INTRODUCTION
How Indian Soldiers Liberated Haifa
Recently, Israel has made a major change in the history textbooks used in its schools. They will now proudly state that the soldiers who liberated the city of Haifa from the Ottoman Empire were not British. They were Indian soldiers.
You will see many articles published on this, stating, “They were Indian, not British soldiers, who won us our freedom.” This will now be written in Israel’s textbooks. This has been recently confirmed by the Mayor of Haifa. He said that they want to honor the contribution of Indian soldiers.
The reason is that when textbooks simply say that British soldiers came to liberate Haifa from the Ottoman Empire, the mind automatically pictures British-looking soldiers. But as many of you know (and for those who don’t, I will explain), it was Indian soldiers who, in 1918, defeated the Ottoman Empire in Haifa and liberated the city. This shared history absolutely deserves to be celebrated.
So, this change that Israel has made in its textbooks across all schools is a very significant step in improving India-Israel relations.
Now, you might have a question: Related to India and Israel relation with Hoga.
Wait, which city is this? Haifa? 1918? This is over 100 years old. What happened there? What occurred in World War I? Let me explain it to you in very simple terms.
In human history, there have been two major wars, the largest we know of: World War I and World War II. We are talking about World War I here. It began in 1914 and was largely over by the end of 1918. In this war, there was an empire at that time called the Ottoman Empire, whose map you can see here. The Ottoman Empire and its various European allies fought against the British Empire, the American Empire, and several other empires from around the world.
As World War I was ending, a major geopolitical event occurred: the Ottoman Empire collapsed. The modern-day country of Turkey is the last remaining core territory of the Ottoman Empire. At its peak, the Ottoman Empire controlled vast lands. The modern-day countries of Israel and Palestine both fell under the Ottoman Empire.
Since the Ottoman Empire was at war with the British Empire, British India was, by default, also involved in the conflict. So, what happened? A large number of Indian soldiers, primarily from Rajasthan, were sent to fight the Ottoman Empire all over Europe, and specifically in the city of Haifa in Israel.
If I show you on a map where Haifa is, you can see it here. It is a coastal city. Whether we look 500 years ago, 1000 years ago, or 100 years ago, this city has always been extremely important because it essentially connects Europe with South Asia. Even today, if you have heard about the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) that is being planned, Haifa City will have a critical role in it. A trade route will pass through here, connecting the Middle East and South Asia to Europe. Interestingly, the main port in Haifa today belongs to whom? Adani Ports, an Indian company. So, you can understand how important Haifa is ?
In 1918, as World War I was drawing to a close, it was very important for the British Empire to liberate Haifa quickly so that more soldiers and supplies could be brought through this port to further push back the Ottoman forces. The battle for Haifa, “The Battle of Haifa,” was a historic war. Many historians believe that if Indian soldiers had not been sent to Haifa in 1918, the Ottoman Empire would have retained control over a significant amount of land, and today, both Israel and Palestine might still be under a modern-day Turkey or a semi-Ottoman Empire. Essentially, the Battle of Haifa is directly correlated with the eventual birth of Israel.
Interestingly, even though many in India may not be fully aware of the Battle of Haifa, the story is remarkable. Lancers from India—from Jodhpur, Mysore, and Hyderabad—traveled to a foreign land to fight soldiers of the Ottoman Empire. Those Ottoman soldiers had artillery and guns. Our soldiers were cavalrymen; they only had spears and lances. Yet, they emerged victorious.
You will find extensive mention of this in Israeli textbooks. If you observe the war ceremony in Israel for the Battle of Haifa from World War I, you will even find an old brick with “Om Bhagavate Namah” inscribed on it. It is said that the soldiers of that time left their mark on Israel in various ways.
This is an event that Israel wants its citizens to be clearly informed about. As I explained, if textbooks just say the British Empire was involved and sent its soldiers, it would never occur to Europeans or Israelis that the soldiers sent were of Indian origin. Writing this truth is, I would say, a very good move. Israel will now state in its books: “It wasn’t the British, but the Indians who liberated us.”
This clearly shows one thing: Israel has an intention to view India as a long-term partner. It is only with a long-term partner that you build such relations, where you tell your future generations that our freedom was won thanks to the contributions of these people. The foundation of our country was laid, in an indirect way, through India and through the Battle of Haifa.
So, What was the result when, for once in history, the Ottoman Empire and Indian soldiers clashed? Our soldiers, without guns or artillery, faced their soldiers who had rifles and artillery. What was the result? I believe eventually, you will see a movie being made on this topic in India in the coming times, and I hope they do justice to this decent topic.
Table of content
- Introduction
- How Indian soldiers leberare Haifa
- Description
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