A massacre is the deliberate slaughter of members of one group by one or more members of another more powerful group. A massacre may be indiscriminate or highly methodical in application. A massacre is a single event, though it may occur during the course of an extended military campaign or war. A massacre is separate from a battle (an event in which opposing sides fight), but may follow in its immediate aftermath, when one side has surrendered or lost the ability to fight, yet the victors persist in killing their opponents.
Pre-colonial India Name/PlaceDateLocationPerpetrator DeathsNotesRef(s)Siege of Chittorgarh (1303)1303Chittor, Guhila kingdom Sultanate of Delhi30,000 HinduAlauddin Khalji ordered the massacre of 30,000 people of Chittor after besieging and capturing it, according to Amir Khusrau.Siege of Chittorgarh (1568)February 1568Chittor Fort Mughal Empire30,000 Akbar ordered the general massacre of 30,000 non combatants in Chittor and took many as prisoners. Capture of Delhi (1398)1398Loni, Ghaziabad, Delhi Sultanate Timurid Empire100,000 Indian captivesBefore the Battle of Delhi, Timur the Lame saw his plunder and captured slaves reaching massive numbers. Fearing complications, he ordered his soldiers to kill all 100,000 captives to prevent a rebellion before the attack. Historical accounts are unclear, but an estimated million casualties on the Indian side, including slaves, civilians, and soldiers, is assumed.Battle of Ahmednagar1559-60Ahmadnagar SultanateVijayanagara Empire Ahmadnagar SultanateUnknownAccording to Firishta, the Vijayanagar army of Ram Raya allied with Bijapur laid waste to the Ahmednagar's country so thoroughly that from Parenda to Junnar and from Ahmednagar to Daulatabad, not a vestige of population was left. They also massacred and looted Muslims in Ahmednagar. During the siege of Ahmednagar Fort, Ali Adil Shah of Bijapur and Ibrahim Quli Qutb Shah of Golconda also laid waste to the adjacent territory.Khejarli massacre1730KhejarliKingdom of Marwar363 Bishnois 363 Bishnois killed, tree harvesting halted and outlawed in the KhejarliChhota Ghallughara1746LahoreMughal Empire3,000 Sikh prisoners7,000 Sikhs were killed in battle with armies of Diwan of Lahore. 3,000 were captured and executed in Lahore.Vadda Ghalughara1763Punjab Durrani EmpireEst. 25,000–30,000 Sikhs Perpetrated by Afghan Muslim forces of Ahmad Shah Durrani.
Colonial India Name/PlaceDateLocationDeathsNotesReference(s)Red Fort, peepal tree massacre16 May 1857Delhi, Mughal Empire~ 40–52 EuropeansBahadur Shah Zafar's palace servants and Indian soldiers executed the European civilians captured in the previous day's riots.Mutiny in Allahabad6 June 1857 Allahabad, Company rule in India ~ 50 Europeans The 6th Regiment of Bengal Native Infantry Mutinied, killing their European officers, and looted the city.Siege of Cawnpore5–25 June 1857Kanpur, Company rule in India~ 1,000Europeans soldiers, merchants, engineers, their wives and children, along with the East India Company sepoys, who were either Christian or refused to join mutiny or join Nana Sahib forces Massacres by General Neill 17 June–July 1857Allahabad, Kanpur and surrounding areas, Company rule in IndiaThousands of Indian mutineers, suspected rebels and civiliansThe massacres at Allahabad took place before the Bibighar massacre; the ones at Kanpur after itSatichaura Ghat massacre27 June 1857Kanpur, Company rule in India~ 200 British officersMassacre by Nana Sahib's forcesBibighar massacre15 July 1857Kanpur, Company rule in India~ 200 British women and childrenThe victims were prisoners under Nana Sahib's forces. The massacre was carried out by a group of butchers, but who ordered it remains unclear.Kuka (Namdhari) massacre at Malerkotla17–18 January 1872Malerkotla, Punjab, British Raj~ 65 Kuka (Namdhari) KilledMr. Cowan (the Deputy Commissioner of Ludhiana) and Mr. Forsyth (the Commissioner of Ambala) ordered the Namdharis to be executed with cannons, without any trial, on 17 and 18 January 1872 respectively.Rebels Against the British Rule (1995). Bhai Nahar Singh & Bhai Kirpal Singh. Atlantic Publishers & Distributors; Page XXIMangarh massacre17 November 1913Mangadh (now Gujarat-Rajasthan), British RajClaimed 1,500 tribalsMachine guns and canons were fired under the command of British officers Major S. Bailey and Captain E. Stoiley. R.E. Hamilton, a local political agent had played key role. About 900 more were