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The Case that Shook the Empire
30 April 1924.
At the Court of the King's Bench in London, the highest court in the British Empire, an English judge and jury head the case that would change the course of India's history: Sir Michael O'Dwyer, the former Lieutenant Governor of Punjab - and the man whose policies led to the infamous Jallianwala Bagh massacre - had filed a defamation case against Sir Chettur Sankaran Nair for having published a book in which he referred to the 'atrocities' committed by the Raj in Punjab.
The widely-reported trial - one of the longest in history - stunned a world that finally recognized some of the horror being committed by the British in India.
Through reports of court proceedings along with a nuanced portrait of a complicated nationalist who believed in his principles above all else, The Case that Shook the Empire reveals, for the very first time, the real details of the fateful case that marked the defining moment in India's struggle for Independence.
At the Court of the King's Bench in London, the highest court in the British Empire, an English judge and jury head the case that would change the course of India's history: Sir Michael O'Dwyer, the former Lieutenant Governor of Punjab - and the man whose policies led to the infamous Jallianwala Bagh massacre - had filed a defamation case against Sir Chettur Sankaran Nair for having published a book in which he referred to the 'atrocities' committed by the Raj in Punjab.
The widely-reported trial - one of the longest in history - stunned a world that finally recognized some of the horror being committed by the British in India.
Through reports of court proceedings along with a nuanced portrait of a complicated nationalist who believed in his principles above all else, The Case that Shook the Empire reveals, for the very first time, the real details of the fateful case that marked the defining moment in India's struggle for Independence.
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187 pages, Hardcover
Published January 1, 2019
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July 25, 2021
Book: The Case That Shook the Empire: One Man's Fight for the Truth about the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre
Author: Raghu Palat, Pushpa Palat
Publisher: Bloomsbury India; 1st edition (23 August 2019)
Language: English
Format: Kindle
File size: 434 KB
Print length: 162 pages
Price: 244/-
The incident:
Dyer saw the broadest multitude around the podium, under the peepal tree, about 150 yards left, and the nearest groups within 10 to 20 yards of him.
It was just about 5.15 p.m. and the sky was still gloomy. The dust, upset by the crowds in the Bagh hung over the area and added to the darkness. Within 30 seconds of his arrival, Dyer deployed his troops, the Gurkhas to the left and the Baluchis to the right of the entrance to the square.
The ground on which the soldiers stood was at an elevated level than the rest of the area—a gainful location from which to fire on the crowd.
When asked before the Hunter Committee what his first action was upon reaching Jallianwala Bagh, Dyer answered, ‘I opened fire.’ In his statement before the Army Council, he wrote, ‘Hesitation I felt would be dangerous and futile, and as soon as my 50 riflemen had deployed, I ordered fire to be opened.’
The crowd’s response to the preliminary fright of the first volley was to stream away in immense dread; but where could people go?
Close to their left there were houses, further ahead the well, on their right the open space, and behind, the guns of the soldiers. They found themselves entirely trapped.
Each soldier was loading and firing. ‘The men did not hesitate to fire low and I saw no man firing high,’ said Captain Briggs.
Many fell dead on the spot and many more, while falling, were crushed under the weight of others. Waves of men fell over each other and many died of suffocation. Some turned towards the samadh and took cover there but successive volleys pulled them down. A large number of people flung themselves down from the rostrum, others rushed towards the exits and others still tried to climb the mud-and-brick wall, but most of them were mown down by a hail of bullets.
The worst part of the whole thing was that firing was directed towards the gates through which people were running out. There were small outlets, 4 or 5 in all, and bullets actually rained over the people at all these gates and many got trampled under the feet of rushing crowds and thus lost their lives. Blood was pouring in profusion - even those who lay flat on the ground were shot. Some had their heads cut open, others had eyes shot and nose, chest, arms and legs shattered.
I feel the urge to mention here that the Jallianwala Bagh tragedy inspired the Soviet poet Nikolai Tikhonov to compose a poem in 1920 which he called ‘Indian Dream’.
In the poem, he is transported to the crowded square of Jallianwala Bagh where he mixes with Indians freely as if he were one of them. He feels that ‘Amritsar is smouldering and smoking before me’, and recollects 9 January 1905 in Czarist Russia, when men and women, seeking righteousness, were shot down by the Czar’s guard in front of his palace in St Petersburg (now Leningrad).
