘‘Hindustan Times ‘‘
All 21 soldiers laid down their life and held the fort for 7 hours. However, their sacrifice didn’t go in vain because their resistance at the Saragarhi Fort delayed the Afghan’s advancing to the Fort Gulistan and gave the time for reinforcements to reach. (Shibaji Roychoudhury | Times Now News)
The 21 Sikh [soldiers’ sacrifice gave] Fort Lockhart and Fort Gulistan enough time to prepare. (Condé Nast Traveller)
Daad, the 22nd hero and martyr
[Capt Amarinder Singh] has paid tribute to an unsung hero, a Non-Combatant Enrolled (NCE), “Sepoy/Sweeper Dad” [pron. daad], who went beyond the call of his duty, dauntlessly crossing into the threshold of the conflict zone, so as to kill at least six enemies before laying down his life. The book, in fact, is soulfully dedicated to him and as Amarinder Singh has stated that there are no details available regarding his religion or other antecedents except that he was probably from Naushera and was also the cook at the obscure communication fort at Saragarhi, which was sought to be overrun by the tribals. He was flatfooted and as a consequence could not be a soldier. . Sep/Sweeper Dad performed multi-functional tasks, including opening the ammunition boxes and communicating with the two forts on either side of Saragarhi. His identity remains an enigma and therefore he could have been a Khuda Dad, Mir Dad or Jehan Dad. Questions regarding Sep/Sweeper Dad remain unanswered and it is believed that he could possibly have been a Muslim. (Pankaj Vohra | ‘‘ The Sunday Guardian’’ )
21 out of the 22 soldiers were honoured with the Indian Order of Merit. Sep/Sweeper Dad’s name was consciously left out, since NCEs were not expected to pick up the gun and were, therefore, omitted from any honours list. (Pankaj Vohra | ‘‘ The Sunday Guardian’’ )
(Captain Jay Singh-Sohal| ‘‘ History Extra ‘‘) spells his name as Dadh.
[Gurinderpal Singh Josan, the US-based chairman of the Saragarhi Foundation] commissioned the portraits of the 21 soldiers and Khuda Dad, the NCE (non-combatant enrolled) to be presented to the war museum in Amritsar. “I hired a researcher to visit the families and a painter to draw their likeness,” says Josan. (Manraj Grewal Sharma | Hindustan Times )
Thus the name of the NCE was Khuda Dad.
The significance of the battle
Col John Kendall who has done a stint in Afghanistan, says the battle resonates with him as he met the troops the Sikh soldiers fought against. “There are three aspects of the battle,” he says. One is the tactical part: soldiers led by Havildar Ishar Singh did not panic and made the most of their ammunition to inflict the maximum casualties on the enemy. Second is the lesson in valour it offers. “These soldiers upheld to the highest standards the core values of the British Army – courage, discipline, respect for others, integrity and loyalty in the face of grave odds,” he said. (Manraj Grewal Sharma | ‘‘Hindustan Times ‘‘)
The battle was unique, says Kendall, inasmuch as it was recorded as it unfolded by Gurmukh Singh, the 21-year-old signalman, who continued to report to the commanding officer, Lt Col Haughton, until the very end. “The local tribes also still remember the battle,” says Kendall. (Manraj Grewal Sharma | ‘‘Hindustan Times ‘‘)
Recognition and remembrance
Heliographed details
The only reason that the world today knows about the details of the Battle of Saragarhi is because of heliographic messages, which were communicated between the Sikh troops and Lt Col John Haughton at Fort Lockhart and Major Charles Des Voeux in Gulistan. (Shibaji Roychoudhury | Times Now News)
The heliographed details of the heroism of those 21 Sikh souls had been telegraphed to London by a journalist, which led every newspaper in Britain to report it on the front page.
In 2017, a group of 12 senior Army officials from England visited Saragarhi memorial to pay tributes to the brave souls. For those unaware, Saragarhi memorial day is observed in Britain as well. (Shibaji Roychoudhury | Times Now News)
Photographs, likenesses
Although no known photograph of Havaldar Ishar Singh has been available, yet the book carries an artist’s impression from a pencil sketch of the hero of Saragarhi. The Garrison Commander is shown wearing the black Chakri associated with the 14th Sikhs. (Pankaj Vohra | ‘‘ The Sunday Guardian’’ )
[Gurinderpal Singh Josan, the US-based chairman of the Saragarhi Foundation] commissioned the portraits of the 21 soldiers and Khuda Dad, the NCE (non-combatant enrolled) to be presented to the war museum in Amritsar. “I hired a researcher to visit the families and a painter to draw their likeness,” says Josan. (Manraj Grewal Sharma | ‘‘Hindustan Times ‘‘)
Josan also [plans] to release the second edition of his book, which will carry extracts from the letters JA Lindsay wrote to his wife after retaking the fort on October 6, 1897, four days after the Battle of Saragarhi. (Manraj Grewal Sharma | ‘‘Hindustan Times ‘‘)
A cairn at the site
On the battle site, is a cairn. A cairn is usually a heap of stones thrown together in a conical shape to honour and acknowledge a grave in memory of a person. Perhaps the Cairn commemorates the spot where the 22 soldiers were cremated on a single pyre. There is however, no such reference to this in any of the write ups referring to the battle of Saragarhi. (Pankaj Vohra | ‘‘ The Sunday Guardian’’ )
British appreciation
