Pashtun tribesmen waving their banners, beating drums and playing on flute as they launch their attack on British positions, 1897

 

Pashtun tribesmen waving their banners, beating drums and playing on flute as they launch their attack on British positions, 1897. Drawing by Edmund Hobday.

Sadda village, Kurram valley, 1897

 

Sadda village, Kurram valley, 1897. From The Illustrated London News, September 18, 1897.

Recommended Books

"Kippat Khan, Mahomed Khel Waziri", 1897

"Kippat Khan, Mahomed Khel Waziri", 1897. Watercolour painting by Robert Gosset Woodthorpe. Source

Kippat Khan Bora Khel was the leading Malik of the Mohmit Khel division of the Utmanzai clan of the Darwesh Khel Wazirs.

"A dictionary of the Pathan tribes in the north-west frontier of India", published in 1899, p-155.

The Bora Khel Mohmit Khels reside in the Sheratala, Palosin, Dande plain and the high ground to the south of Darweshta hill, north-east of Miranshah. In the summer they used to move to Razmak and higher up in the Dande plain. ["History of the Pathans", Vol-5, p-21]

Tirah

Mosque of the Mullah Said Akbar Akakhel (also known as Dadar Mullah) at Bagh, Tirah, blown up by General Hart. From 'The Graphic' , December, 1897.

Richard Udny announcing the British Government's terms to the Orakzai Chiefs assembled in William Lockhart's Camp at Maidan in Tirah, 1897.

A group of Wazir prisoners, North West Frontier, 1897

A group of Wazir prisoners, North West Frontier, 1897. From "Battles of the Nineteenth Century" by Archibald Forbes.

The Battle of Saragarhi (1897): Separating Fact from Colonial Fiction and Sikh Exaggerations

In 1897, there was a major uprising of Pashtuns against the British occupiers. One key event took place at an outpost called Saragarhi (in Orakzai district), manned by 21 Sikh soldiers of the British-Indian army. The post was attacked by a lashkar of local Pashtun freedom fighters. Despite being fired upon, the Pashtuns climbed the steep ascent, reached the hill-top, killed the 21 Sikh soldiers, and destroyed the outpost.

This relatively small event is regarded by Sikhs as one of the most momentous chapters of their history. They commemorate it annually as Saragarhi Day (12th September), which is a public holiday in the Indian state of Punjab. To understand the ascent, see the following historical photo taken in 1897:

Saragarhi Fort, 1897

Since no written records survive from the Pashtun side, what we know is based on exaggerated and one-sided British accounts, later embellished by Sikh narratives. According to the popular version, 21 Sikhs, fighting for the British Raj, faced between 10,000 and 20,000 Pashtuns and killed over 600 before being overrun—an achievement often compared with the 300 Spartans at Thermopylae.

However, these figures are highly questionable. British estimates of tribal numbers were notoriously inflated. For example, they once assessed Afridi fighting strength at 227,000, yet the total population of Khyber Agency was only 284,256 in the 1981 census. Claims of 600 Pashtun bodies at Saragarhi also conflict with British sources: the Navy and Army Illustrated (1902) recorded that the dead were carried away by comrades, leaving no bodies on the field.

Another British officer reported losses of around 400 Pashtuns during “several operations,” including Saragarhi—but his source was a pro-British clan, making reliability doubtful.

Wikipedia and Indian media often call Saragarhi “history’s greatest last stand,” but such claims trace back to Indian sites without named historians. Similarly, the statement that UNESCO recognizes Saragarhi as one of eight “stories of collective bravery” is unverified. No official UNESCO publication lists this. The claim that Saragarhi is taught in French schools also lacks independent confirmation.

Ironically, Sikhs celebrate Saragarhi Day passionately, yet in earlier Anglo-Sikh wars the British dismissed Sikh military ability while praising Pashtuns who fought for them. For example, Risaldar Fateh Khan Khattak and 70 Pashtuns were credited with defeating an entire Sikh cavalry brigade of 1,500–4,000 men—a feat arguably greater than Saragarhi.

A British remark stated: “Pathan soldiers are notoriously disloyal and are not thoroughly trusted by British commanders.” Though intended as criticism, it actually reflected Pashtun patriotism. Winston Churchill also wrote:

“Personally, I don’t blame any Afridis who desert to go and defend their own country, now that we have invaded it, and I think it is only natural and proper that they should want to do so.”

Also read this detailed research by Dr. Nafees Ur Rehman: The Battle of Saragarhi – The Cover-up of a Failure Marketed as a Brave Sacrifice

And: Further Analysis on Saragarhi

The battlefield of Saragarhi

Orakzai fighters who took part in the battle

References

1 – Navy and Army Illustrated, 1902, p.236
2 – Pathan Revolt in North West India, p.139
3 – The Story of the Guides by G. J. Younghusband, p.24
4 – McBride's Magazine, Vol.58, p.503
5 – The Story of the Malakand Field Force

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