HEY STEEMIANS THIS IS MY SECOND POST OF MY BLOG AND AS I READ ALOT OF WAR STORIES I WANT TO SHARE ONE OF MY FAVOURITE WAR STORY. I CHOOSED THIS STORY CAUSE THIS IS ANNOUNCED AS "ONE OF THE BEST WARS" BY UNESCO. HOPE YOU ALL LIKE IT. SO LETS BEGIN........
THIS IS THE STORY OF 21 SIKH WARRIORS WHO REFUSED TO GIVE UP IN THE FACE OF ADVERSITY AND CERTAINTY OF IMMINENT DEATH. THIS IS "BATTEL OF SARAGARHI". WHERE 21 SIKH SOLDIERS DEFEATED 12000 AFGAN SOLDIERS AT THE SARAGARHI FORT
THAT WAS THE TIME WHEN BRISTISH PEOPLE ARE RULING ON INDIA, IN THE SEPTEMBER 1897, WHEN 12000 AFGAN TRIBESMEN ATTACKED SARAGARHI, NORTH WESTERN FRONTIER PROVINCE(MODERN DAY PAKISTAN). SIKH REGIMENT WAS DEPLOYED AT THAT REGION IN THE LEADERSHIP OF HAVILDAR ISHAR SINGH, KNEW THEIR FATE IS ALREADY DECIDED .YET THEY HELD THE GROUND AND FOUGHT THE THOUSANDS OF AFGAN TROOPS FOR SEVERAL HOURS.
HERE'S ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE BATTLE OF SARAGARHI IN A GLANCE.
IMPORTANCE OF SARAGARHI
SARAGARHI served as a communication relay post between Fort Lockart and Fort Gulistan(also called Cavagnari), using heliography(way of communication that primarily uses mirrors and sunlight to convey messages in the 19th century).
On the morning of 12 september 1897, Havildar Ishar Singh and Signalman Gurmukh singh woke up to find thousands of Afgan soldiers marching towrds them. The SARAGARHI outpost was crucial to communication between the two British forstsand and breaking the SARAGARHI would mean adverse consequences for the British Army.
HELPS FAILS TO COME THROUGH
The Commander Officer of the 36th Sikhs, Lt Col Haughton was immediately informed of the situation. But looking at the big number of Afgan soldiers he told Sikh soldiers to leave the post as about 18 hours are needed to British army to come at there to help Sikh soldiers. But Havaldar Ishar Singh refused to do so, he discussed the situation with his men and together reached a consensus and decided to hold the post till British army comes at there.
SARAGHARI UNDER ATTACK
The outnumbered Sikhs employed the delay tactic to give sufficient time to British Backup army.
And battle begins, Havaldar Ishar Singh and Baghwan singh stood at the doors of the fort and made first strike on Afgans with their rifles. Baghwan singh was the first martyr soldier by Afgan soldiers. But the strike from Brave Sikh soldiers was going on. This made afgan soldiers completely scared.
To win this fort they tried to break its wall two times but was unsuccessful. Till that time Sikhs went in low ammunition. Now Afgan tribes employed another war tactic- They set the flora around Fort Saragarhi on fire. The smoke cut down the sikhs' visibilty. Taking advantage of situation, the tribesmen managed to breach a part of Saragarhi's wall.
Havildar Ishar Singh,injured and wounded by this time, displayed a final act of braveryand 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 position, to face the tribesmen in one-on-one combat.
THE FINAL COMBAT
By this time the Afgans managed to breach the fort entirely, only five Sikhs were left alive, including Gurumukh Singhat the signal tower. The four men engaged in another round of hand to hand combat within the fort.At 19 years, he was the youngest of the Sikhs. Now he also packed his equipment in a leather bag, armed himself with with a bayonet and came down to face the tribesmen. He took down about 20 men before burnt down alive by the enemy. He went down fighting....
The 21 Sikhs, along with a cook who was staying with them, were killed in the battle. But this gave enough time to British army and on the next day they striked on Afgan army and defeated them.
British army found more than 1200 dead bodies around the post after it was retaken.
POSTHUMOUS HONOURS
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 ARMIES WHICH POSSESS THE VALIANT SIKHS CANNOT FACE DEFEAT IN WAR".
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.