Ever seen the movie 300 where they have 300 Greeks fighting 10,000 Persians, well I was fascinated reading a real life story of the Battle of Saragarhi where in 1897 , 21 men of the 36th Sikh Battalion defended an army post against 10,000 Afghans and died for their duty rather than surrender. Recounting the incident the Parliament of the United Kingdom stated:
“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”
Link: Battle of Saragarhi
Yes, this was an amazing battle and display of heroic gut and valor that is rare to find in history or since the battle. The comparison with the Spartans does not do justice to the 21 Sikhs of Battle of Saragarhi. The Spartans had a supply line sending reinforcements, food and medicine whereas the 21 soldiers of 36th Sikh Regiment had absolutely no help. BTW they did not show the supply lines in the movie 300 🙂