Amritsar Massacre

World Cultures

April 11, 2012

British in India:

Objectives…O Determine April Thirteenth as a holiday for

Practitioners of Sikhism.

O Relate General Reginald Dyer to the Amritsar

Massacre of April 13, 1919.

O Formulate logical arguments on why Great

Britain enacted its Rowlatt Acts in India.

Rowlatt Act…O In March 1919, extended the (Defense of India

Regulations Act), which was enacted during the WWI in order to control public unrest and root out conspiracy.

O This act effectively authorized the British government to imprison for a maximum period of two years, without trial, any person suspected of terrorism.

O The Rowlatt Act gave British imperial authorities power to deal with revolutionary activities.

Gandhi’s Hartal…

OMarch 30, 1919 – Mohandas Gandhi orders all Indians to perform a hartal or the suspension of all business and fasting as a sign of their hatred for the legislation.

April 13, 1919…

O In the small town of Amritsar (located in Punjab region of India) thousands of Indians would convene peacefully to protest the Rowlatt Act.

O The Punjab region is the religious home of Sikhism. April thirteenth is a Sikh holiday, which is celebrated by an annual festival. The festival in Amritsar was held in a popular “public” park.

O Amritsar is placed under martial law, which severally limited any Indians from publically assembling.

Amritsar, Punjab…

The Massacre…O On (April 13, 1919), Dyer's troops surrounded the

park and without warning opened fire on the crowd, killing (379) Indians and wounding more than a thousand (Roughly 1,100 Indians).

O Dyer admitted in an investigation that all of the Indians in attendance were revolutionary army members (nationalists), which is why he ordered his troops to murderously barrage the threat until all of their artillery was exhausted.

O British authorities later removed him from his post.

Questions…