About the Book

The Amritsar Massacre at Jallianwala Bagh on 13 April 1919 stands as one of the defining moments in the history of the British Empire and the Indian struggle for independence. On that tragic day, thousands of unarmed Indian civilians were fired upon. According to reliable estimates, anywhere between 500 and a thousand people were killed - the youngest eight, the oldest eighty.

While several books have been written on the subject, none make more than a cursory use of the rich body of visual material connected to this iconic episode. Provide a striking chronological narrative of not only the massacre but also its prelude and aftermath, Eyewitness at Amritsar brings together for the first time the most comprehensive and compelling imagery - including photographs, political cartoons, newspaper coverage and propaganda posters as well as secretly recorded images that were smuggled out of India in 1919 - and chilling British and Indian eyewitness accounts to offer a radically different perspective of this defining historical event.

About the Authors

AMANDEEP SINGH MADRA and PARMJIT SINGH are independent historians, authors and curators who co-founded the UK Punjab Heritage Association, a charity dedicated to promoting Punjab's rich cultural heritage.

They have co-authored several highly acclaimed books on Sikh history and are leading global players in showcasing the culture, history, art and heritage of the Sikhs and Punjab. They have lectured extensively on the subject as well as having contributed to several television documentaries, radio programmes, exhibitions and publications. Most recently they curated three major exhibitions at the Brunei Gallery, SOAS, London, covering the Golden Temple of Amritsar (2011), Sikhs in World War One (2014) and the Sikh Empire (2018).

They continue to work as special consultants for various organisations including the BBC, The Discovery Channel, Victoria & Albert Museum, British Museum, British Library and Wallace Collection.

KIM A. WAGNER teaches the history of colonial India and the British Empire at Queen Mary, University of London. He has written extensively on the subject of ‘Thuggee’, the Uprising of 1857, and colonial violence. His most recent publications include The Skull of Alum Bheg: The Life and Death of a Rebel of 1857 (2017), and Amritsar 1919: An Empire of Fear and the Making of a Massacre (2019).

For author events, talks and interviews see our What's On page.

Design: Paul Smith
Publication Date: 13 April 2019
ISBN: 9781911271215