From Past:: Battle of Saragarhi: When 21 Sikhs Faced 14,000 Pashtuns And Won

[Techy]

Battle of Saragarhi: When 21 Sikhs Faced 14,000 Pashtuns And Won

Let me tell you a story of action, bravery, pride, valour and above all – truth – for it is the story of 21 Sikh men that lived and walked the same earth as you: a story not of fictionalized kings and princes, but of men in the 36th regiment of the British army (now the 4th battalion of the Sikh regiment).

It is the story of those men who refused to give up in the face of adversity and certainty of imminent death. The Indian history books, however, have often shied away from discussing it.

But why are we suddenly interested in one of history’s forgotten battles? These legends are often overlooked, because these were battles fought on behalf of the British. They sit uneasily alongside the stories of India’s struggle for freedom from the colonial masters.

However, lesser-known stories from history are making a resurgence, thanks to pop culture and cinema. There are now two movies being released on the Battle, namely, Ajay Devgn’s Sons of Sardaar: The Battle of Saragarhi, and Raj Kumar Santoshi’s Randeep Hooda starrer Battle of Saragarhi.

In the September 1897, when over 10,000 Afghan tribesmen of the Orakzai and Afridi tribe attacked Saragarhi, North Western Frontier Province (NWFP) (modern day Pakistan), the defending Sikh regiment, under the leadership of Havildar Ishar Singh, knew their fate had already been decided. Yet they held their ground and fought the thousands of enemy troops for several hours.

Here’s all you need to know about the Battle of Saragarhi in a glance:


Chapter 1: Saragarhi

Fort Gulistan. (Photo Courtesy: AustralianSikhHeritage.Com)
Saragarhi served as a communication relay post between Fort Lockart and Fort Gulistan (also called Cavagnari), using heliography (mode of communication that primarily used mirrors and sunlight to convey messages in the 19th and 20th century).

On the morning of 12 September 1897, Havildar Ishar Singh and signalman Gurmukh Singh woke up to find thousands of Pashtun tribesmen marching towards them. The Saragarhi outpost was crucial to communication between the two British forts and breaking the frontier at Saragarhi would mean adverse consequences for the British army.


Chapter 2: Help Fails to Come Through

An artist’s impression of Fort Gulistan on the North-West frontier published in 1897.(Photo Courtesy: AustralianSikhHeritage.Com)
The Commander Officer of the 36th Sikhs, Lt Col Haughton was immediately informed of the situation.

Gurumukh Singh sent the message to Fort Lockart:

“ENEMY APPROACHING THE MAIN GATE...NEED REINFORCEMENT”

Haughton, who had counted close to 14,000 tribesmen marching towards Saragarhi, sent a disheartening reply from Fort Lockart:

“UNABLE TO BREAKTHROUGH...HOLD POSITION”

Havildar Singh discussed the situation with his men and together they reached a consensus and a reply was sent to Lockart:

“UNDERSTOOD”

Former Major General of the Indian Army, Dhruv C Katoch, comments on the massive size of the enemy troops the defending side braved in the battle.

"Some estimates put the figure in the region of 10,000 to 12,000 personnel. The narrowness of the feature and the restricted approaches obviously could not have involved more than a couple of hundred attacking at any point of time, but the sheer numbers available to the attacking force meant that the attackers could make up their losses while the defenders had no means to do so. And that is how the battle unfolded."
Dhruv C Katoch, Former Major General, Indian Army
​

Another account comes from Major AC Yate of the British army who wrote Lieutenant-Colonel John Haughton Commandant of the 36th Sikhs, a hero of Tirah : A Memoir in 1900.

"(Their (Afghan tribes) total number has been variously estimated at from twelve to twenty thousand.) It was, therefore, no longer possible for Colonel Haughton to carry aid to Saragarhi or Gulistan, as he had done twice before. The enemy turned the brunt of their attack on the little post of Saragarhi. Thousands swarmed round it ; other thousands invaded Gulistan; while a third body of the enemy cut off communication with Fort Lockhart."​

Chapter 3: Saragarhi Under Attack

Two soldiers of the 36th Regiment with defenders of the Fort Gulistan. (Photo Courtesy: AustralianSikhHeritage.Com)
The outnumbered Sikhs employed the delay tactic to give sufficient time to the two Forts to prepare themselves for the onslaught that would soon be directed towards them.