captured.Jallianwala Bagh massacre13 April 1919Amritsar, Punjab, British Raj379–1,500 dead, ~1,100 Indians.Reginald Edward Harry Dyer ordered a unit of the British Indian Army to open fire on a large meeting, taking place contrary to orders posted by Dyer and subsequent to a series of lynchings, rapes, arsons, and intimidation of local business people by anti-colonial protestors. Nankana massacre20 February 1921Nankana Sahib, Punjab, British Raj140–,260 Sikhs dead. 9 year old Darbara Singh was thrown alive on wood fire.Mahant Narayan Das hired goons with swords, lathi and other weapons to massacre large peaceful protestors, who were protesting and wanted Gurdwara Reform Movement as Mahant did many practices like Hookah Smoking and making the place unholy with dancers. Eventually after much sacrifices Sikhs were successful in getting Gurdwara keys.Malabar rebellionOctober 1921Malabar, Kerala, British Raj2,337–10,000 Hindus and Muslims (100,000 Hindus permanently migrated). Khilafat Movement considered as main cause.Saka Panja Sahib massacreOctober 30, 1922Panja Sahib, (now in Pakistan), British RajClaimed 2 lives of Sikhs named Bhai Karam Singh, Bhai Partap Singh and injured many who wanted to stop train of British and wanted to feed hungry Sikh prisoners while Mahants also aided Britishers and were regarded as British favorites.Pal-Chitariya massacre7 March 1922Pal-Chitariya, Vijaynagar (now Gujarat), British RajClaimed 1200 tribalsThe Mewar Bhil Corps led by a British officer, Major H.G. Sutton, fired on a gathering of tribals.Kohat riots9–11 September 1924Kohat, North-West Frontier Province, British Raj155 Hindus and Sikhs were killed (3,200 Hindus permanently migrated). Calcutta riots 15 July 1926Calcutta, Bengal, British Raj 100+ dead, 200+ injured A Muslim mob attacked a Hindu possession, later broken up by a mounted police charge on the Muslim rioters. United Provinces riots 1923 to 1927United Provinces, British Raj thousands dead and injured 88 separate communal riots, including the: 4 September 1927 Nagpur riots, 3–7 May 1927 Lahore, November 1927 Lahore. Nagpur riots4 September 1927Nagpur, Bombay Presidency, British Raj22 killed, 100+ injured Qissa Khwani massacre23 April 1930Peshawar, British Raj1 British Indian Army dispatch rider, and ~ 20– 230 protestersAfter a British Indian Army despatch rider was killed and burned in the Bazaar two armoured cars were ordered to drive in and open fire on the protesters.Amko Simko massacre25 April 1939Simko Village, Sundergarh, Odisha British Raj~ 49 to 300 tribal peasants dead, ~ 50 injured Crowd of tribals resisting the arrest of freedom fighter Nirmal Munda fired upon by troops of the British Indian army.Calcutta Riots15 August – 17 September 1946West Bengal, British Raj7,000 to 10,000 Hindus and Muslims.Hindus and Muslims clashed during a protest by All-India Muslim League termed as Direct Action Day.Noakhali riotsSeptember–October 1946East Bengal, British Raj200-285 HindusMuslim community attacked Hindu community as part of communal violence in India. Around 150,000 to 750,000 survivors were sheltered in temporary relief campsPunnapra-Vayalar uprisingMarch – October 1946Valayar, Travancore, Kerala British Raj400Travancore police attacked communistsBihar Massacre30 October – 7 November 1946Bihar, British Raj5000 MuslimsBy Hindus in reaction to Noakhali riotsIan Stephens, Pakistan (New York: Frederick A. Praeger, 1963), p. 111.Garhmukteshwar Anti-Muslim ViolenceNovember 1946United Provinces, British Rajat least 214 MuslimsPartition of the country into India and Pakistan was looming.Rawalpindi MassacresMarch 1947Rawalpindi Division, British Raj7,000–8,000 Sikhs and HindusFirst instance of partition-related violence in Punjab to show clear signs of ethnic cleansing; around 80,000 Sikhs and Hindus were forcibly displaced from the Rawalpindi Division as a result of the violence.
Independent India Name/PlaceDateLocationDeathsNotesReference(s)Partition of India1947Punjab, Delhi and Sindh, , Dominion of India and Dominion of Pakistan~ 200,000–2,000,000 peopleMassacre of Sikhs and Hindus by Muslims in West Punjab and of Muslims by Sikhs and Hindus in East Punjab. The communal violence resulted in the murder of 20,000–25,000 Muslims and 45,000–60,000 Hindus. UNHCR estimates 14 million were displaced by the violence.Jammu massacresSeptember to November 1947Jammu division, Jammu and Kashmir (princely state)20,000–100,000 Muslims