The Sikh Soldiers Saga at SARAGARHI, 12 Sep 1897

The Sikh Regiment Insignia

Sikh Regt Soldiers Circa 1890

Burnt out Fort Saragarhi

The breached wall at Fort Saragarhi

Gurdwara Saragarhi at Firozpur

MEMORIAL TABLET AT SITE OF BATTLE

Present Day Sikh Regt Soldier
LT Col Haughton signaled his HQ in Punjab about the battle that had transpired. Within a few hours, tales of their bravery were making news across India. The Governor General of India Earl of Eglin wrote a personal telegraph to the Queen Victoria on the bravery of the Sikhs soldiers defending the post till their death.

The news reached the House Of Common, as the tales of sacrifice of the 21 Sikh soldiers were narrated; tears flowed freely in the August house, at the end the Chief Whip speech, the entire parliament gave a rousing standing ovation to the Gallant 21, as their name were called out aloud in a symbolic roll call.

The collective courage of the 21 Sikh soldiers moved Queen Victoria so much that her majesty decreed that due to conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity beyond and above the call of duty displayed by the 21 soldiers, all of them shall be awarded the Indian Order Merit (IOM) posthumously. IOM is the highest award for bravery given to colonial troops and it was equivalent to the British Victoria Cross. This was the only time in history of warfare where each soldier who took part in the same battle was given the highest award. Additionally, Her Majesty decreed that the net of kin of these brave soldiers would be given a stipend of 500 rupees and 50 acres of land.

Finally a memorial cenotaph was to be erected near the place where all these 21 soldiers fell, as a perpetual record to the heroic action of these gallant soldiers who died at their posts in the defense of Fort Saragarhi, on the 12 September 1897. Without the stiff resistance of the 21 Sikh soldiers at Saragarhi both Fort Lockhart and Gulistan would have fallen to the enemy. By defending their position long enough for the relief column to arrive with artillery support, the 21 Sikh soldiers became the crucial factor in turning the tides of battle in favour of the British.

The 21 Sikh soldiers fought on continuously for 7 punishing hours without food and water, completely surrounded and pounded from all flanks. Unwearied by constant charges and mortal danger they stood their ground against daunting odds, they repealed wave after wave of attack and fought till their last bullets. Out of ammunition they did not abandon their post and instead chose to engage in a fatal hand to hand combat, till all made the ultimate sacrifice.

When the relief column arrived a day later, they saw the burnt out bodies of all the 21 Sikh soldiers, together with at least 600 dead bodies of the tribesmen strewn only yards in front of their position. The Sikhs faced 10,000 and vanquished but not before taking 600 tribesmen with them.

12th of September officially became the regimental day of the Sikh Regiment, Gurdwara Saragarhi was built in Firozpur as a remembrance to the 21 brave souls. Their name forever etched within the marbles of the Gurdwara, close to the gurus that they were true till the end.

Read the detailed battle account:
THE GALLANT 21: SAGA OF THE SIKH SOLDIERS AT SARAGARHI 12 September, 1897

1897 Saragarhi Battle

The battle of Saragarhi is among top ten acts of bravery in War, in the history of mankind. Signaller Gurmukh Singh, on receipt of orders to close down Signal Communications, when all his Comrades except one had fallen dead, immediately laid down his Signalling Flag, picked up his rifle and continued firing at the tribal hordes. His Comrade was killed and he himself seriously wounded. Even after being wounded, he killed 20 Pathans and having fired his last round, fell dead.

During 1897, 4/11 Sikh Battalion was detailed to hold the Somana Hills between the Kurram and the Khanki Valleys in Baluchistan. Their defences lay over five miles of extremely difficult hilly terrain. Signal communications those days were provided between various posts using telephones on Field Cables, Signalling Flags and Helios during the day and lamps at night. The ranges of Signalling Flag and Lamp signalling being visual were very limited. With the use of binoculars, their ranges could be increased somewhat and the clarity of the signal received improved substantially.

