12 September 1897.
21 Sikhs of the 36 Sikh Regiment fought with thousands of Afghan warriors, the war lasted for 7 hours. This war is known in history for the valor and greatness of Sikh soldiers.
The name of the battle of Saragarhi is counted among the 5 great wars of the world. This war was fought on 12 September 1897 between the British Indian Army (who were Sikhs) and the Afghan Orakzai tribes at Tirah (now Pakistan). Only 21 Sikh soldiers faced 10,000 Afghan warriors in this war. This unusual battle was led by Havildar Ishar Singh of the British Indian Army. Around 600 Afghans were killed in 7 hours.
In this war, where 20 Sikh soldiers directly participated in this fight with the Afghans, One Sikh Gurmukh Singh was sending all the information about the war to Colonel Houghton via telegram.
When all the 20 Sikh soldiers were martyred, the last guard Gurmukh Singh with his rifle took a position at a place where there were rooms for the soldiers to sleep. Historian Amarinder Singh has written in his book that Gurmukh killed at least twenty Pathans while firing alone, due to which the angry Pathans set the whole fort on fire to end the fight. Historians have different claims regarding the number of Afghans killed in this war.
However, it is believed that this fight lasted for about 7 hours, in which 22 people including 21 Sikhs and one civilian Daad from the Sikh side and 300 to 600 people were killed from the Pathans side. Only after two days of this war, the additional Army got Saragarhi back in the possession of the Indian British Army.
Highest gallantry award for all.
All 21 Sikhs who proved their valor and bravery in this war were posthumously awarded the Indian Order of Merit, the highest gallantry award from the British Empire, which was the highest gallantry medal awarded to Indians at that time, the Victoria Cross. And was equal to today’s Param Vir Chakra. Till then the Victoria Cross could only be available to British soldiers, that too if they were alive. On this day Sikh Regiment in India has declared it as “Regimental Battle Honors Day”.
Name of the martyr soldier of Saragarhi.
Most of these 21 brave soldiers of Saragarhi were infantry soldiers, there was one cook and an infantry signalman among them. Their names are Havildar Ishar Singh, Gurmukh Singh, Chanda Singh, Lal Singh, Jeevan Singh, Buta Singh, Jeevan Singh, Nand Singh, Ram Singh, Bhagwan Singh, Bhola Singh, Daya Singh, Narayan Singh, Sahib Singh, Hira Singh, Sunder Singh. , Uttar Singh, Karmukh Singh, Gurmukh Singh, Bhagwan Singh, Ram Singh.
God bless these brave Sikh Indian soldiers!
(Source… Sikh History)
Guchi.
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