Reginald Dyer : The Butcher of Amritsar by Nigel Collett

Brigadier-General Reginald Edward Harry Dyer CB (October 9, 1864 – July 23, 1927) was a British Indian Army officer responsible for the Amritsar massacre. Image File history File links Dyre. ... Image File history File links Dyre. ... Brigadier General (sometimes known as a one-star general from the United States insignia) is the lowest rank of general officer in some countries, usually ranking just above Colonel and just below Major General. ... Badge of a Companion of the Order of the Bath (Military Division) Ribbon of the Order of the Bath The Most Honourable Order of the Bath (formerly The Most Honourable Military Order of the Bath)[1] is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on May 18, 1725. ... is the 282nd day of the year (283rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1864 (MDCCCLXIV) was a leap year starting on Friday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a leap year starting on Sunday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar. ... is the 204th day of the year (205th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1927 (MCMXXVII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... A group of native Indian Muslim soldiers posing for volley firing orders. ... The Amritsar massacre The Jallianwala Bagh massacre, also known as the Amritsar massacre, was named after the Jallianwala Bagh (Garden) in Amritsar, where, on April 13, 1919, British Indian Army soldiers opened fire on an unarmed gathering of men, women and children. ...

Early life and assignments

Dyer was born in Murree, in British India, now in Pakistan. He spent his childhood in Shimla and received his early education at the Bishop Cotton School in Shimla. He was born in the shadow of the Sepoy Mutiny, which created an atmosphere of segregation, suspicion and fear, and which had a lasting impact on Dyer's life. In 1885, he was commissioned into the Queen's Royal Regiment (West Surrey), and served in riot control duties in Belfast (1886) and the Third Burmese War (1886–87). He was then transferred to the Indian Army, initially joining the 39th Bengal Infantry, later transferring to 29th Punjabis. He served in the latter in the Black Mountain campaign (1888), the relief of Chitral (1895) and the Mahsud blockade (1901–02). He was then transferred to 25th Punjabis where he served in the Zakha Khel Expedition (1908). He commanded the 25th Punjabis in India and Hong Kong. During World War I (1914–18), he commanded the Seistan Force, for which he was mentioned in dispatches and awarded the Companion of the Bath (CB). In 1919, about a month after the Amritsar incident, in the Third Anglo-Afghan War, his Brigade relieved the garrison of Thal, for which he was again mentioned in dispatches. 5th Brigade at Jamrud was his last command posting for a few months in 1919. This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Anthem God Save The Queen/King British India, circa 1860 Capital Calcutta (1858-1912), New Delhi (1912-1947) Language(s) Hindi, Urdu, English and many others Government Monarchy Emperor of India  - 1877-1901 Victoria  - 1901-1910 Edward VII  - 1910-1936 George V  - January-December 1936 Edward VIII  - 1936-1947 George... , Shimla   (Hindi: िशमला, Urdu: شملہ), originally called Simla, is a city in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. ... Bishop Cotton School, Shimla, is the oldest boarding school in Asia, having been founded o­n 28th July, 1859, by Bishop George Edward Lynch Cotton, son of an Army Captain, who died leading his Regiment in battle. ... , Shimla   (Hindi: िशमला, Urdu: شملہ), originally called Simla, is a city in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. ... An engraving titled Sepoy Indian troops dividing the spoils after their mutiny against British rule gives a contemporary view of events from the British perspective. ... 1885 (MDCCCLXXXV) is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Saturday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... French mobile gendarmes doing riot control. ... WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: , Statistics Province: Northern Ireland County: District: Belfast UK Parliament: Belfast North Belfast South Belfast East Belfast West European Parliament: Northern Ireland Dialling Code: 028, +44 28 posttown = Belfast Postal District(s): BT1-BT17, BT29 (part of), BT58 Area: 115 km² Population (2001) Website: www. ... Year 1886 (MDCCCLXXXVI) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Sunday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... The Third Anglo-Burmese War or The Third Burmese war lasted from 1885 to 1887. ... Year 1886 (MDCCCLXXXVI) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Sunday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... 1887 (MDCCCLXXXVII) is a common year starting on Saturday (click on link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a common year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar. ... A group of native Indian Muslim soldiers posing for volley firing orders. ... Year 1888 (MDCCCLXXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Sunday (click on link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a leap year starting on Tuesday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... Chitral Valley and Tirich Mir, 7,708 m (25,289 ft) Chitral, or Chatrāl (Urdu: چترال),in native language kalasha its pronounced chetrar(chetr meaning field) is the name of a town , valley, river, district, and former princely state in the former Malakand Division of the Northwest Frontier Province of... Year 1895 (MDCCCXCV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Sunday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ... Mahsud is a famous Pashtun tribe, dwell in the very centre of Waziristan being hemmed by in on three sides by the Darwesh Khel Wazirs, and bieng shut off by the Bhittanis on the east from the Derajat and Bannu districts. ... Year 1901 (MCMI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Monday [1] of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... 1902 (MCMII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... Place in Pakistan, the highest point on the celebrated Khyber Pass ... 1908 (MCMVIII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar). ... “The Great War ” redirects here. ... Year 1914 (MCMXIV) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Wednesday of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... 1918 (MCMXVIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar (see link for calendar) or a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar. ... The Seistan Force, originally called East Persia Cordon, was a force of British Indian Army troops set up to prevent enemy infiltration from Persia into Afghanistan during World War I. The British were determined that Afghanistan should remain neutral, despite requests by the Caliph to join the war on the... Military Badge of the Order of the Bath The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. ... Year 1919 (MCMXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar). ... The Rise of Dost Mohammad It was not until 1826 that the energetic Dost Mohammad was able to exert sufficient control over his brothers to take over the throne in Kabul, where he proclaimed himself amir. ... Thal desert is situated in Punjab Pakistan. ... Jamrud, located at an altitude of 1512 ft (461 meters) above sea level, is a town located in the North-West Frontier Province of Pakistan. ...

