Their reputation for fierce fighting first came against the Mughal empire. One cool part is that they not only fought for their own religious freedom, but that of other religions under the Muslims. The modern reputation was earned at the Battle of Saragarhi, where 21 Sikhs in the service of British India held off 10,000-14,000 Muslims at a small signaling post between two forts. Eventually the Muslims overran the post, killing all 21. Muslim dead were estimated between 180 (what the Muslims admit) and 450, with many more wounded, almost all through hand-to-hand combat. It was a modern Thermopylae.
Their bravery stalled the Muslims long enough for the British to get reinforcements to the next target, one of the forts, in time before it could be taken.
Yeah I have seen that stuff, and that battle for instance is hardly unique, you don’t have to go back to Thermopylae for that kind of 1800s bravery just look at everyone else, the Brits, the Texans the French at Camerone (a day I toast every April 30th), there are many such battles to the death.
I don’t understand why this little cult considers Sikhs to be some super soldiers, where do they rank with the crack Western units over the years, especially the last hundred?
Here is an example, the Brits did fine although incredibly, vastly outnumbered by Sikhs.
http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/history-of-sikhism/25278-battle-of-aliwal.html