Amritsar Massacre Causes Flashcards
Where did opposition towards the Rowlatt Act flare up?
Punjab, Amritsar
When was the Amritsar Massacre?
13th April 1919
Trigger
Defence of India Act, Rowlatt Act
Arrest of Dr Kitchlew & Satyapal
How many people gathered in the hartals?
20,000
When were the hartals?
Through 30th March to 6th April
What did the Hartals display?
Hindu-Muslim solidarity and no serious unrest
What did the arrest of Dr Kitchlew & Satyapal trigger?
Rioting in their support, then backfired into an Anti-Raj protest
What happened during Riots?
Banks were stormed, buildings fired at, 3 Europeans killed
Who was the crawling woman?
Marcia Sherwood, a mission Doctor
What happened by 11 April?
100+ terrified + exhausted European women saw refuge in the Gobindgarh Fort for safety
What did Michael O’Dwyer believe?
The rioting in Amritsar was a carefully planned uprising to lure Indian soldiers into a mutiny
What exasperated O’Dwyers belief about the rioting?
There was similar rioting in Lahore and Kasur, convincing Dyer that a co-ordinated uprising was fueling
Where was the Massacre set?
JallianWala Bagh
What religious festival was on the 13th April?
Baisakhi Day, Sikhism
What did Dyer order?
Proclamations to be read at various points in the city
What were in these proclamations?
Warnings against meetings + assemblies, and establishing a curfew
How many Punjabis ignored the curfew?
10,000 - 20,000
What did the Punjabis discuss?
The calling for the repeal of the Rowlatt Act
Expressing sympathy for the dead in the previous riots
How many minutes did the firing last?
10 to 15 minutes.
What did Dyer call the martial punishment?
“Fancy Punishments”
What was the official death rate?
379 killed, 1.5K wounded
How many were estimated to be killed?
10,000 to 15,000
How many troops were there?
1000
1/3 British, 2/3 Ghurkas and Sikhs
How many rounds did Dyer’s troops fire?
1650