Great Britain had halted its parliament during proceedings to give a standing ovation to those 21 fallen Sikh soldiers for their courage and bravery. In fact, none other than Queen Victoria herself had said at the time: “It is no exaggeration to record that the armies which possess the valiant Sikhs cannot face defeat in war. 21 vs 10,000.” (Shibaji Roychoudhury | Times Now News)
For a long while it was perhaps difficult to mark Saragarhi’s battle honour day in Britain because the regiment became an Indian one. But having launched his book Saragarhi: The Forgotten Battle at Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in 2013, Parvesh Sharma worked hard to ensure we continue to mark the occasion. (Parvesh Sharma | Speaking Tree)
The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst (British Army’s initial officer training centre, which is located in Camberley, 34 miles southwest of London) has been commemorating the Battle of Saragarhi at the Indian War Memorial room, which was set up in 2013 with a glass wall dedicated to the battle heroes. [In 2017], the Saragarhi commemoration day [was] held at the National Memorial Arboretum that has a statue of a Sikh soldier (Manraj Grewal Sharma | ‘‘Hindustan Times ‘‘)
Medals, grants
The [families of the] soldiers were also granted pieces of land in recognition of their services on the express orders of the Queen. [Chief Minister Capt.Amarinder Singh] points out that during those days, the Victoria Cross was not conferred on their subjects and thus the Indian Order of Merit. The practice of bestowing a Victoria Cross to Indians commenced post the 1911 Durbar in Delhi, 14 years after the Saragarhi battle. There is no other instance anywhere in the world where a single unit was accorded [as many?] multitudinous gallantry awards as the Sikhs had won in a single year. The significance of the Battle of Saragarhi is demonstrated by the fact that usually battle honours are battalion specific. However, this battle stands as the Battle Honour for all of the 26 Battalions of the Sikh regiment. (Pankaj Vohra | ‘‘ The Sunday Guardian’’ )
The Saragarhi Day of the Indian Army
Saragarhi Day, is a military commemoration day celebrated on 12 September every year to commemorate The Battle of Saragarhi. Sikh military personnel and Sikh non-military people commemorate the battle around the World every year on 12 September. All units of the Sikh Regiment celebrate Saragarhi Day every year as the Regimental Battle Honours Day. (Parvesh Sharma | Speaking Tree)
UNESCO
This death-or-glory tale is recorded in the collection of list of “8 stories of collective bravery in the history of mankind” assembled by UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization). (Parvesh Sharma | Speaking Tree)
Gurudwara Saragarhi memorial, Ferozepur
Gurudwara Saragarhi stands in Amritsar marking the brave sacrifices of the 21 Sikhs. The Gurdwara is located near to the Golden Temple. The names of the 21 Sikhs are engraved onto the walls of the temple. This location is relatively unknown and most people pass it by. (Parvesh Sharma | Speaking Tree)
The Gurudwara, named Saragarhi memorial, in Ferozepur today stands as a protected monument and is a tribute to those Sikh soldiers who sacrificed their lives. The memorial gurudwara, surrounded by half-a-dozen small and big cannons with names of the 21 brave soldiers inscribed on its walls, was built by the army with stones from theN Saragarhi post.It was declared open in 1904 by Sir Charles Revz. Saragarhi memorial is an inspiration to many a symbol of courage and bravery. (Parvesh Sharma | Speaking Tree)
The weapons used by the two sides
The Sikh soldiers did have a tiny advantage. Due to the fact that they were in the British Indian Army, they did have the latest rifle, which was technologically superior – the Martini Henry rifle. It was a breech-loading rifle which weighed approximately 10 pounds and could be fitted with a 20-inch bayonet for close-quarter combat. (Shibaji Roychoudhury | Times Now News)
The Sikhs were equipped with the Martini Henry, a breech-loading rifle weighing about ten pounds that could be fitted with a 20-inch bayonet for close-quarter combat. It was the most efficient rifle of the time – robust, accurate and simple to use, and had earned a reputation as such at Rorke’s Drift during the Zulu war of 1879. (Parvesh Sharma | Speaking Tree)
Capt Amarinder Singh has highlighted the kind of ammunition used by Indian troops, which were definitely at least one generation behind those used by British soldiers and their officers. These kinds of arms were provided to the Indian soldiers so as to ensure that they possessed weapons vividly inferior to those used by the British in the wake of the mutiny of 1857. The outcome would have been somewhat different had the 22 soldiers at Saragarhi been equipped with better weapons. (Pankaj Vohra | ‘‘ The Sunday Guardian’’ )
The names of the brave twenty-one
From Australian Sikh Heritage and Eh Mera Punjab
Havildar Ishar Singh, Naik Lal Singh, Naik Chanda Singh, Lance Naik Sundar Singh, Lance Naik Ram Singh, Lance Naik Uttar Singh, Lance Naik Sahib Singh, Sepoy Hira Singh, Sepoy Daya Singh, Sepoy Jivan Singh, Sepoy Bhola Singh, Sepoy Narayan Singh, Sepoy Gurmukh Singh, Sepoy Jivan Singh, Sepoy Gurmukh Singh, Sepoy Ram Singh, Sepoy Bhagwan SingH, Sepoy Bhagwan Singh, Sepoy Buta Singh, Sepoy Jivan Singh, Sepoy Nand Singh. (Parvesh Sharma | Speaking Tree)
Sepoy Gurmukh Singh
The youngest of all the soldiers, aged 19, knocked down 20 tribesmen before falling to sleep forever. The commander Havildar Ishvar Singh also laid down some 20 men hand to hand before expiring. (Parvesh Sharma | Speaking Tree)
