Jallianwala Bagh

Jallianwala Bagh Massacre Site - darkometer rating : 6 - A memorial complex and park in the heart of Amritsar , Punjab, north-western India , which in 1919 was the site of one of the worst atrocities ever committed by the British colonial forces during the 20th century. It was a mass shooting supposedly meant to merely “disperse a crowd”, but in fact it was a proper bloodbath, a massacre – and it had significant repercussions, both back in Britain and in terms of the course India's struggle for independence took in the decades afterwards ... > More background info > What there is to see > Location > Access and costs > Time required > Combinations with other dark destinations > Combinations with non-dark destinations > Photos More background info: The Jallianwala Bagh Massacre (aka “Amritsar Massacre”) happened at a time of widespread unrest in parts of India , including especially Bengal and Punjab. It was just after World War One , in which many thousands of Indians had fought on the British side and India had supplied plenty of material resources for the war effort too (including ammunition and food). Yet during the war the so-called Defence of India Act of 1915 had given the administration in India wide-ranging powers to suppress the nationalist movements and severely curtail civil liberties and human rights. In Punjab, this was implemented and overseen by the Lieutenant Governor Michael O'Dwyer, a strong proponent of the repressive approach in his province. In the difficult times immediately after WW1, unrest and resistance grew, especially in Punjab in early 1919 after the passing of the Rowlatt Act (officially “Anarchical and Revolutionary Crimes Act”), which had extended the repressive measures further. The unpopular legislation fuelled yet more anti-colonial sentiments and political and physical resistance.