After fighting for several hours, as the regiment started running low on ammunition, they employed another war tactic and set the flora around Fort Saragarhi on fire. Though the smoke severely hindered the enemy’s advance, it also cut down affected the Sikhs’ visibility. Taking advantage of the situation, the tribesmen managed to breach a part of Saragarhi wall.

Havildar Ishar Singh, injured and wounded by this time, displayed a final act of bravery and asked his remaining men to retreat to the inner parts of the fort, while he stayed outside, with two other sepoys who had dragged him to his final position, to face the tribesmen in one-on-one combat.


Chapter 4: The Final Combat

Photographed by Lt. Col Haughton survivors of the Gulistan troops with captured Afridi tribesmen. (Photo Courtesy: AustralianSikhHeritage.Com)
By the time the Pashtuns managed to breach the fort entirely, only five Sikhs were left alive, including Gurumukh Singh at the signal tower. The four men engaged in another round of hand to hand combat within the fort.

At 3:30 PM, Gurumukh sent the final message from Sarahgarhi:

“…REQUEST PERMISSION TO DISMOUNT AND JOIN THE FIGHT.”

He received a prompt reply:

“PERMISSION GRANTED”

At 19 years, Gurumukh Singh was the youngest of the Sikhs. After the message, Singh packed his equipment in a leather bag, armed himself with a bayonet and came down to face the tribesmen.

According to Haughton’s accounts, he is said to have taken down 20 men before he was burnt alive by the enemy. He went down fighting:

JO BOLEY SO NIHAAL! SAT SRI AKAAL! (Whoever utters the name of the Timeless Lord, Will be Happy and Immortal)
​

The 21 Sikhs, along with a cook who was staying with them, were killed in the Battle. Dhruv C Katoch writes that there were about 600 bodies that “were strewn around the post after it was retaken, but a large number of these would have been those killed in the counter attack, mostly from artillery fire.”


Chapter 5: Posthumous Honours

Fort Saragarhi after the onslaught. (Photo Courtesy: AustralianSikhHeritage.Com)
The fierce bravery of the 21 Sikhs sent ripples across the world. The British Parliament halted their session mid-way to give a standing ovation to the martyred 21 in September 1897. The British monarch praised the men and said:

"It is no exaggeration to record that the armies which possess the valiant Sikhs cannot face defeat in war."
Queen Victoria, British Parliament 1897​

Saragarhi Memorial Gurudwara in Firozpur, Punjab, India. (Photo Courtesy: AustralianSikhHeritage.Com)
Lt Col Haughton said, and rightly so, that their bravery will never be forgotten:

"We may sorrow for the sacrifice of these brave soldiers, but the Sikh nation, while it lasts, will never forget the glory of the defence."
Lt Col John Haughton, Commandant, 36th Sikh Regiment ​

The entire regiment was posthumously awarded the Indian Order of Merit, the highest bravery award given to Indians at the time. It was also the only time when an entire unit received the highest gallantry award for the same battle.

Every year, 12 September is celebrated as the Saragarhi Day by the Sikh regiment, which is also the most decorated regiment of the Indian army.

Source>>


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Would be interested to know from Professionals about possible tactics used to defend entrenchment.

 

[zebra7]

Although no Sikh survived the battle, their sacrifice sufficiently delayed the Pashtuns such that reinforcements were able to arrive at the Pashtuns’ ultimate target, Fort Gulistan, in time to stop its fall.

In addition to the 21 Sikh dead, reports of Pashtun losses range from between 180 and 600, though it’s difficult to discern the true number accurately. That said, it was probably at least 180 as that is what the Pashtuns themselves later reported as their losses in that battle.


For their sacrifice, each of the Sikh soldiers were awarded the Indian Order of Merit, the highest award for gallantry then given to Indian soldiers by the British. In addition, Saragarhi Day is celebrated each year on September 12 to commemorate the battle.

 

[Abba_Dabba_Jabba]

Sikhs has always been a great patriots, you will never find them begging for minority status or special treatment in the country. Whether it is Australia, Canada or any other western country, they are always seen as an asset to any country.

India is very lucky that it got majority of Sikh people from Punjab.

 

[cleverrider]

• Sikhs and Pashtuns topic have been discussed to death on this forum. Sikhs received their fair share of beatings from some Pashtuns, remember they only fought a few Pashtun tribes. A few years of here and there is hardly an empire. Many times Sikhs were cannon fodder, received training and weapons in return. Operation blue star exposed them further, no independent country, nothing to show in recent history. Come off it.

