Walking Archive TV

On September 12, 1897, twenty-one soldiers of the 36th Sikhs defended the isolated signal post of Saragarhi on the North-West Frontier against a much larger attacking force. Their task was not to hold a major fortress, but to keep communication open between Fort Lockhart and Fort Gulistan for as long as possible. Through heliograph messages, officers followed the defense almost in real time until the station finally fell silent.

This documentary follows the Battle of Saragarhi through the strategic importance of the Samana Range, the leadership of Havildar Ishar Singh, and the discipline of the twenty-one defenders. It examines what is supported by historical evidence, how later memory shaped the story, and why every defender received the Indian Order of Merit. More than a century later, Saragarhi remains one of the most respected last stands in Sikh military history.