Lions of the Great War? How are Sikh soldiers of the First World War seen today?

This Key Stage Three History scheme of work focuses in depth on the contribution of Sikh soldiers from the Indian subcontinent fighting on behalf of the UK between1914 and 1918. It is designed to follow on from a focus on the First World War, probably in Year Nine and complements the Muslim Tommies resource previously published on this website and also other material produced  to mark the centenary of the First World War.

The scheme of work  has been written by consultant Andrew Wrenn, a former LA Humanities Advisor on behalf of the UK Punjab Heritage Association (UKPHA). It forms part of a major project funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund called "Empire, Faith, War: The Sikhs and World War One" on behalf of UKPHA. The scheme of work is based on a public exhibition also entitled: "Empire, Faith, War the Sikhs and World War 1" researched and curated by Parmjit Singh on behalf of UKPHA and which was displayed at the School of African and Oriental Studies in Bloomsbury, London in July, August and September 2014. The resources include material from the Imperial War Museum, the National Army Museum and from private collections. They include rarely seen and colourful examples of British and German propaganda.   

(The project itself aims to raise awareness in  the British Sikh community and among the wider public about the involvement of Sikh soldiers in the First World War and involves far more than the publication of this resource in association with the Historical Association. For more details see...) 

The learning objectives involve a particular emphasis on Diversity, Interpretations and Significance. The culminating creative outcome asks pupils to plan a public exhibition about Sikh soldiers but according to criteria set out by different organisations worldwide seeking to present the history in accordance with their own interests. Teachers may find this scheme useful in creating a more inclusive history curriculum. This means that British Sikh pupils can see people of their faith represented in the history curriculum and other pupils are made more aware of that identity and its contribution to British identity as a whole. The resources include updates on subject knowledge in relation to the scheme of work and related links. The scheme of work assumes some prior learning about the religious and cultural practices of Sikhism, probably covered through religious education. Complimentary content may also be linked to the unit where for example the growth of the British Empire in India has already be covered, South Asia covered in geography and British Identity and values referred to wherever these are taught.

This resource is comprised of 6 lessons which build on each other to answer the overarching enquiry question "Lions of the Great War? How are Sikh soldiers of the First World War seen today?:

Lesson One. Why did Sikh soldiers fight against the British Empire in 1845 yet for it by 1915?

Lessons Two and Three. How did the British see Sikh (and other Indian) soldiers during the First World War?

Lesson Four. How did Germans see Sikh (and other Indian) soldiers in 1914 and how much did this change afterwards?

Lesson Five. How did Sikh  soldiers of the First World War see themselves by 1918?

Lesson Six. How should we see Sikh soldiers of the First World War today?