Jalian Wala Bhagh | KPSC KAS Preparation: All subjects - KPSC KAS (Karnataka) PDF Download

Jallianwalabagh Massacre, 13 April 1919

• Two prominent leaders, Satyapal and Saifuddin Kichlew, were arrested in Punjab due to the hartal against the Rowlatt Act.
• In response, the people of Amritsar gathered in Jallianwala Bagh to protest against these unjust arrests.
• Jallianwala Bagh was enclosed by high walls on all sides with a single entrance and a well in the center.
• General Dyer, the military commander of Amritsar, directed his troops to block the only exit.
• The Viceroy Lord Chelmsford, British Lieutenant-Governor of Punjab Michael O'Dwyer, and Acting Brigadier-General Reginald Dyer were involved.
• Despite the peaceful and unarmed nature of the crowd, General Dyer ordered his troops to open fire without any warning.
• The indiscriminate shooting resulted in a horrific massacre, leading to the deaths of approximately 379 individuals and injuring 1137 others.
• This brutal incident is known as the Jallianwalabagh massacre or Punjab Tragedy.
• Gandhi strongly condemned the atrocity, leading him to adopt a stance of non-cooperation with the British authorities and subsequently launching the Non-Cooperation Movement in 1920.

Protests

• Rabindranath Tagore renounced his Knighthood as a form of protest.
• Gandhiji returned the Kaiser-i-Hind medal awarded to him by the South African Government.
• The Hunter Commission was established to investigate events (context typically needed here, such as the Jallianwala Bagh massacre).

The Khilafat Movement - 1919

• The Khilafat Movement emerged primarily due to the defeat of Germany and Turkey in World War I.
• Turkey, aligned with Germany during the war, faced severe repercussions following Germany's defeat, leading to the disintegration of the Turkish empire as outlined in the Treaty of Sevres.
• British and French forces partitioned the territories, resulting in the humiliation of the Sultan of Turkey, who also held the significant religious position of Caliph among Muslims.
• Reacting against the British administration, Muslims worldwide rallied behind the Khilafat movement.
• In India, the Ali brothers, namely Muhammad Ali and Shaukat Ali, spearheaded the Khilafat Movement.
• The Indian National Congress extended its support to this movement, viewing it as a chance to foster Hindu-Muslim unity.
• The Khilafat movement played a pivotal role in bringing closer the Muslim League and the Indian National Congress.
• Prominent leaders such as Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, M.A. Ansari, Saifuddin Kitchlew, and the Ali brothers actively led this movement.
• A dedicated Khilafat Committee was established, and on October 19, 1919, the entire nation observed Khilafat Day.
• A significant joint conference of Hindus and Muslims took place on November 23 under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi.
• The Khilafat Movement eventually merged with Mahatma Gandhi's Non-Cooperation Movement in 1920.
• Gandhiji's strategic involvement transformed the Indian National Congress into a formidable mass movement. 

Amritsar Session -1919

• During its 34th Session in Amritsar in 1919, the Congress showcased unwavering solidarity with the victims of the Jallianwala Bagh massacre.
• Presided over by Motilal Nehru, the Congress vehemently denounced the massacre, expressing strong disapproval.