Sikhs in the Indian and British Armies

Battle of Imphal
. The Indian National Army was supported by Imperial Japan and fought against the British.

Battle of Saragarhi
The Battle of Saragarhi is considered one of the greatest battles in Sikh military history. On 12 September 1897 a contingent of twenty-one soldiers from the 36th Sikhs led by Havildar Ishar Singh held off an Afghan attack of 10,000 men for several hours. All 21 Sikh soldiers chose to fight to the death instead of surrendering. In recognition of their sacrifice, the British Parliament paid them respect, and each one of them was awarded the Indian Order of Merit (equivalent to the Victoria Cross).

Battle of Malaya
The strength of the army in Malaya was 86,895 troops. Sikhs represented more than 60 percent of the total Indian force that fought against the Japanese invasion.