21 Kesaris: The Untold Story of the Battle of Saragarhi

Well written and incredible story.

Our present is shaped by valour and sacrifices of our brave men who laid their lives in defending our country. And their names are not to be forgotten. Hence, I am so attracted towards history; to understand our present situation and also, to feel pride about our ancestors.21 kesari, is one such account of history that shook the globe and even now, we can hear the roar of those brave Sikhs. Anyone would have flinched by numerical strength of 10000 Afghans, Sikhs remain undeterred and gave abrave combat while defending the post of Saragarhi.It also, has a detailed narrative of the political scenario which existed then and what circumstances led to the battle.I only feel pride and honour to belong to a country whose ancestors fought manificiently and courageously. Somewhere, we are being respected and our image is being held at high esteem, because of the determination and fortitude of brave men in battles and warfare.Coming to the writing, I am amazed at the flawless and easy-flowing narration. A non-fiction has to be just that to maintain the interest of the readers. I was so engrossed in the book that for a couple of days I wasn't much online or didn't even talk to my friends; that's what a remarkable book does.

21 Kesaris is based on a true story, the battle of Saragarhi which took place in 1897. This is a story of courage, when only 21 Sikh Soldiers fought against 10,000 Afghans with pride. This story was lost among all other battles of Indian History but this story is something that should be brought under lime light. The battle is a significant one, which needs to be remembered with pride. The exceptional valour of the 21 Sikhs was not immortalized in the Indian History that once swept the British Parliament off its feet.The book is divided into two parts. The first part tells us about the background of enemies, the battlefield and the geographical locations with maps. And later part says about the origin of Sikhs, founder of Sikhism, transformation of Sikhs and the battle which not only gives the insight of the battle but also the political and social crisis during that period. It explains the reason of the war and how bravely they stood together and fought together till the end. The book is written after a fine research, it has the maps, newspaper cut-outs, images of fort, rifles which shows efforts of the author to make this book an extraordinary one.I loved how it is written with lucid language, narration is very nice. This book is a must read. And I am so grateful that I read this book.Happy Reading 💙

The media could not be loaded.  Book Review of 21 KesarisFirst of all, I feel grateful for getting this opportunity to read and review true stories of our Sikh soldiers. The battle of Saragarhi is indeed the best historical non-fiction I have ever read. 21 Kesaris is an untold story of a battle which everyone must know, not only because it was fought by Indians Soldiers but also as inspiration, passion to fight against all odds.Quote from the book: Remember that only lions and falcons get caged, not crows and foxes.Soldiers were fearless, even who had invaded us, can’t stop praising them and their brotherhood. Kesari means saffron and it indicates courage, Lionshead. The struggle which has to face by Soldiers to be a part of the Army. As we think it’s more difficult than that. Mentally, physically they are always challenged to be the best and be different. To be a Soldier is itself a courageous task.Authors have covered all the aspects of How Sikh Religion formed and why they are known for their loyalty, bravery? We all have read many lessons in history but the story depicted in this book kept me engrossed. It has some dialogues of Soldiers in Punjabi. Images of old maps and important people give us an idea of how they used to look and good visuals also. Stories of Guru Gobind Singh Ji which we used to listen in our childhood.Battle of Saragarhi happened on 12-September-1897. That day no one had any idea what is going to happen, but everyone was sure that this day will be Memorial Day for us. Havildar Ishar Singh post commanding 20 men and 1 non-combatant officer who helped soldiers by supplying water and bandages to wounded one. All were motivated and charged up to fight till their last breath with 10,000 afghans.British Indian Government had made regiments to give equal work to everyone as per their capabilities and these 21 Soldiers were from 36th Regiment which was under Lieutenant Colonel John Haughton. He was the best example for leadership qualities because he was dedicated towards his work when his wife died and after some time his father too. He never loses hope nor he discourages anyone.I have learned how they used to signal important notes, strategies, and most importantly teamwork. Without team work, no one can defeat their enemies no matter for strong or weak. We all lose hope or get demotivated by ours or others actions, we should keep our focus on our target. I know it’s not easier said than done. But a determination only can get through a rough time.

We all are well aware of the gigantic battle, our brave soldiers have once fought to regain the freedom of our country. However there are some names, which we are completely oblivious to. There are some warriors who haven't think twice before sacrificing their lives while serving for their nation. In the book "21 Kesaris" authors Kirandeep Singh and Nirvan Singh have tried to seek our attention on the undoubtable bravado of 21 Sikhs of the 36th Sikh regiment during 19th century.On 12 September 1897, the year when British rules were propagating in our country, 10,000 Afridi and Orakzai Afghans marched towards the Saragarhi Fort with a devilish intention of attacking the 21 soldiers who were on their duty of guarding the very fort. Compared to Afghan tribesmen, soldiers of 36th Sikh regiment were very few in number. That's the only reason Afghans were so sure of their win. Despite their superiority in numbers, these 21 Sikhs didn't hesitate even for once, they fought bravery till their last breath and managed to continue the barbaric battle for more then eight hours. Their leader Havildar Ishar Singh stayed strong till the end and appreciably motivated the whole squad of 21 soldiers.It has been a century since the battle of Saragarhi, but their sacrifices are still echoing in the air. Their incessant courage was imprinted in the history of heroism. As a citizen it is our utter responsibility to acknowledge their courageness and learn lessons from their remarkable life. The authors have done a great job in highlighting the untold battle. I must say they have researched a lot which is finely reflecting in their writing style. It enables the readers in knowing the history of our country specially of eighteenth and nineteenth century without getting bored. Even if you have no interest in studying history, then also you could give it a try as it's not a tedious one.Happy reading.

History, this is the subject - the text book that connected me to the world of stories. May that be Kings and dynasty knowledge or the forgotten rebel everything is beautiful to read, learn and visualise. Colonial Era this is my favourite shelf in my school's library, this fascination made me pick this book.21 Kesaris this book recreates the war, the valour of the 21 men to stood to face and fight the Afghan tribe of 10,000. Then the 36th Sikh Regiment, now 4 Sikh is the infantry regiment of the Indian Armyi is one of the most decorated battalion both then and now. To know more about this regiment and their valorous battle of Saragarhi, grab this interesting and intriguing book.The book is brilliant not only in the author's style of narration but also his research work. Even if we fictionalised history we should be very careful so that we don't disturb the facts of history, this makes the author's work Special.This is about the book and the author now let me share what makes this book special for me. War stories for me is not just the battle or the fight, what's important for me is the per and post info of the war. Why actually the war occurred? If it was won, what's the reason for the success? If not, why and where did we lose... What happened to the men of war? And most importantly, why have we forgotten these 21 great soldiers? I found answers for these questions in this book, if you find these questions interesting don't miss this book.