History & Civics
Name the incident related to the above newspaper article and examine the cause and effect of the incident.
Answer
'The Amritsar Massacre' in the given picture is referring to the 'Jallianwala Bagh Tragedy' (1919).
Cause of the Jallianwala Bagh Tragedy — In April 1919, there occurred a number of demonstrations and strikes in the country, along with Gandhiji's Satyagraha in order to protest against the Rowlatt Act. The British government took brutal measures to suppress this anti-British struggle. In fact, the Jallianwala Bagh massacre on the orders of General Dyer in Amritsar on April 13, 1919 was a part of this repression.
A large but peaceful crowd gathered at the Jallianwala Bagh in Amritsar on April 13, 1919, to protest against the arrest of leaders like Dr. Saifuddin Kitchlu and Dr. Satya Pal, when General Dyer closed down the only exit with his troops and ordered them to shoot at the crowd. The troops kept on firing till their ammunition was exhausted.
Effect of the Jallianwala Bagh Tragedy —
- The conscience of the nation was shaken at the massacre of innocent people. On learning about this gruesome massacre, Rabindranath Tagore expressed the pain and anger of the country by renouncing his Knighthood, i.e., giving up the honour granted by the British Crown for exceptional personal achievement or public service.
- After the massacre, the British government made a half-hearted attempt at constitutional reform. But it also made it clear that it had no intention of parting with political power or sharing it with Indians.
- The British government also refused to annul the Rowlatt Act and make amends for the atrocities in Punjab.
- Gandhiji turned from a cooperator to a non-cooperator and decided to start the Non-Cooperation Movement.
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Read the given excerpt and answer the question that follows:
An English politician who served as Viceroy of India. He is commonly regarded as a ruthless viceroy due to his approach to the Great Indian Famine of 1876-1878.
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(b) Mention any three of his policies which impacted colonial India from 1876 to 1880.
The newspaper goes on to state that:
"Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, and his morganatic wife, the Duchess of Hohenberg, were assassinated today while driving through the streets of Sarajevo, the Bosnian capital. A youthful Servian student fired the shots, which added another to the long list of tragedies that have darkened the reign of Emperor Francis Joseph."
Which disaster was aggravated due to the above incident? What were the consequences of the disaster?