The Iconic Battle Of Saragarhi

Ashes to Glory is a fascinating account of the 4th Battalion of the Sikh Regiment (XXXVI SIKH). Written and compiled by two officers of the Battalion who have been brought up in its traditions, the book recalls how, time and again, it has rallied to the call and risen to even greater glory. The Battalion suffered over 600 casualties within three hours at Hai during World War I and was overrun by Rommel’s Panzer division in the burning sands of EI Alamien during World War II. Again, in 1962 and 1965 it faced major reverses, yet emerged unscathed. Tracing the Battalion’s trials and tribulations, triumph and glory, the book recounts how, within four years of its raising, it earned its first Battle Honour in Manipur. However, it is in the NWFP on 12 September 1897, while defending the post of Saragarhi, that it achieved undying glory. Havildar Ishar Singh and twenty-one other ranks laid down their lives fighting, refusing to surrender to thousands of Orakazi tribesmen surrounding their post. All twenty-one of them were awarded the Indian Order of Merit, the then highest award given to an Indian. Ever since then it has been known as the Saragarhi Battalion. The Battalion went on to win twenty-two Battle Honours, thereby establishing its claim as not only one of the most decorated units of the Indian Army, but also a widely travelled one. These pages contain a fascinating account of the Battalion’s operations in China during the Boxer Rebellion; NWFP and Aden between the two World Wars, Abysinnia, Ethiopia, Eriteria, Egypt and Italy during World War II. The Battalion also has the honour of having participated in all the four operations since Independence, including the 1947 Kashmir Operations when it was air lifted into the valley. This is not only the story of the Battalion of the Sikh Regiment but in a way that of soldiering in the Indian Army, for it brings out the resilience of the Indian Soldier when pitched against insurmountable odds. Written on the eve of the centenary of the Battalion, it makes compelling reading.

10,000 Afghans. 21 Sikh soldiers. One epic battle. On 12 September 1897, 21 soldiers of 36th Sikh regiment stood undeterred as they guarded the post of Saragarhi against the onslaught of almost 10,000 Afghan tribesmen – a battle for the ages that ended in them laying down their lives in a final hand-to-hand combat. The unparalleled heroics of these 21 men have, however, been long forgotten by history. What led to the Battle of Saragarhi? What was the socio-political scenario at the time? Who were these tribesmen and why did they attack an outpost in such great numbers? Who were the 21 soldiers and how were they able to keep the enemy at bay against all odds? Based on colonial era records and information provided by the 4th Sikh battalion, the legatee unit of 36th Sikhs, 21 Kesaris attempts to answer these questions while paying homage to the brave soldiers who defended the 'kesari' flag – depicting their Khalsa heritage – with their last breaths.

1965: Indian Army is preparing for a full-fledged war on its western border. After the Pakistan army’s infiltration into Jammu and Kashmir, Indian Army decides to threaten Lahore to divert Pakistani forces from J&K towards Lahore. The Pakistani town of Barki, only twenty odd kilometres from Lahore, acts as the strongest defensive position for the Pakistan army. Therefore, its capture, though almost impossible, is crucial. 4 SIKH, commanded by Lt Col Anant Singh, is assigned the task of capturing Barki. 4 SIKH faces fierce resistance from the entrenched enemy soldiers. As casualties rise and the unit gets pinned down by heavy enemy fire, all hopes of taking over the Barki police station now rest on young Lt Kanwaljit Singh. In the face of heavy odds, Lt Kanwaljit leads his brave men to victory in the iconic BATTLE OF BARKI. After six days of continuous battle, 4 SIKH is ordered to press forward towards Khemkaran, not knowing that they will be taken Prisoners of War. Witness the finest blend of human emotions and undaunted soldiering against heavy odds that leads a young officer to discover the true meaning of naam, namak and nishaan.

In a battle reminiscent of Thermopylae, twenty non-commissioned officers of the 36th Sikh Regiment fought for seven straight hours without rest or respite protecting the British Empire. This is their story.

Scholarly Essay from the year 2014 in the subject History - Miscellaneous, grade: 10.0, Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi, language: English, abstract: Everyone is familiar with The Battle of Thermopylae that occurred around 480 B.C. between the combined Greek forces and the Persian Army (majorly because of the fact that a blockbuster Hollywood movie "300" was made on the same) and praised the bravery and patriotism of the Greek soldiers who despite being heavily outnumbered neither retreated nor surrendered and died gloriously in the battlefield; but most of the common folk is not familiar with an even more striking account of bravery, where 21 Sikh soldiers gave up their lives in devotion to their duty, facing the incredible odds against more than 10000 Afghan Tribesmen in The Battle of Saragarhi, which is considered as one of the history's greatest Last Stands as well as published by UNESCO under the top five stories of bravery mentioning it as one of the most significant events of its kind in the world.