Tikhonov writes:
When similar blotches congealed not in vain
Then a mere mower to India came,
And mowed people down,
eyes riveted . . .
The Impact:
The Jallianwala Bagh episode marked a defining moment in Anglo-Indian relations. Never in the history of India has the action of an individual officer had such a critical brunt on political developments as Dyer’s at Jallianwala Bagh.
British officials and other residents in India who supported his action believed that he had saved thousands by killing hundreds, but the nationalist response was that while the ‘rebellion’ had collapsed and Dyer had ‘saved’ the Punjab, he had well-nigh lost India.
The British progressively more, began to feel a sense of uncertainty which Lord Meston later expressed graphically in the House of Lords.
The consequences of the Jallianwala Bagh episode were extensive. Faith in British justice was sternly shaken. In a speech delivered outside Delhi Gate in Lahore, Dr Kitchlew asked, ‘In view of the Jallianwala Bagh was the public still prepared to co-operate with men who had shed the blood of their children?’
Rabindranath Tagore protested against the ‘disproportionate severity inflicted upon the unfortunate people’ and renounced his knighthood.
Tagore’s decorous letter disconcerted the government, and the official reply from S.R. Hignell, private secretary to viceroy, was as follows:
‘His Excellency is unable to relieve you of your title of knighthood, and in the circumstances of the case, he does not propose to make any recommendation on the subject to his Majesty the King Emperor.’
Chettur Shankaran Nair:
He was a man known for being a fervent advocate for social modifications and a rigid believer in the autonomy of India.
The advocate general of the Madras Presidency, Nair was the lone Malayali president of the Indian National Congress. Nair was frantic with the British Government’s cavalier approach and as such, resigned the high office he held in dissent, notwithstanding the entreats of leaders like Motilal Nehru, Annie Besant, C.F. Andrews and others, who appealed to him to stay put in the Council and battle the system from inside.
Nair’s finest hour, however, was yet to come.
He went to England and carried his assignment forward, fighting a case against the influential Englishman O’Dywer in an English court and, in the course of his defence, persuading the British public.
This book lights up an era that has been the template of the expansion and augmentation of constitutional governance and rule of law in India.
It deals with one of the greatest Indians of the modern era – Sir Chettur Sankaran Nair.
The book is divided into 14 chapters:
1. An Indian in British India
2. The Land of Plenty
3. Masters of Machination
4. Indians Do Not Matter
5. The Jallianwala Massacre
6. Martial Law
7. Backlash
8. The Trigger
9. The Trial
10. The Verdict
11. Reverberations
12. Grey Skies
13. Thereafter
14. Afterword
The author(s), conscientiously revisiting every existing ‘primary resource’, sheds light upon the courtroom combat Nair fought against the Lieutenant-Governor of Punjab, Michael O’Dwyer.
Nair had indicted O’Dwyer in his book, ‘Gandhi and anarchy’ for being liable for the atrocities at the Jallianwala Bagh massacre. Accordingly, he was fighting against an Englishman, in an English court that was presided over by an English jury.
In all senses, the case was bound to make history.
An Indian taking on an Englishman in an English court, presided over by an English judge and before an exclusively English jury, seemed destined for disappointment from the start. Adding to this was the fact that most of the defendants’ witnesses were, being Indian, incapable to be present in court to state under oath.
But Nair’s entrenched belief in the veracity of the law, no matter where it was practiced, saw him take on his rival unaccompanied. His trust in British justice was so sturdy that when the jury was incapable to settle on an undivided verdict and even when his lawyers advised him not to permit a majority pronouncement, Nair failed to see that a court of law could be biased against him.
Nair lost the case. However, despite the rout, Nair achieved his crucial goal which was to expose the prejudices and cruelties the British had meted out to the people of the Punjab.
The Punjab atrocities could no longer be impounded to the lanes of Amritsar. The trial had brought them to the notice of the entire world.
This, being the epoch when the written word – newspapers – were the focal resource for global information, a trial in England between an Indian and an Englishman, by now an exceptional occurrence, attracted much media attention.
The courts were filled to the brim. The press covered the trial daily. Soon, every gruesome detail of the brutalities that were up till then detained to the provincial borders of the Punjab became common knowledge to anyone who picked up a newspaper in India or elsewhere in the British Empire.
