The Last Stand Battle of Saragarhi 1897

An epic last stand by 21 Sikh soldiers against over 10,000 Pathan / Afghan tribesmen at the end of the 19th century in British India.


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This is the story of Havildar Ishar Singh and his brave unit, who despite being hopelessly outnumbered decided to fight rather than surrender.

The Battle of Saragarhi occurred during an uprising by Pathan tribesmen in the North West Frontier province in India (now part of Pakistan) during the summer of 1897.

The Pathans are a people who reside in both northern Pakistan and across the border in Afghanistan, where they form the largest ethnic grouping.

The 21 Sikh soldiers under Havildar Ishar Singh were members of the 36th Sikh bengal Infantry (later the 36th Sikh infantry). Their main units, commanded by British officer, Lt. Colonel Haughton were based at the nearby forts of Lockhart and Gulistan.

Whilst only 4 miles apart, the forts did not have a line of sight, making them particularly vulnerable during the 1897 uprising.
Consequently, a small communication base was established at Saragarhi to relay messages between the two forts, using a heliograph.

The 21 Sikhs held their enemy at bay for over 7 hours before dying to the last man.

Afterwards, Pathan leaders claimed that 180 of their men had died in the battle and countless others had been injured.
The widely accepted figure is that the Pathan’s suffered 450 casualties an incredible toll dealt by the 21 Sikhs under Havildar Ishar Singh.

Whilst not as known as other last stands, the battle of Saragarhi continues to inspire modern generations.
Sikh’s celebrate Saragarhi Day, whilst the British armed forces commemorate the last stand as one of their battle honour days.

In 2019, Bollywood retold the story in a film, “Kesari”. This is the real story, using historical facts and sources.

In 2021 a statue to Havildar Inshar Singh was unveiled in Wednesfield, near Wolverhampton in England.

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Chapters

0:00 Intro
0:48 British India
3:05 Pathan Uprising
6:36 Havildar Ishar Singh
8:00 Battle of Saragarhi
13:56 Last Stand
15:45 Relief
18:00 Remembering the heroes
21:07 The History Chap



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My name is Chris Green ("The History Chap") and I am on a mission to share the amazing history of Britain so that we can appreciate where we have come from and why we are here.

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