Background

The white population in Punjab in 1919 feared of plot to overthrow British rule. There was talk of mutiny and of death threats to Europeans. Sir Michael O'Dwyer, the Lieutenant-Governor of Punjab, decided to deport leading agitators from the province. One person who was targeted was Dr. Satyapal, who was in the Army Medical Services during World War I. He advocated non-violent civil disobedience and was prevented from speaking in public. Another person was Dr. Kitchlew, a Muslim barrister who wanted political change and was non-violent. The Deputy Commissioner, Miles Irving, did not know the background of these two people and suspected some deeper conspiracy resulting in the arrest of the two men. This event led to a burst of events in Punjab. Crowds gathered in all public places demanding a release of the two men. The troops panicked and opened fire on a bridge across a railway line, causing several deaths. This resulted in a mob which returned to the city centre. Reinforcements were brought in for the army. Sir Michael Francis ODwyer (April 1864 – 13 March 1940) was Lieutenant Governor of the Punjab from 1912 until 1919. ... “The Great War ” redirects here. ...

The mobs sought out Europeans in the city. On April 9, 1919, Miss Marcella Sherwood, who supervised the Mission Day School for Girls was bicycling round the city to close her schools when she was assaulted by the mob in a narrow street, the Kucha Kurrichhan, was beaten and left wounded. She was rescued by local Indians who hid her from the mob and moved her to the fort. This incident on a lady incensed Dyer, who was the commandant of the infantry brigade in Jullundur, who instructed the troops of the garrison against reprisals against Indians. is the 99th day of the year (100th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1919 (MCMXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar). ...

Amritsar Massacre

Further information: Jallianwala Bagh massacre

General Dyer is infamous for the orders which he gave on April 13, 1919 in Amritsar. It was under his command that 90 troops, comprising of 25 Gurkhas of 1st/9th Gurkha Rifles, 25 Pathans and Baluch of 54th Sikhs and 59th Sindh Rifles, all armed with .303 Lee-Enfield rifles and the Gurkhas additionally armed with khukris opened fire on a gathering of unarmed civilians, including women and children gathered at the Jallianwalla Bagh in what came to be later known as the Jallianwala Bagh massacre. The Amritsar Massacre The Jallianwala Bagh Massacre, also known as the Amritsar Massacre, was named after the Jallianwala Bagh (Garden) in the northern Indian city of Amritsar, where, on April 13, 1919, British Indian Army soldiers under the command of Brigadier Reginald Dyer opened fire on an unarmed gathering of... is the 103rd day of the year (104th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1919 (MCMXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar). ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Gurkha Soldiers (1896) Wives and children of Gurkha Soldiers (1896) Gurkha (or Gorkha) are a people from Nepal who take their name from the former city-state of Gorkha, which went on to found the Kingdom of Nepal later on. ... Gurkha Soldiers (1896) Gurkha (or Gorkha) are people from Nepal who take their name from the eighth century Hindu warrior-saint Guru Gorkhnath. ... The Pashtuns (also Pushtun, Pakhtun (Persian: پختون) (Urdu: پشتون ), or Pathan) or ethnic Afghans[4] are an ethno-linguistic group living primarily in eastern and southern Afghanistan and in North West Frontier Province, Federally Administered Tribal Areas and Baluchistan provinces of Pakistan. ... The Baluch (alternative spelling Baloch) are an ethnic group of Iranian origin. ... .303 cartridge The . ... Lee-Enfield No4 Mk1 with bayonet, scabbard attached The Lee-Enfield was the British armys standard bolt action, magazine-fed, repeating rifle from 1895 until 1956. ... The Amritsar Massacre The Jallianwala Bagh Massacre, also known as the Amritsar Massacre, was named after the Jallianwala Bagh (Garden) in the northern Indian city of Amritsar, where, on April 13, 1919, British Indian Army soldiers under the command of Brigadier Reginald Dyer opened fire on an unarmed gathering of...

