Putting Sikh Soldiers on the Map

During the First World War over one million Indians served overseas. At least 74,187 Indian soldiers gave their lives in the war. Although the Sikh population was less than 2% of the total population of British India at the time of the First World War they made up more than 20% of the British Indian Army. The contribution of Sikhs to the First World War is commemorated in a new interactive map.

Soldier Map - Empire, Faith & War maps the records of 8,000 Sikh soldiers who fought in the Great War. Most of the data for the map comes from the Commonwealth War Graves Commission’s casualty database, which records the names of the 1.7 million men and women of the Commonwealth forces who died during the First and Second World Wars.

Sikh soldiers are shown on the map at their place of birth. Soldiers whose birthplaces aren't known have been placed on the map at India Gate in New Delhi, the British-built memorial to Indian soldiers who died in the period 1914 to 1921. If you click on a soldier's marker on the map you can read details about where and when they served, where they were born and where they are commemorated. Some soldier's markers may also contain links to a story page created by citizen historians who have discovered more information about  an individual soldier's life.

Also See

Mapping the Fallen of World War I