Road trip to Samana Pakistan /History of Saraghari monument or Battle of Saraghari

The Samana Range is a mountain ridge in the Hangu District of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa of Pakistan, commanding the southern boundary of Tirah. The ridge lies between the Khanki Valley on the north and the Miranzai Valley on the south, and extends for some 30 m. west from Hangu to the Samana Suk. It is some 6000 to 7000 ft. high.

Beyond the Samana Suk lies the pass, known as the Chagru Kotal, across which the Tirah Campaign marched in 1897. On the opposite hill on the other side of this road is the famous position of Dargah. After the Miranzai Expedition of 1891 this range was occupied by British troops and eleven posts were established along its crest, the two chief posts being Fort Lockhart and Fort Gulistan.

In 1897 all the forts on the Samana were attacked by the Orakzais, this is when the Battle of Saraghari took place and this and the Afridi attack on the Khyber Pass were the two chief causes.

The Battle of Saraghari was a last-stand battle fought before the Tirah Campaign between the British Raj and Afghan tribesmen. On 12 September 1897, an estimated 12,000 – 24,000 Orakzai and Afridi tribesmen were seen near Gogra, at Samana Suk, and around Saraghari, cutting off Fort Gulistan from Fort Lockhart. The Afghans attacked the outpost of Saraghari where thousands of them swarmed and surrounded the fort, preparing to assault it.

Led by Havildar Ishar Singh, the 21 soldiers in the fort—all of whom were Sikhs—refused to surrender and were wiped out in a last stand. The post was recaptured two days later by another British Indian contingent.

All the 21 soldiers involved in the battle were posthumously awarded the Indian Order of Merit.