The civilians had assembled at Jallianwala Bagh to participate in the annual Baisakhi celebrations which are both a religious as well as a cultural festival of the Punjabis. The Bagh-space comprised 6–7 acres and was walled on all sides except for five entrances, four of them being very narrow and admitting only a few people at a time. The fifth entrance was blocked by the armed soldiers and by two armoured cars armed with machine guns, although these vehicles were unable to pass through the entrance. Upon entering the park, the General immediately ordered troops to fire directly upon the assembled gathering; firing continued till his troops' ammunition of 1650 rounds was fully exhausted. ^[1] The firing continued unabated for about 10 minutes. ^[2] From time to time, Dyer "checked his fire and directed it upon places where the crowd was thickest" ^[3]; he did this not because the crowd was slow to disperse, but because he (the General) "had made up his mind to punish them for having assembled there."^[4] Some of the soldiers initially fired in the air, at which General Dyer shouted: "Fire low. What you have been brought here for?."^[5] Later, Dyer's own testimony revealed that the crowd was not given any warning to disperse and he felt no remorse for having ordered his troops to fire.^[6] Traditional fervour and gaiety mark the celebrations of Baisakhi, which stands for the dawn of a new year in north India. ...

Murder statistics

The official reports quote 379 dead and over 1,000 injured. However, public enquiry estimates,^[8] figures from Government Civil Servants in the city^[9] as well as counts from the Home Political ^[10] cite numbers well over a thousand dead. According to a Home Political Deposit report, the number was over 1000, with more than 1200 wounded.^[11] Dr. Smith, a British civil surgeon at Amritsar, indicated over 1800 casualties.^[12] These massive casualties earned general Dyer the infamous epitaph of "The Butcher of Amritsar" in India. It has been repeatedly pointed out that the actual figures were deliberately suppressed by the government for political reasons.^{[citation needed]}

Threatening language

On the day following the massacre, Mr. Kitchin, the Commissioner of Lahore as well as General Dyer, both used threatening language. The following is the English translation of Dyer's Urdu Statement directed at the local residents of Amritsar on the afternoon of April 14, 1919, a day after the Amritsar massacre:   (Urdu: لاہور, Punjabi: لہور, pronounced ) is the capital of the province of Punjab, and is the second most densely populated city in Pakistan. ...

"You people know well that I am a Sepoy and soldier. Do you want war or peace?. If you wish for a war, the Government is prepared for it, and if you want peace, then obey my orders and open all your shops; else I will shoot. For me the battle-field of France or Amritsar is the same. I am a military man and I will go straight. Neither shall I move to the right nor to the left. Speak up, if you want war? In case there is to be peace, my order is to open all shops at once. You people talk against the Government and persons educated in Germany and Bengal talk sedition. I shall report all these. Obey my orders. I do not wish to have anything else. I have served in the military for over 30 years. I understand the Indian Sepoy and Sikh people very well. You will have to obey my orders and observe peace. Otherwise the shops will be opened by force and Rifles. You will have to report to me of the Badmash. I will shoot them. Obey my orders and open shops. Speak up if you want war? You have committed a bad act in killing the English. The revenge will be taken upon you and upon your children."^[13]

Crawling Order

General Dyer designated the spot where Miss Marcella Sherwood was assaulted, sacred, and daytime pickets were placed at either end of the street. Anyone wishing to proceed in the street between 6am and 8pm was made to crawl the 150 yards on all fours, lying flat on their bellies. The order was not required at night due to a curfew. The humiliation of the order struck the Indians deeply. Most importantly, the order effectively closed the street. The houses had no back doors and the inhabitants could not go out without climbing down from their roofs. This order was in effect from April 19 until April 25, 1919. No doctor or supplier was allowed in, resulting in the sick being untended. April 19 is the 109th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (110th in leap years). ... is the 115th day of the year (116th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1919 (MCMXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar). ...