In India, the case had the following immediate consequences:
1) It had the people unbelieving the standing of the English justice system.
2) In the Punjab, reports of the trial caused a staid dent to Sikh loyalty to England. Their steadfastness to avenge their dead strengthened.
3) Reports of the triumph of the English and Anglo Indian community at the victory of O’Dwyer only added salt to the wounds of a people already devastated by mistreatment and carnage.
4) From being a straightforward matter of slander, the case had turned into ‘a trial of a regime’.
5) The people of India were now influenced in believing that Gandhi was rather accurate to conclude that Indians were improbable to receive fair and just treatment from an English government. The verdict ensured India’s resolve to gain independence, which became even more unyielding.
6) The case had put the British government on trial and their efforts to establish an amenable transition of power
Nair’s libel against the omnipotent Empire had opened the eyes of people. The verdict converted those who had been comparatively ‘restrained’ in their beliefs towards the Empire.
This monumental case lasted five-and-a-half weeks, one of the longest in the history of the King’s Bench. The case’s proceedings were avidly followed by the Empire, and brought to the fore British atrocities in Punjab. When the horrors were revealed, they convinced the Indians that they needed self-government, as they would never be treated fairly or justly by the British.
This case strengthened the nationalist cause in India. The English realized that, to keep the peace, reforms had to be made allowing Indians a say in the administration of India.
This in due course led to the three Round Table Conferences of 1930–32 and the India Independence Act of 1935.
A must read for every student of Indian history.
Author: Raghu Palat, Pushpa Palat
Publisher: Bloomsbury India; 1st edition (23 August 2019)
Language: English
Format: Kindle
File size: 434 KB
Print length: 162 pages
Price: 244/-
The incident:
Dyer saw the broadest multitude around the podium, under the peepal tree, about 150 yards left, and the nearest groups within 10 to 20 yards of him.
It was just about 5.15 p.m. and the sky was still gloomy. The dust, upset by the crowds in the Bagh hung over the area and added to the darkness. Within 30 seconds of his arrival, Dyer deployed his troops, the Gurkhas to the left and the Baluchis to the right of the entrance to the square.
The ground on which the soldiers stood was at an elevated level than the rest of the area—a gainful location from which to fire on the crowd.
When asked before the Hunter Committee what his first action was upon reaching Jallianwala Bagh, Dyer answered, ‘I opened fire.’ In his statement before the Army Council, he wrote, ‘Hesitation I felt would be dangerous and futile, and as soon as my 50 riflemen had deployed, I ordered fire to be opened.’
The crowd’s response to the preliminary fright of the first volley was to stream away in immense dread; but where could people go?
Close to their left there were houses, further ahead the well, on their right the open space, and behind, the guns of the soldiers. They found themselves entirely trapped.
Each soldier was loading and firing. ‘The men did not hesitate to fire low and I saw no man firing high,’ said Captain Briggs.
Many fell dead on the spot and many more, while falling, were crushed under the weight of others. Waves of men fell over each other and many died of suffocation. Some turned towards the samadh and took cover there but successive volleys pulled them down. A large number of people flung themselves down from the rostrum, others rushed towards the exits and others still tried to climb the mud-and-brick wall, but most of them were mown down by a hail of bullets.
The worst part of the whole thing was that firing was directed towards the gates through which people were running out. There were small outlets, 4 or 5 in all, and bullets actually rained over the people at all these gates and many got trampled under the feet of rushing crowds and thus lost their lives. Blood was pouring in profusion - even those who lay flat on the ground were shot. Some had their heads cut open, others had eyes shot and nose, chest, arms and legs shattered.
I feel the urge to mention here that the Jallianwala Bagh tragedy inspired the Soviet poet Nikolai Tikhonov to compose a poem in 1920 which he called ‘Indian Dream’.
In the poem, he is transported to the crowded square of Jallianwala Bagh where he mixes with Indians freely as if he were one of them. He feels that ‘Amritsar is smouldering and smoking before me’, and recollects 9 January 1905 in Czarist Russia, when men and women, seeking righteousness, were shot down by the Czar’s guard in front of his palace in St Petersburg (now Leningrad).
