Battle of Saragarhi

In news- September 12 marked the 124th anniversary of the Battle of Saragarhi.

About the Battle of Saragarhi-

The Battle of Saragarhi was a last-stand battle fought before the Tirah Campaign between the British Raj and Afghan tribesmen.
Saragarhi was the communication tower between Fort Lockhart and Fort Gulistan.
The two forts in the rugged North West Frontier Province (NWFP) were built by Maharaja Ranjit Singh but renamed by the British.
Saragarhi helped to link up the two important forts which housed a large number of British troops in the rugged terrain of NWFP.
On 12 September 1897, an estimated 12,000 – 24,000 Orakzai and Afridi tribesmen attacked the outpost of Saragarhi, cutting off Fort Gulistan from Fort Lockhart.
Though Saragarhi was usually manned by a platoon of 40 soldiers, on the battle day, it was being held by only 21 soldiers from 36th Sikh (now 4 Sikh) and a non-combatant called Daad, a Pashtun who did odd jobs for the troops.
Though heavily outnumbered, the soldiers of 36th Sikh, led by Havildar Ishar Singh, fought till their last breath, killing 200 tribals and injuring 600.

The British, who regained control over the fort after a few days, used burnt bricks of Saragarhi to build an obelisk for the martyrs.
They also commissioned gurdwaras at Amritsar and Ferozepur in their honour.
In 2017, the Punjab government decided to observe Saragarhi Day on September 12 as a holiday.