Reaction in India and England

The reaction to the massacre was dependent on the person. A large section of the white population in India condoned it while Indians were overwhelmingly against it. Lord William Hunter Committee of Inquiry was set up to probe the violence. The report condemned Dyer, arguing that in "continuing firing as long as he did, it appears to us that General Dyer committed a grave error." The dissenting members, understandably, argued that the martial law regime's use of force was wholly unjustified. "General Dyer thought he had crushed the rebellion and Sir Michael O'Dwyer was of the same view," they wrote, "(but) there was no rebellion which required to be crushed." The committee reported William Hunter, Lord Hunter (9 October 1865 – 10 April 1957) was a Scottish politician and judge. ...

• lack of notice to disperse from the Bagh in the beginning was an error
• length of firing showed a grave error
• Dyer's motive of producing a sufficient moral effect was to be condemned
• lack of attention to the wounded was not acceptable

He was met by Lieutenant-General Sir Havelock Hudson, who told him that he was deprived of his command. He was later told by the Commander-in-Chief in India, General Sir Charles Carmichael Monro, to resign his post and that he would not be reemployed. Sir Charles Carmichael Monro, 1st Baronet Sir Charles Carmichael Monro, 1st Baronet, GCB, GCMG, GCSI (15 June 1860 – 7 December 1929) was Governor of Gibraltar from 1920 to 1929. ...

While a number of people in the press in Britain and India supported General Dyer, there was a significant set of people who refused to accept his version of the events

• During the Dyer debates in the Parliament of the United Kindgom, the House of Commons censured his role and action in the Jallianwala Bagh.^{[citation needed]}
• British Labour Party Conference at Scarborough unanimously passed a resolution on 24 June 1920 denouncing the Amritsar massacre as "cruel and barbarous action" of British officers in Punjab and called for their trial, recall of Michael O’Dwyer and Mr. Chemsford and repeal repressive legislation.^[14]
• Mr C. F. Andrews termed the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre as "cold-blooded massacre and inhumane." ^[15]
• Brigadier General Surtees said in the Dyer debate that "we hold India by force -undoubtedly by force." ^[16]
• Mr Montagu, the Secretary of State in India, called it "a grave error in judgement."^[17]
• Winston Churchill, Secretary of State for War at the time of the debate in the British Parliament the House of Commons, called it "an episode without precedent or parallel in the modern history of British Empire…an extraordinary event, a monstrous event, an event which stands in singular and sinister isolation."
• Herbert Asquith observed: "There has never been such an incident in the whole annals of Anglo-Indian History nor I believe in the history of our empire since its very inception down to present day….it is one of the worst outrages in the whole of our history."^[18]
• B. G. Horniman observed: "No event within living memory, probably, has made so deep and painful impression on the mind of the public in this country (England) as what came to be known as the Amritsar massacre."^[19]
• Pandit Motilal Nehru, father of Jawahar Lal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of India, called the massacre the "saddest and most revealing of all."^[20]
• Rabindranath Tagore, the first Nobel Laureate and distinguished Indian educator said, "a great crime has been done in the name of law in the Punjab." ^[21]
• Sir Shankaran Nair resigned his membership of the Viceroy's Executive Council in the Legislative Council of Punjab. Nawab Din Murad and Kartar Singh called it "neither just nor humane."^[22]
• The era of Michael O’Dwyer and Dyer has been deemed "an era of misdeeds of British administration in India." ^[23]