Tikhonov writes:
When similar blotches congealed not in vain
Then a mere mower to India came,
And mowed people down,
eyes riveted . . .
The Impact:
The Jallianwala Bagh episode marked a defining moment in Anglo-Indian relations. Never in the history of India has the action of an individual officer had such a critical brunt on political developments as Dyer’s at Jallianwala Bagh.
British officials and other residents in India who supported his action believed that he had saved thousands by killing hundreds, but the nationalist response was that while the ‘rebellion’ had collapsed and Dyer had ‘saved’ the Punjab, he had well-nigh lost India.
The British progressively more, began to feel a sense of uncertainty which Lord Meston later expressed graphically in the House of Lords.
The consequences of the Jallianwala Bagh episode were extensive. Faith in British justice was sternly shaken. In a speech delivered outside Delhi Gate in Lahore, Dr Kitchlew asked, ‘In view of the Jallianwala Bagh was the public still prepared to co-operate with men who had shed the blood of their children?’
Rabindranath Tagore protested against the ‘disproportionate severity inflicted upon the unfortunate people’ and renounced his knighthood.
Tagore’s decorous letter disconcerted the government, and the official reply from S.R. Hignell, private secretary to viceroy, was as follows:
‘His Excellency is unable to relieve you of your title of knighthood, and in the circumstances of the case, he does not propose to make any recommendation on the subject to his Majesty the King Emperor.’
Chettur Shankaran Nair:
He was a man known for being a fervent advocate for social modifications and a rigid believer in the autonomy of India.
The advocate general of the Madras Presidency, Nair was the lone Malayali president of the Indian National Congress. Nair was frantic with the British Government’s cavalier approach and as such, resigned the high office he held in dissent, notwithstanding the entreats of leaders like Motilal Nehru, Annie Besant, C.F. Andrews and others, who appealed to him to stay put in the Council and battle the system from inside.
Nair’s finest hour, however, was yet to come.
He went to England and carried his assignment forward, fighting a case against the influential Englishman O’Dywer in an English court and, in the course of his defence, persuading the British public.
This book lights up an era that has been the template of the expansion and augmentation of constitutional governance and rule of law in India.
It deals with one of the greatest Indians of the modern era – Sir Chettur Sankaran Nair.
The book is divided into 14 chapters:
1. An Indian in British India
2. The Land of Plenty
3. Masters of Machination
4. Indians Do Not Matter
5. The Jallianwala Massacre
6. Martial Law
7. Backlash
8. The Trigger
9. The Trial
10. The Verdict
11. Reverberations
12. Grey Skies
13. Thereafter
14. Afterword
The author(s), conscientiously revisiting every existing ‘primary resource’, sheds light upon the courtroom combat Nair fought against the Lieutenant-Governor of Punjab, Michael O’Dwyer.
Nair had indicted O’Dwyer in his book, ‘Gandhi and anarchy’ for being liable for the atrocities at the Jallianwala Bagh massacre. Accordingly, he was fighting against an Englishman, in an English court that was presided over by an English jury.
In all senses, the case was bound to make history.
An Indian taking on an Englishman in an English court, presided over by an English judge and before an exclusively English jury, seemed destined for disappointment from the start. Adding to this was the fact that most of the defendants’ witnesses were, being Indian, incapable to be present in court to state under oath.
But Nair’s entrenched belief in the veracity of the law, no matter where it was practiced, saw him take on his rival unaccompanied. His trust in British justice was so sturdy that when the jury was incapable to settle on an undivided verdict and even when his lawyers advised him not to permit a majority pronouncement, Nair failed to see that a court of law could be biased against him.
Nair lost the case. However, despite the rout, Nair achieved his crucial goal which was to expose the prejudices and cruelties the British had meted out to the people of the Punjab.
The Punjab atrocities could no longer be impounded to the lanes of Amritsar. The trial had brought them to the notice of the entire world.
This, being the epoch when the written word – newspapers – were the focal resource for global information, a trial in England between an Indian and an Englishman, by now an exceptional occurrence, attracted much media attention.
The courts were filled to the brim. The press covered the trial daily. Soon, every gruesome detail of the brutalities that were up till then detained to the provincial borders of the Punjab became common knowledge to anyone who picked up a newspaper in India or elsewhere in the British Empire.
