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News: Saragarhi is remembered on 12 September, when the battle was fought in 1897 and later observed as Saragarhi Day.
About Battle of Saragarhi
- Battle of Saragarhi was fought on 12 September 1897 at the Saragarhi post, in the then North-West Frontier Province (NWFP) of British India, now in Pakistan.
- Built by: The forts were built by Maharaja Ranjit Singh but renamed by the British.
- Fought Between:
- Defenders: Only 21 soldiers of the 36th Sikh Regiment, along with non-combatant Daad, defended the post.
- Leadership: The Sikh soldiers were led by Havildar Ishar Singh.
- Attackers: Over 8,000 Afridi and Orakzai tribesmen attacked the post.
- Strategic Role: Saragarhi served as a communication tower between Fort Lockhart and Fort Gulistan.
- It helped link the two forts and coordinate the movement of British troops.
- Course of the Battle:
- Stand: The 21 soldiers held the post for seven hours despite being heavily outnumbered.
- Casualties: All 21 soldiers died defending the post.
- They killed 200 tribals and injured 600.
- Honour:
- Indian Order of Merit: All 21 soldiers were posthumously awarded the Indian Order of Merit, the highest award for Indian soldiers at the time, equivalent to today’s Param Vir Chakra.
- Remembrance: In 2017, the Punjab government decided to observe Saragarhi Day on 12 September as a holiday.
- Memorial:
- British used burnt bricks from Saragarhi to build an obelisk for the martyrs.
- The Khyber Scouts continue to mount a guard and salute the Saragarhi memorial near Fort Lockhart.
