BATTLE OF HAIFA

 We often listen a phrase that geopolitics is about self interest of a nation and nothing else, but some times two nations have some emotional ties which is much more then self interest. One of such example we have is of India and Israel.

Although Israel is a new nation but it has a historic ties with India and it's people. One of the major reason is that We are probably the only nation where jews lives for millennium without any discrimination or persecution. In words of Atal ji...

शरणागत की रक्षा की है, मैंने अपना जीवन दे कर।

विश्वास नहीं यदि आता तो साक्षी है यह इतिहास अमर।

And the second one may be our contribution in formation of Israel and the most famous BATTLE OF HAIFA.

The story is of WW 1 when Ottoman was 2nd largest force against the Allied forces. By 1918 although it proved to be the last year but Ottoman Empire was still much stronger while the Allied forces and mainly British forces have faced huge damage. Hence they have planned to attack Haifa(largest port in southern part of Ottoman Empire) and to cut the land connection of the capital from southern part of the empire. It's was a nice plan but Britishers was not in a position to make it happen and neither they have proper machines and armed unit even indian units having machines were busy on some other front. Hence it was finally decided to use the traditional Indian Lancers(man of horse with a Bhala) against the Machine equiped Ottoman and German Soldier on the top of Golan and nearby mountain. But indian Lancers proved more then a match for them.

Indian under leadership of major Dalpat Singh Shekhawat, had planned to attack on three sides, and mare 400 indian Soldier got divided in 3 parts with a plan to attack from between two parallel ranges and from two of its side. The Ottoman can't understand it and targeted only one part while the two other get free way to Haifa. Here the Indian soldiers have to fight with rifal armed infantry, and surprisingly they had won the battle by their bravery. However we have lost major shekhawat in the battlefield who latter got the title of HERO OF HAIFA

Battle of Haifa proved to be a major reason for Ottoman's downfall and the then philistine comes under English control. During WW2 a large number of jews come and settled to the area ultimately become one of the major reason for formation of Israel. 

The British government had made trimurti chalk in new Delhi dedicated to 3 regiments i.e jodhpur, Mysore and Hyderabad Lancers.

Government of Israel had also launched a postal stamp in 2018 in remembrance of the battle.

This was probably the last major battle with Lancers used against armed infantry and that's too the Lancers won it.