In India, the case had the following immediate consequences:
1) It had the people unbelieving the standing of the English justice system.
2) In the Punjab, reports of the trial caused a staid dent to Sikh loyalty to England. Their steadfastness to avenge their dead strengthened.
3) Reports of the triumph of the English and Anglo Indian community at the victory of O’Dwyer only added salt to the wounds of a people already devastated by mistreatment and carnage.
4) From being a straightforward matter of slander, the case had turned into ‘a trial of a regime’.
5) The people of India were now influenced in believing that Gandhi was rather accurate to conclude that Indians were improbable to receive fair and just treatment from an English government. The verdict ensured India’s resolve to gain independence, which became even more unyielding.
6) The case had put the British government on trial and their efforts to establish an amenable transition of power
Nair’s libel against the omnipotent Empire had opened the eyes of people. The verdict converted those who had been comparatively ‘restrained’ in their beliefs towards the Empire.
This monumental case lasted five-and-a-half weeks, one of the longest in the history of the King’s Bench. The case’s proceedings were avidly followed by the Empire, and brought to the fore British atrocities in Punjab. When the horrors were revealed, they convinced the Indians that they needed self-government, as they would never be treated fairly or justly by the British.
This case strengthened the nationalist cause in India. The English realized that, to keep the peace, reforms had to be made allowing Indians a say in the administration of India.
This in due course led to the three Round Table Conferences of 1930–32 and the India Independence Act of 1935.
A must read for every student of Indian history.
August 27, 2019
The Jallianwala Bagh Massacre that killed thousands of Indian is one of the scariest and tragic events in Indian history. But there is more to this story than one person unleashing violence on these innocent souls, trapped within a confined space and jumping walls and throwing themselves into a well to escape death by raining bullets.
Sir Chettur Sankaran Nair, a short-tempered and shrewd lawyer’s faith in the English court of Justice took him all the way to the King’s Bench in London. Here he is seen fighting a defamation case filed by Sir Michael O’Dwyer, the one whose policies eventually led to the Jallianwala Bagh shooting.
‘The Case That Shook India’ starts from Punjab during Ranjit Singh, followed by its unethical capture by the East India Company. Thus began a cycle of oppression and unspeakable violence that will shake you to the core. Lord Dalhousie put an end to the Sovereign rule of Sikhs over northwest India and the British then imposed many different laws that questioned the existence of humanity in their hearts. Restriction of freedom of the press, the house arrest of hundreds of Indians, Rowlatt Act, the law that every Indian had to salute any British officer, etc were just a few of them. India was particularly shaken by World War I and these laws didn’t make life any easier for the Sikhs. On the day of Baisakhi, they planned to silently protest against the government, unaware that it was to turn into a graveyard of innocent masses.
As Nair proceeds to write a book on the terror unleashed by the British Raj, he faces a massive backlash from the government, finally leading to a defamation case.
‘The Case That Shook India’ is not just a case, but how biased the British jury was, turning a blind eye to all the atrocities brought about by their people on thousands of innocent Indians. A case that was lost way before it went to court, and a scenario that highlights the shrewd politics that was in play during the British rule in India. This event later fueled the Indian struggle for freedom, while Nair could never get over the loss both mentally and financially.
I would recommend this book only if you are interested in everything that happened with Punjab and its people from a factual point of view. The book deals with real and accurate historic events and hence, engaging is not something I associate it with, However, the author duo has done a remarkable job at assimilating and relaying most of the significant events that led to the trial, simultaneously shaping multiple minds on what the Raj truly stood for.
Sir Chettur Sankaran Nair, a short-tempered and shrewd lawyer’s faith in the English court of Justice took him all the way to the King’s Bench in London. Here he is seen fighting a defamation case filed by Sir Michael O’Dwyer, the one whose policies eventually led to the Jallianwala Bagh shooting.
‘The Case That Shook India’ starts from Punjab during Ranjit Singh, followed by its unethical capture by the East India Company. Thus began a cycle of oppression and unspeakable violence that will shake you to the core. Lord Dalhousie put an end to the Sovereign rule of Sikhs over northwest India and the British then imposed many different laws that questioned the existence of humanity in their hearts. Restriction of freedom of the press, the house arrest of hundreds of Indians, Rowlatt Act, the law that every Indian had to salute any British officer, etc were just a few of them. India was particularly shaken by World War I and these laws didn’t make life any easier for the Sikhs. On the day of Baisakhi, they planned to silently protest against the government, unaware that it was to turn into a graveyard of innocent masses.
