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The Rowlatt Act (Black Act) was passed on March 10, 1919, authorizing the government to imprison or confine, without a trial, any person associated with seditious activities. This led to nationwide unrest.

In response to excluding Mahatma Gandhi from visiting Punjab, the secret deportation of Saifuddin Kitchlew and Satyapal on 10 April and the reactions to the Rowlatt Act, Punjab had witnessed attempts of Indians to gather and protest. On the auspicious occasion of Baisakhi, on April 13th, thousands of people got together at Jallianwala Bagh. When General Dyer heard of this, he entered the Bagh with his troops and ordered them to shoot indiscriminately. Hundreds of innocent lives were lost in the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre.

As the news of the massacre spread across the nation, Rabindranath Tagore renounced his Knighthood.

To this day, the bullet marks remain on the walls and adjoining buildings. The well into which many people jumped and drowned attempting to save themselves from the bullets is also inside the Bagh.