 

[Qutb-ud-din Aybak]

Although no Sikh survived the battle, their sacrifice sufficiently delayed the Pashtuns such that reinforcements were able to arrive at the Pashtuns’ ultimate target, Fort Gulistan, in time to stop its fall.

In addition to the 21 Sikh dead, reports of Pashtun losses range from between 180 and 600, though it’s difficult to discern the true number accurately. That said, it was probably at least 180 as that is what the Pashtuns themselves later reported as their losses in that battle.


For their sacrifice, each of the Sikh soldiers were awarded the Indian Order of Merit, the highest award for gallantry then given to Indian soldiers by the British. In addition, Saragarhi Day is celebrated each year on September 12 to commemorate the battle.

it proves one thing though that technology and strategy defines the strength of defence. same strategy was used in battle for hill 3234 in afghanistan. it also shows that irregulars can't defeat trained soldiers easily.

 

[Grevion]

"It is no exaggeration to record that the armies which possess the valiant Sikhs cannot face defeat in war."
Queen Victoria, British Parliament 1897

So true.

 

[Joe Shearer]

@Techy

A wonderful account. However, there was a fly in the ointment which kept bugging me (pun originally unintended). Twenty one soldiers do not make a regiment; your account consistently refers to this less than full strength platoon as a regiment, and plays down the forlorn hope aspect of the defence. A regiment typically had a minimum of two battalions, and some of today's regiments have twelve or more. Regiments of infantry in the British Army or the Indian Army or the succeeding Indian Army and Pakistan Army did not fight as regiments, only as battalions.

This platoon, then, showed transcendental courage in fighting to the end against what, on inspection, is about what three regiments might have been, if each had had 6 battalions of 600 men each.

Loved your account, btw.

 

[cleverrider]

@Joe Shearer We got a child on a forum, grow up. Negative rating - A weak move shows how weak you are and so is the comparison between Pashtuns and Sikhs. Don’t even come close.

"Following the death of Hari Singh Nalwa, no further conquests were made" Killed by Pashtuns after he got a little too excited. Cannon fodder (training and weapons in return) on many occasions nothing else, and now living under Hindus.

 

[Joe Shearer]

@Joe Shearer We got a child on a forum, grow up. Negative rating - A weak move shows how weak you are and so is the comparison between Pashtuns and Sikhs. Don’t even come close.

"Following the death of Hari Singh Nalwa, no further conquests were made" Killed by Pashtuns after he got a little too excited.

You do make intelligent observations. Some day, your posts will be read with admiration. Please keep working on them.

 

[Hellfire]

You do make intelligent observations. Some day, your posts will be read with admiration. Please keep working on them.

@Joe Shearer

Somehow am not able to reconcile the figures being given out .... Odds can be there but figures on both sides seem improbable. Pashtun fought on tribal lines and I doubt anyone could muster that figure.

Even axes for attack would be constrained thereby not pitting more than 100 odd characters in a single attack facing the volley in an uphill attack.

Also the sheer logistics required .... I shudder

 

[cleverrider]

You do make intelligent observations. Some day, your posts will be read with admiration. Please keep working on them.

Unfortunately its rare. As I post less and got a life.

 

[Joe Shearer]

Unfortunately its rare. As I post less and got a life.

It looks like one of those rare occasions when we all find ourselves blessed with good luck, those who read posts and those who post less alike.

I am sure that posting less needs tremendous self-discipline and constant, hard practice. Please do not feel that this conversation needs to interrupt your practice.

 

[cleverrider]

"It is no exaggeration to record that the armies which possess the valiant Sikhs cannot face defeat in war."
Queen Victoria, British Parliament 1897

So true.[/QUOTE]

Sikhs Served British well than some other colonies that is a well established fact.

Currently this and Bollywood keep Sikhs happy. Operation Blue Star and now through Bollywood..Hindus....

 

[GR!FF!N]

it proves one thing though that technology and strategy defines the strength of defence. same strategy was used in battle for hill 3234 in afghanistan. it also shows that irregulars can't defeat trained soldiers easily.

In battle of 3234,it has been claimed that SSG commandos took part with Mujaheddin forces.

 

[The Eagle]

Read it somewhere else as reported that Tribesmen set fire to the surrounding bushes so taking advantage of smoke, helped to breach into the wall.

While looking at the situation, indeed it is very difficult to breach a fort where the defenders are already positioned and the attackers are in open and seems like the same was on minds of tribesmen as well. Also, by others sources it was reported as 180 casualties of the tribesmen.

No doubt, these reported 21 men fought bravely to defend the post.