The House of Lords and the Morning Post of England and some section of Britons at home, however, supported this massacre. Reconciliation had been ruined by the Government's insensitivity and the British reaction to the Hunter report had disillusioned the educated men of India. It is important to note that Dyer's actions were the major factor in a series of events which ensured that it was impossible for the British to leave India with honour and with the affection or respect of Indians. Type Lower House Speaker of the House of Commons Leader of the House of Commons Michael Martin, (Non-affiliated) since October 23, 2000 Harriet Harman, QC, (Labour) since June 28, 2007 Shadow Leader of the House of Commons Theresa May, PC, (Conservative) since December 6, 2005 Members 646 Political groups... The Labour Party is a political party in the United Kingdom. ... Charles Freer Andrews (1871 - 1940) was an English priest who admired the philosophy of Mohandas Gandhi and worked with him in the Indian civil rights struggle in South Africa and in the Indian Independence Movement. ... Edwin Samuel Montagu (1879-1924) was a British Liberal polician. ... Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, KG, OM, CH, TD, FRS, PC (Can) (30 November 1874 – 24 January 1965) was a British politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1940 to 1945 and again from 1951 to 1955. ... The name Herbert Asquith normally refers to: Herbert Henry Asquith, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (1908–1916), but may also refer to his son: Herbert Asquith, a poet. ... Anglo-Indians are persons who have descended from a mix of British and Indian parentage. ... Motilal Nehru (May 6, 1861 - February 6, 1931) was an early leader of the Indian National Congress and Indian Nationalism. ... Jawaharlal Nehru (जवाहरलाल नेहरू) (November 14, 1889 - May 27, 1964), also called Pandit (Teacher) Nehru, was the leader of the (moderately) socialist wing of the Indian National Congress during and after Indias struggle for independence from the British... The Prime Minister of India is, in practice, the most powerful person in the government of India. ... (Bengali: , IPA: ) (7 May 1861 – 7 August 1941), also known by the sobriquet Gurudev, was a Bengali poet, Brahmo Samaj philosopher, visual artist, playwright, novelist, and composer whose works reshaped Bengali literature and music in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. ... The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom and is also commonly referred to as the Lords. The Sovereign, the House of Commons (which is the lower house of Parliament and referred to as the Commons), and the Lords together comprise the Parliament. ...

Return to England

On his return to England, General Dyer was presented with a purse of 18,000 pounds sterling, a huge sum in those days, which emerged from a collection on his behalf by the Morning Post, a conservative, pro-Imperialistic newspaper, which later merged with the Daily Telegraph. A Thirteen Women Committee was constituted to present "the Saviour of the Punjab with sword of honour and a purse." This single incident incensed the Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore so much that he renounced his knighthood in protest. The Morning Post had supported Dyer’s action on grounds stating that the massacre was necessary to "Protect the honour of European Women."^[24] The Morning Post curiously blamed Mr Montagu, Secretary of State (India), and not General Dyer for the massacre and asked for his court trial. Mr Montagu, on the other hand, in a long letter to the Viceroy, passed the blame on to Michael O'Dwyer and admitted "I feel that O’Dwyer represents a regime that is doomed."^{[citation needed]} The Morning Post was a conservative daily newspaper published in London from 1772 to 1937, when it was acquired by The Daily Telegraph. ... This article deals with The Daily Telegraph in Britain, see The Daily Telegraph (Australia) for the Australian publication The Daily Telegraph is a British broadsheet newspaper founded in 1855. ... The Nobel Prizes (pronounced no-BELL or no-bell) are awarded annually to people who have done outstanding research, invented groundbreaking techniques or equipment, or made outstanding contributions to society. ... (Bengali: , IPA: ) (7 May 1861 – 7 August 1941), also known by the sobriquet Gurudev, was a Bengali poet, Brahmo Samaj philosopher, visual artist, playwright, novelist, and composer whose works reshaped Bengali literature and music in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. ... Edwin Samuel Montagu (1879-1924) was a British Liberal polician. ... Edwin Samuel Montagu (1879-1924) was a British Liberal polician. ... Sir Michael Francis ODwyer (April 1864 – 13 March 1940) was Lieutenant Governor of the Punjab from 1912 until 1919. ...

General Dyer was oblivious of the events that he was responsible for. He wrote an article in the Globe of 21 January 1921, titled, "The Peril to the Empire". It commenced with, "India does not want self-government. She does not understand it." He went on to write is the 21st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1921 (MCMXXI) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar). ...

• It is only an enlightened people that a free speech and free press can be extended. The Indian people want no such enlightenment
• There should be an eleventh commandment in India, "Thou shalt not agitate"
• The time will come to India when a strong hand will be exerted against the malicious perverters of good order
• Gandhi will not lead India to capable self-government. The British Raj must continue, firm and unshaken in its administration of justice to all men.

