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They call the Battle of Saragarhi one of the largest remaining settlements in military history: 21 Sikh soldiers held strong for more than six hours against more than 10,000 members of the raging tribes. Nearly 120 years after this happened, the history of the Battle of Saragarhi is finally unveiled to the world. After the Netflix series 21 Sarfarosh: Saragarhi 1897 the story will be told again by Kesari the movie in which Akshay Kumar plays Havildar Ishar Singh. Before arriving at the series or film, here is a recap of what really happened that day in 1897.
Where is Saragarhi?
At the time of the 19th century, Saragarhi was a small indefinable village in what then the northwestern border province. It is today a few hours from Peshawar near the border between Pakistan and Afghanistan. of the British Indian Army and more than 10,000 members of the Pashtun tribe. The battle took place almost two decades after the second Anglo-Afghan war. The British army, which was trying to gain control of the mountainous provinces of Central Asia, was in long-standing conflict with local tribes and clans.
What happened during the Battle of Saragarhi?
Fort Gulistan and Fort Lockhart in Afghanistan were two fortresses under British control at the time. The strong would communicate with each other by using mirrors to issue coded Morse messages. But the distance between them was quite long and Saragarhi was therefore designed as a signaling station to relay messages from one end to the other. 21 soldiers of the 36th Sikh Regiment were in charge of keeping this post.
September 1897 . Reports indicate an imminent attack of the forts by local Afghan clans. Everyone is on guard. On the morning of September 12, a sentry in Saragarhi sees a cloud of dust rising in the distance. Signalman Gurmukh Singh sends the message to the two forts. The word comes back: the tribes arrive. 10,000, perhaps 14,000. " Need reinforcements ", Saragarhi sends the message through their mirrors. " Impossible to break. Stand at the fort "launches the answer.
The 21 Sikh soldiers led by Havildar Ishar Singh oppose it over the next six hours, repelling successive waves of Afghan warriors. With their 0.303 single-loading rifles, they aim: every shot is fatal. Stunned by the victims, the Afghan forces retreat and try to buy peace: they offer the soldiers wealth and a safe pbadage. But Khalsa warriors with principles refuse. And the battle is raging.
The tribes are trying another tact: they try to smoke the soldiers by setting the neighboring shrubs on fire. It does not work, but the tribesman succeeds in violating the post. And yet, Havildar Ishar Singh and his men are holding on. Little ammunition, Saragarhi asks again for help to the British command. None arrives.
Ishar Singh orders his men to retreat to provide the last line of defense. He himself is holding on, with his pistol and his sword. He fights one warrior after the other. Sikh victims accumulate . There are only a few men left. Even though his life is in danger, the signalman Gurmukh Singh sends a message to his superiors asking for permission to exchange the mirrors for a firearm. And then, with a cry of " Jo Bole Sau Nihal, Sat Sri Akal ", the 19-year-old soldier joins the battle. One after the other, the brave Sikh kills the invaders and kills nearly 20. Unable to get the last one, members of the tribe set fire to the fort.
Here is an excellent 8-minute summary of what happened that day:
So, who won the battle of Saragarhi?
The 21 Sikh soldiers killed between 180 and 600 members of Afghan tribes. Eventually, each of the soldiers succumbed, but they fought all day, leaving Fort Lockhart and Fort Gulistan plenty of time to prepare. They had also inflicted heavy losses on the invading forces. Saragarhi fell but was quickly taken over by British forces
The true story of Kesari
Akshay Kumar plays Havildar Ishar Singh in the film Kesari. Scheduled for March 21, it tells the story of this epic battle of Saragarhi. Here is a trailer:
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