New Delhi: The history of Sikhism is filled with tales of bravery and the Battle of Saragarhi is one of them. It was a battle fought on September 12, 1897, between 21 Sikh soldiers who were on the side of the British Indian Empire and around 12,000 to 24,000 Orakzai and Afridi tribesmen. Thousands of Afghans surrounded the fort, but the Sikhs refused to surrender, putting up a gallant display of bravery and sacrificing their lives. In this article, we will learn more about this day.
What happened in the Battle of Saragarhi?
Saragarhi was a small village in Kohat which is located today in Pakistan. On April 20, 1894, the British Indian Army’s 36th Sikhs contingent was formed and in August 1897, five companies from that contingent were sent to British India’s northwest frontier and were stationed at Saragarhi, Kurag, Samana Hills, Sangar, and Sahtop Dhar.
The British tried to subdue the tribal Pashtuns who frequently attacked the British personnel. The British army consolidated several forts which Ranjit Singh built and two of them were Fort Lockhart and Fort Gulistan. Since both the forts could not see each other, a post at Saragarhi in the middle was created for heliographic communication. The post had a small block house with a signalling tower and loop-holed ramparts.
On September 11, around 6,000 to 10,000 Afghans reached the signalling post at Saragarhi and the Sikhs conveyed to Colonel Haughton in Fort Lockhart about the attack. However, Haughton said that he was unable to send help to Saragarhi immediately. The Sikhs, instead of surrendering, decided to fight till their last breath.
There were only 21 Sikh soldiers in the fort at that time, and they were facing 10,000 to 14,000 Pashtuns. The leaders of the Pashtun forces tried to make the Sikhs surrender, but the soldiers stood firmly on their ground even though they were fighting a battle against all odds. After facing a determined resistance, the Afghans managed to breach the wall finally. The battle killed all the Sikh soldiers except one and many Pashtuns were also slain.
Two days later, another British Indian force recaptured the post. All 21 soldiers who fought in the Battle of Saragarhi were posthumously awarded the Indian Order of Merit, the highest gallantry award for Indian soldiers at the time. Every year on September 12, the Indian Army’s 4th battalion of the Sikh Regiment commemorates the battle as Saragarhi Day.
It was a battle fought on September 12, 1897, between 21 Sikh soldiers who were on the side of the British Indian Empire and around 12,000 to 24,000 Orakzai and Afridi tribesmen. knowledge Knowledge News, Photos and Videos on General Knowledge