As Nair proceeds to write a book on the terror unleashed by the British Raj, he faces a massive backlash from the government, finally leading to a defamation case.
‘The Case That Shook India’ is not just a case, but how biased the British jury was, turning a blind eye to all the atrocities brought about by their people on thousands of innocent Indians. A case that was lost way before it went to court, and a scenario that highlights the shrewd politics that was in play during the British rule in India. This event later fueled the Indian struggle for freedom, while Nair could never get over the loss both mentally and financially.
I would recommend this book only if you are interested in everything that happened with Punjab and its people from a factual point of view. The book deals with real and accurate historic events and hence, engaging is not something I associate it with, However, the author duo has done a remarkable job at assimilating and relaying most of the significant events that led to the trial, simultaneously shaping multiple minds on what the Raj truly stood for.
September 23, 2019
Title: The Case that Shook the Empire
Author: Raghu Palat and Pushpa Palat
Genre: Non fiction
Publisher: Bloomsbury
My take :
𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘊𝘢𝘴𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘚𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘌𝘮𝘱𝘪𝘳𝘦 talks about a case that was marked as a turning point in India's freedom struggle and about a man who had fought for it. To know what the case was about one has to flip through the pages of history to know what Jallianwala Bagh Massacre is and in short here it is
About a century ago, on 13th April 1919, a large number of people gathered at Jallianwala Bagh to peacefully protest for the arrest of two leaders Satyapal and Saifuddin Kitchlew, many of them were villagers who were there to celebrate the Sikh festival Baisakhi. The British troops under the command of General O'Dyer opened fire on those unarmed civilians without any warning. Thousand people were killed, over a thousand were wounded. However, the brutality didn't end there. It continued in the form of Crawling order, Salaam order and the flogging of innocents.
Sir Sankaran Nair, an advocate, former President of Indian National Congress and a member in Viceroy's council resigned from his post in protest to the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre. In his book "Gandhi and Anarchy" Sir Nair referred to the atrocities caused by the British Raj in Punjab to which the then Lieutenant Governor of Punjab, Sir Michael O'Dwyer filed a defamation case against Sir Nair in the Court of King's Bench in London. The verdict of the case was a turning point in the Indian freedom movement.
It's incredibly important to know about the event that had changed the course of history. I remember learning about Jallianwala Bagh Massacre at school. However, my knowledge about the Massacre was limited. It was after reading "The Case that Shook the Empire" I have not only got a clear understanding of what had triggered the protest that led to the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre, but also about this unsung hero Sir Sankaran Nair who had fought for the truth about it.
My rating: 5/5⭐
Thank you so much Bloomsbury India for the copy! All opinions are my own.
Author: Raghu Palat and Pushpa Palat
Genre: Non fiction
Publisher: Bloomsbury
My take :
𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘊𝘢𝘴𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘚𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘌𝘮𝘱𝘪𝘳𝘦 talks about a case that was marked as a turning point in India's freedom struggle and about a man who had fought for it. To know what the case was about one has to flip through the pages of history to know what Jallianwala Bagh Massacre is and in short here it is
About a century ago, on 13th April 1919, a large number of people gathered at Jallianwala Bagh to peacefully protest for the arrest of two leaders Satyapal and Saifuddin Kitchlew, many of them were villagers who were there to celebrate the Sikh festival Baisakhi. The British troops under the command of General O'Dyer opened fire on those unarmed civilians without any warning. Thousand people were killed, over a thousand were wounded. However, the brutality didn't end there. It continued in the form of Crawling order, Salaam order and the flogging of innocents.
Sir Sankaran Nair, an advocate, former President of Indian National Congress and a member in Viceroy's council resigned from his post in protest to the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre. In his book "Gandhi and Anarchy" Sir Nair referred to the atrocities caused by the British Raj in Punjab to which the then Lieutenant Governor of Punjab, Sir Michael O'Dwyer filed a defamation case against Sir Nair in the Court of King's Bench in London. The verdict of the case was a turning point in the Indian freedom movement.
