Some of. But not quite at the top of the list.
Some of. But not quite at the top of the list.
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Saragarhi
The Battle of Saragarhi, one of history's most famous last stands, was fought during the Tirah Campaign on 12 September 1897 between twenty-one Sikhs of the 4th Battalion (then 36th Sikhs) of the Sikh Regiment of British India, defending an army post, and 10,000 Afghan and Orakzai tribesmen. The battle occurred in the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, now part of Pakistan, which then formed part of British India. The contingent of the twenty-one Sikhs from the 36th Sikhs was led by Havildar Ishar Singh. They all chose to fight to the death. Sikh military personnel and Sikh civilians commemorate the battle every year on 12 September, as Saragarhi Day.
Date: September 12, 1897
Location: Tirah, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (then called North-West Frontier Province), British India (modern day Pakistan)
Result: Afghan Pashtun tactical victory, British-Indian strategic victory.
“The British, as well as the Indians, are proud of the 36th Sikh Regiments. It is no exaggeration to record that the armies which possess the valiant Sikhs cannot face defeat in war.”
- Parliament, United Kingdom.
“You are never disappointed when you are with the Sikhs. Those 21 soldiers all fought to the death. That bravery should be within all of us. Those soldiers were lauded in Britain and their pride went throughout the Indian Army. Inside every Sikh should be this pride and courage. The important thing is that you must not get too big-headed it is important to be humble in victory and to pay respect to the other side.”
- Field Marshal William Joseph Slim, 1st Viscount.
Saragarhi and Thermopylae
The battle has frequently been compared to the Battle of Thermopylae, where a small Greek force faced a large Persian army of Xerxes (480 BC).
The comparison is made because of the overwhelming odds faced by a tiny defending force in each case, and the defenders’ brave stand to their deaths, as well as the extremely disproportionate number of fatalities caused to the attacking force.
It is important to note that during the Battle of Saragarhi, the British did not manage to get a relief unit there until after the 21 had fought to their deaths. At Thermopylae, the 300 Spartans and their allies also stayed after their lines had been outflanked, to fight to their deaths.