The Story of Ganga Singh
History: KS3, topic 16.4.2
The Story of Ganga Singh
Ganga Singh was a Sikh from Punjab who fought in the First World War for the British. He overcame significant adversity and later became the only non-white member of the British War Cabinet.
Who was Ganga Singh?
- Ganga Singh was a Sikh from Punjab which was part of British India.
- He was a descendant of the Rajput royal family and was the first Indian prince to fight for the British Empire overseas.
- He was an experienced solider and later became the only non-white member of the British War Cabinet.
Where did Ganga Singh fight?
- His regiment first arrived from India in Marseilles in August 1914. He offered his services to the British Government following the outbreak of war.
- He fought in the first Battle of Ypres, a strategic point along the Western front for both armies.
What does the story of Ganga Singh show?
- It shows how he was expected to fend for himself and sometimes struggled to understand his officers with the language differences.
- For example, he was unsure whether another officer had said he was near Paris or Persia at one stage.
Singh's regiment was poorly equipped
- The regiment Singh fought in was poorly equipped and did not have any grenades, unlike the Germans facing them.
- Instead, they had to use makeshift jam jars filled with dynamite.
Despite adversity, Singh was valuable
- Despite all the adversity Singh and his regiment faced he was still able to make a valuable contribution to the fighting for the allied armies.
Singh's legacy
- Following the Battle of Ypres, Singh was awarded the Indian Order of Merit for his heroic fighting.
- Once the war had ended Singh was the only Indian to sign the Treaty of Versailles in 1919.
Test yourself on The Story of Ganga Singh
What nationality was Ganga Singh?
Which language misunderstanding did Ganga Singh encounter?