Death

Reports that Michael O’Dwyer was responsible for General Dyer’s downfall came to be highlighted after Dyer's return to England. ^[25] General Dyer could not enjoy a comfortable sleep even for a day after the massacre.^[26] After the Amritsar massacre, Dyer's health failed and in 1921 he was stricken with paralysis. He never recovered. He died at Long Ashton, near Bristol, on July 23, 1927 of Atherosclerosis and cerebral haemorrhage. In the final moments of his life, he is reported to have murmured: "but I don’t want to get better. Some say I did right, while others say I did wrong. I only want to die... and know of my maker whether I did right or wrong."^[27] Long Ashton is a village in North Somerset, a few miles south-west of the city of Bristol. ... This article is about the English city. ... A cerebral hemorrhage is a condition in the brain in which a blood vessel leaks. ...

The Morning Post remembered him in articles titled, "The Man Who Saved India" and "He did his Duty". The Westminster Gazette wrote a contrary opinion, "No British action, during the whole course of our history in India, has struck a severer blow to Indian faith in British justice than the massacre at Amritsar, and the attitude of official Anglo-India to it." The Morning Post was a conservative daily newspaper published in London from 1772 to 1937, when it was acquired by The Daily Telegraph. ... The Westminster Gazette was a liberal newspaper based in London which started publishing on January 31, 1893. ...

Role of Michael O'Dwyer

Michael O'Dwyer, the then Lieutenant Governor of Punjab, supported General Dyer for his actions and had termed the massacre as a "correct" action." ^[28] Sir Michael Francis ODwyer (April 1864 – 13 March 1940) was Lieutenant Governor of the Punjab from 1912 until 1919. ... A Lieutenant Governor is a government official who is the subordinate or deputy of a Governor or Governor-General. ... Punjab was a province of British India. ...

In his book, India as I Knew It, Michael O'Dwyer remarked in 1925: "The Punjabis were quick to take to heart the lessons that the revolution is a dangerous thing."^[29] But the later developments demonstrated how far Michael O'Dwyer was wrong in his assessment. A few years later, O'Dwyer was shot dead in Caxton Hall in the heart of London on March 13, 1940, by a Punjabi revolutionary and freedom fighter, Sardar Udham Singh, as an act of revenge for the Amritsar massacre in particular and his rule of political repression in Punjab in general.^[30] This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... Freedom fighter is a relativistic local term for those engaged in rebellion against an established organization that is thought to be oppressive. ... Udham Singh (Punjabi: Hindi:उधम सिंह् ; December 26, 1899 – July 31, 1940), born Sher Singh was a Sikh Punjabi Marxist and nationalist best known for assassinating Michael ODwyer in March 1940 in what has been described as an avengement of the Jallianwalla Bagh Massacre [1]. Singh was also known as Ram...

References

Further reading

• Alfred Draper, The Massacre that Ended the Raj, London, 1981
• Ian Duncan Colvin, The life of General Dyer, Edinburgh, London : W. Blackwood & Sons Ltd, 1929
• Nigel Collett, The Butcher of Amritsar: General Reginald Dyer, London: Hambledon & London, 2005 ISBN 1-85285-457-X

See also

• Seistan Force, for the full text of Dyer's mention in dispatches
• Sir Michael Francis O'Dwyer
• Amritsar massacre
• British Indian Army

The Seistan Force, originally called East Persia Cordon, was a force of British Indian Army troops set up to prevent enemy infiltration from Persia into Afghanistan during World War I. The British were determined that Afghanistan should remain neutral, despite requests by the Caliph to join the war on the... Mentioned in Dispatches (MID) is a military award for gallantry or otherwise commendable service. ... Sir Michael Francis ODwyer (April 1864 – 13 March 1940) was Lieutenant Governor of the Punjab from 1912 until 1919. ... The Amritsar massacre The Jallianwala Bagh massacre, also known as the Amritsar massacre, was named after the Jallianwala Bagh (Garden) in Amritsar, where, on April 13, 1919, British Indian Army soldiers opened fire on an unarmed gathering of men, women and children. ... A group of native Indian Muslim soldiers posing for volley firing orders. ...

External links

• London Gazette, Issue 30360, 31 October 1917 containing Dyer's mention in dispatches
• Winston Churchill's Amritsar Speech, July 8th 1920, U.K. House of Commons