Nearly eighty years on and fifty years after India became independent, the Jallianwalal Bagh massacre is still surrounded by controversy. It is an even which many claim as a major turning point in the history of British rule of India. The massacre was a horrific illustration of the Raj at its worst, leading many Indian politicians to the conclusion that independence was the only way forward. The Jallianwala Bagh Massacre, 1919 is an objective study of the events surrounding the massacre and its aftermath. It looks at how the massacre has been depicted by both Indian and British historian, and by writers of other nationalities. It reveal how the event has been used in arguments for and against the British colonisation of India, and colonialism in general. This study provides a unique objective insight into the massacre and the way it has been portrayed in history. The objective approach shown by the writer may be a reflection of her British Asian background. Savita Narain has lived in Britain all her life, but her family in India had a strong involvement with the independence movement. Her great-uncle, Sir Shiv Prasad, was made President of Ballia region, Uttar Pradesh, when it declared swaraj sarkar (people’s government) from the British on 20 August when the British regained control.

On 13 April 1919, a fateful event took place which was to define the last decades of the British Raj in India. At 5:10pm on that day, Brigadier-General 'Rex' Dyer led a small party of soldiers through the centre of Amritsar into a walled garden known as the Jallianwala Bagh. He had been informed that an illegal political meeting was taking place and had come to disperse it. On entering the garden, Dyer's men immediately lined up in formation. Dyer then gave the order to open fire on the huge crowd that had gathered there. 379 people were killed and at least 1,000 more were wounded in what has became known as the Amritsar Massacre. Nick Lloyd here provides a highly readable, but detailed account of the most infamous British atrocity in the entire history of the Raj. He considers the massacre in its historical context, but also describes its impact in uniting the people of the sub-continent against their colonial rulers. The book dispels common myths and misconceptions surrounding the massacre and offers a new explanation of the decisions taken in 1919. Ultimately, it seeks to examine whether the massacre was an unfortunate and tragic mistake or a case of cold-blooded murder, and one which would fatally weaken the British position in India.

Through re-examination of colonial and post-colonial encounters, this collection of essays makes a strategic intervention into the current debate over the study of "Western Civilization." Together they question whether, at least since Columbus, "the West" has existed independent of its relations with those deemed Other.

This cultural and political study examines British perceptions and policies on India's Afghan Frontier between 1918 and 1948 and the impact of these on the local Pashtun population, India as a whole, and the decline of British imperialism in South Asia.