Signal Platoon of the Sikh Battalion tried in vain to provide direct Signal Communication between Forts Lokhart and Gulistan due to large distances. The use of telephones on Field Cable was just not possible because not only the laying of field cable was extremely difficult but to maintain it in the hills occupied by the tribals was most dangerous. After detailed appreciation of the situation, it was decided to establish a Signalling Post at Saragarhi Hill top between Fort Lokhart and Gulistan in the Sumana Hills. Its sole aim was to relay messages between Lokhart and Gulistan Forts. The Post consisted of a small well-defended Stone House manned by twenty men of the Sikh Battalion under the command of Havildar Ishar Singh.

There was a general uprising of the Pathans led by the Mullahs from Tochi and Maklakand in North West Frontier (now in Pakistan). On the 3rd and 9th September 1897, the Pathans attacked Gulistan in large numbers. However, these attacks were repulsed by the Sikhs with very heavy losses to the enemy. To avenge these reverses, thousands of Afridi and Orakzai tribals fell on the small Saraharhi Post on the morning of September 12, 1897. The tiny Garrison of Saragarhi repulsed several determined attacks and killed over two hundred enemy troops during the six hours of their gallant resistance against overwhelming odds. Time and time again, the Pathans asked the small Garrison to surrender, but each time they were met with a volley of fire and challenge from the Sikhs.

Due to accurate fire as well as the tenacity and courage of the defenders, the enemy was unable to get near the Post. Thus, they set fire to the dry grass and bushes around the Post and, under the cover of thick smoke, breached the wall of the Picket forcing an entry. By this time, all except two of the defenders had fallen. Until then, Signaller Gurmukh Singh had maintained signal communication with Forts Lokhart and Gulistan and was giving graphic account of the battle. On receipt of permission to close down the Signal Communications, he immediately laid down his Signalling Flag, picked up his rifle and, along with only surviving Comrade, continued firing at the tribal hordes. Because of their overwhelming large numbers, the enemy forces ultimately succeeded in capturing the Post. Gurmukh Singh’s Comrade was killed and he himself was seriously wounded. Even after being wounded, he killed 20 Pathans, and having fired his last round, he fell dead.

The highest gallantry award those days was the Indian Order Of Merit(IOM). All intrepid martyrs of Saragarhi Battle were posthumously honoured with this highest award. The Government of India gave 26 acres of land and a cash award of 500 rupees to the family of each hero. Martyr Signaller Gurmukh Singh’s name should be written as a Pioneer in the History of the Corps of Signals in Gold.

SARAGARHI DEFENDERS’ PRAYER
Stay with me God, the night is dark. The night is cold, but my little spark,
of courage dies…The night is long. Be with me God and make me strong.
I love a game, I love a fight, I hate the dark, I love a light.
I love my child, I love my wife. I am No coward, I love my life.
Life with its change of mood and shade, I want to live, I’m not afraid.
But me and mine are hard to part, O Unknown God lift my heart.
You stilled the waters of Dunkirk, and saved your servants - all your work,
Is wonderful down God, you strode, before us down that dreadful road.
We were alone and hope had fled, we love our Country and our dead.
And we could not shame them, so we stayed, the course and we were not afraid.
Dear God that nightmare road-and then, the sea - we got there - we were men.
My eyes were blind, my feet were torn, but my soul sang like bird at dawn.
I know that death is but a door, I know what we are fighting for?
Peace for our children, our brothers freed, a kinder World, a cleaner breed.
I’m but the son of my mother bore, a simple man and nothing more.
But God of strength and gentleness, be pleased to make nothing less.
Help me God when death is near, to mock the haggard face of fear.
And when I fall- if fall I must, my soul may triumph in the dust.

"World War Veterans put their life on the line for Democracy in which different people could live together and enjoy freedom in peace. Remember them!"

Lt Col Pritam Singh Jauhal (Retd)
Founding President Indian Ex-Servicemen Society British Columbia
Saragarhi Battle
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