Battle of Saragarhi

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Battle of Saragarhi was fought during the Tirah Campaign on 12 September 1897 between twenty one Sikhs of the 4th Battalion (then 36th Sikhs) of the Sikh Regiment of British India, defending an army post, and 10,000 Afghan and Orakzais tribesmen to the last stand. The battle occurred in the North-West Frontier Province, now a part of Pakistan, which then formed part of British India. The battle has been ranked as one of very few events of such bravery and has been compared to Thermopylae, where a small Greek force faced a large and mighty Persian army of Xerxes (480 BC). UNESCO has described the Battle of Saragarhi as one of eight stories of collective bravery.

The contingent of the twenty one Sikhs was led by Havildar Ishar Singh, and all chose to fight to the death instead of surrendering. In recognition of their supreme sacrifice, the British Parliament rose to pay them respect, and each one of them was awarded the Indian Order of Merit.

Contents 1 Backdrop 2 Battle lines 3 Standing ovation 4 Order of Merit 5 Remembrance and legacy 6 Further reading 7 External links

[edit] Backdrop

In order to consolidate their position and to control the insurgent and inimical activities of some of the local tribal groups inhabiting the north-western frontiers of undivided India, the then British rulers of India had constructed a number of forts in the North West Frontier Province (NWFP), then a part of India but now in Pakistan. Fort Lockhart and Fort Gulistan, a few kilometres apart, were two such forts. They were located on the Samana ridge of the Hindukush and Sulaiman ranges. As the two forts were not visible from one another, a suitably camouflaged signalling post named Saragarhi was created to provide heliographic communications between the two forts.

In 1897, insurgent and inimical activities had increased, and on 3rd and 9 September 1897, troops of Orakzai and Afridi tribes, with allegiance to Afghans, attacked Fort Gulistan. Both the attacks were repulsed, and a relief column from Fort Lockhart, on its return trip, reinforced the signalling detachment positioned at Saragarhi, making its strength to one Non Commissioned Officer (NCO) and twenty troops of Other Ranks (ORs).

[edit] Battle lines

• On 12 September 1897, the troops of Orakazai and Afridi tribes, instigated by the Afghans, mounted fresh attacks, laid a siege on Fort Lockhart and Saragarhi, with the intent to overrunning the Saragarhi, and preventing any support reaching Saragarhi from the Fort.
• Officers and troops of the Indian army stationed in the Fort Lockhart had counted at least 14 standards (used by troops of Orkazai and Afridi tribal), which according to local configuration, amounted to an assault force of 12000 to 14000 armed tribesmen.
• The detachment of 21 Sikh soldiers, positioned at Saragarhi, were aware of the grimness of the position, but decided, in the best military tradition, to defend the post.
• In view of the determination of these 21 soldiers of the Indian army to continue fighting and defending their position, the Afghans made them several tempting promises to obtain their surrender. The Sikhs ignored all such overtures.
• For hours the fierce fighting continued, while the enemy suffered losses, the number of the defenders was shrinking too, and their stock of ammunition was also being depleted. Sepoy Gurumukh Singh was flashing every detail of the battle through heliographic signals.
• Meanwhile, the enemy set ablaze the area surrounding Saragarhi. Two of the enemy were then able to make a breach in the wall of the signalling post.
• In the final stages of the battle, hand-to-hand fighting ensued.
• The battle now approached too close to Sepoy Gurumukh Singh for him to continue signalling. He signalled to seek permission to close the heliograph. Permission to this effect was flashed back. He packed the heliograph equipment in its leather bag, took out his rifle and commenced firing on the intruding enemies, killing 20 of them, before he died fighting.
• The tribesmen set on fire the signalling post. Every defender of Saragarhi had laid down his life to the last man and to the last bullet.

[edit] Standing ovation

Only on the next day, was a relief column able to reach Saragarhi. All around were signs of the supreme sacrifice of the Sikh soldiers. Later on, the attackers admitted to having lost 180 men and many more wounded.

When the heroic deeds of these valiant soldiers was recounted to the Parliament of Great Britain, the recitation drew a standing ovation from the members. The saga of Saragarhi was also brought to the notice of Queen Victoria. The world received the details of the battle of Saragarhi with awe and admiration.

[edit] Order of Merit

All the 21 Sikh non-commissioned officers and soldiers of other ranks who laid down their lives in the Battle of Saragarhi were posthumously awarded the Indian Order of Merit, the highest gallantry award of that time, which an Indian soldier could receive by the hands of the British crown, the corresponding gallantry award being Victoria Cross. This award is equivalent to today's Param Vir Chakra awarded by the President of India.

The names of the 21 recipients of the gallantry award are:

1. Havildar Ishar Singh
2. Naik Lal Singh
3. Lance Naik Chanda Singh
4. Sepoy Sundar Singh
5. Sepoy Ram Singh
6. Sepoy Uttar Singh
7. Sepoy Sahib Singh
8. Sepoy Hira Singh
9. Sepoy Daya Singh
10. Sepoy Jivan Singh
11. Sepoy Bhola Singh
12. Sepoy Narayan Singh
13. Sepoy Gurmukh Singh
14. Sepoy Jivan Singh
15. Sepoy Gurmukh Singh
16. Sepoy Ram Singh
17. Sepoy Bhagwan Singh
18. Sepoy Bhagwan Singh
19. Sepoy Buta Singh
20. Sepoy Jivan Singh
21. Sepoy Nand Singh

[edit] Remembrance and legacy

The modern Sikh Regiment continues to celebrate the day of the Battle of Saragarhi each 12 September as the Regimental Battle Honours Day. To commemorate the men the British built two Saragarhi Gurudwara's.One in Amritsar very close to the main entrance of the Golden Temple, and another in Ferozepur Cantonment, which was the district that most of the men hailed from.

In British accounts of the campaign there is little or no mention of this battle, it is more recognised by the Indian Army and the Sikh regiment. In British accounts of the Tirah Campaign the mention if any is of George Findlater.

The battle of Saragarhi is a saga of supreme sacrifice by a garrison of 21 Sikhs, who laid down their lives defending an army post on the north-western frontiers of Undivided India.

In the 1999 Kargil Conflict, the Sikh regiment went into action once again, this time against Pakistan. Two battalions of the Sikh regiment- 8 Sikh and 14 Sikh subsequently took part in fierce and bloody fighting along the razor sharp crags and peaks of the Kargil mountains. 8 Sikh took Tiger Hill, whereas 14 Sikh fought at ChorbatLa. Before the fighting began, Officers and men of the Sikh regiment had remembered Saragarhi and taken a vow to uphold the rich traditions of the Sikh martial heritage.

[edit] Further reading

• Saragarhi Battalion: Ashes to Glory (ISBN 8170620228) by Kanwaljit Singh and H.S. Ahluwalia

[edit] External links

• A webpage at Indian army portal.
• Battle of Saragarhi