Image: Jallianwala Bagh memorial, Amritsar.
On 13 April 1919, British troops commanded by Brigadier-General Reginald Edward Harry Dyer opened fire on a large gathering at Jallianwala Bagh in Amritsar. The massacre became one of the most consequential events in the history of British rule in India.
What happened
A large crowd had gathered at Jallianwala Bagh during Baisakhi. Dyer ordered troops to fire on the crowd without giving an order to disperse first. The exact death toll remains a matter of historical documentation and debate; the official British figure was substantially lower than estimates advanced by Indian sources.
Reaction across India
News of the massacre caused widespread shock and anger. Rabindranath Tagore renounced his knighthood in protest.
Gandhi’s response
The massacre deeply affected Gandhi and contributed to his growing rejection of cooperation with British institutions. It became an important background to the Non-Cooperation Movement launched the following year.
Historical legacy
Jallianwala Bagh remains a major memorial site and a central subject in the study of India’s colonial history.
Read NewsNationOnline’s Rowlatt Satyagraha feature and Gandhi and Tagore feature.
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