BB-035 / State Terror
Jallianwala Bagh Massacre
The Act
British troops under Brigadier-General Reginald Dyer opened fire without warning on a peaceful gathering of thousands of Indians in Jallianwala Bagh, killing several hundred and wounding more than a thousand. Many victims were trapped by the garden’s narrow exits.
The Response
Dyer was relieved of command but faced no criminal prosecution. The massacre radicalized Indian public opinion against British rule and is widely regarded as a turning point in the independence movement. Annual commemorations continue in India.