Hira Singh is a short novel by Talbot Mundy

Talbot Mundy

Talbot Mundy was an English writer. He also wrote under the pseudonym Walter Galt.-Life and work:...

, originally published (under the title Hira Singh's Tale) as a four-part serial in
Adventure

Adventure (magazine)

Adventure magazine was first published in November 1910 as a monthly pulp magazine. Adventure went on become one of the most profitable and critically acclaimed of all the American pulp magazines...

Magazine in October and November 1917, and published in book form in 1918 by Cassell (London) and Bobbs-Merrill (Indianapolis). The hero of the story is a Sikh

Sikh

A Sikh is a follower of Sikhism. It primarily originated in the 15th century in the Punjab region of South Asia. The term "Sikh" has its origin in Sanskrit term शिष्य , meaning "disciple, student" or शिक्ष , meaning "instruction"...

 officer, Ranjoor Singh, an earlier adventure of whom is recounted in the novel The Winds of the World.

Plot introduction

Hira Singh is the story of a regiment of Sikh cavalry who are captured in battle in Flanders

Flanders

Flanders is the community of the Flemings but also one of the institutions in Belgium, and a geographical region located in parts of present-day Belgium, France and the Netherlands. "Flanders" can also refer to the northern part of Belgium that contains Brussels, Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp...

 in the early days of World War I

World War I

World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...

, escape from captivity and experience many adventures as they make their way back to India.

Major themes

The underlying theme of the story is the nature of leadership, as Ranjoor Singh struggles to control his semi-rebellious force under conditions of great difficulty.