It's incredibly important to know about the event that had changed the course of history. I remember learning about Jallianwala Bagh Massacre at school. However, my knowledge about the Massacre was limited. It was after reading "The Case that Shook the Empire" I have not only got a clear understanding of what had triggered the protest that led to the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre, but also about this unsung hero Sir Sankaran Nair who had fought for the truth about it.
My rating: 5/5⭐
Thank you so much Bloomsbury India for the copy! All opinions are my own.
December 2, 2025
Reading this felt like being forced to confront a part of history that everyone knows is horrific, yet the details still manage to knock the wind out of me. The atrocities committed during that period were just insane, and seeing them laid out so plainly hits a nerve in the worst way. What stood out the most was Nair’s involvement in pushing for justice. The way he worked to hold Dwyer accountable was honestly phenomenal and made me appreciate the sheer grit it took to go up against that kind of power. It was the kind of determination that makes you stop and think about how different things could have been if more people had pushed back the same way. The narrative also makes you sit with the uncomfortable truth of how systems protect cruelty when it benefits them. It saddens me knowing what was done in the name of race superiority, especially because the aftermath still echoes today in ways people don’t want to acknowledge. The book doesn’t soften the edges of that reality, and I respect that it expects the reader to face it head-on. By the time I finished, I couldn’t help but feel both moved and disturbed, which is exactly what a story like this should do.
September 8, 2023
The Jallianwala Bagh massacre was a turning point in Indian colonial history. Till that time, Britain ruled without much hindrance over the Indian people with largescale local support or indifference. The entire government machinery – except at the higher levels – was manned by Indians. The police was almost entirely Indian. To add legitimacy to their rule, the British had genuine admirers in India who credited them with having united India politically, introducing a common administrative language and generally believed to rule in a benign way. It was this favourable perception that prompted tens of thousands of Indians to enlist in the army and fight for Britain in the World War I. This was the reason why even Gandhi came out to support the war effort and campaigned from village to village imploring people to join the British Indian army. However, when the war ended, the people who anticipated concessions from a grateful empire found themselves saddled with draconian measures such as the Rowlatt Act which curtailed the meagre civic freedoms they were enjoying. This is a poorly explained chapter in the freedom struggle. Why the British government, which was buoyed up by wholehearted public support for the war effort turned hostile and employed repressive measures against its Indian subjects? What had changed in the latter half of the war to bring about this transformation? It’s a task for historians to bring out definitive answers to these two questions. Suppression of dissent, especially in Punjab, escalated daily and culminated in Jallianwala Bagh when a British contingent led by Brigadier General Reginald Dyer sprayed bullets on an unarmed crowd of people gathered to protest against the government in a peaceful manner. The death toll is still not definitively concluded. Hundreds were killed and a huge public outcry ensued. Sir C. Sankaran Nair, who was an eminent jurist and a member of the Viceroy’s Executive Council resigned in protest. Michael O’Dwyer, the Lieutenant Governor of Punjab sued against Nair in England for libel on a remark made by him in a book on the aftereffects of the Punjab unrest. Nair valiantly fought even though the judge and jury were arrayed against him. He eventually lost, but the incident attracted much public attention and the atrocities in Punjab got wide publicity. This book is the story of the case written by Nair’s great-grandson Raghu Palat and his wife Pushpa Palat.
The official Indian reckoning of the freedom struggle was for a long time confined only to the actions of the Indian National Congress. Brave countrymen who sacrificed their lives and families for the nation were edged out to make way for timid leaders who happened to be in the right party at the right time. Sir Chettur Sankaran Nair’s contributions to the national movement is overshadowed and sidelined by animosity against his criticism of Gandhi’s civil disobedience movement. Sankaran Nair was one of the greatest Indians of the modern era. He was a lawyer, member of the legislative council of Madras, president of the Indian National Congress, advocate general of Madras, judge of the High Court of Madras and a member of the Viceroy’s Executive Council. This position was second only to that of the Viceroy in colonial hierarchy. He was part of the ruling establishment but was bold enough to talk straight to the face of top British officials which sometimes appeared rude. At a dinner meeting held by O’Dwyer, his dog approached Nair docilely for a little petting but he drove the animal away. Seeing this, Lady O’Dwyer remarked that even though Indians professed kindness to all animals, they didn’t love the dogs half as much as the English did. Nair angrily retorted that it was because the English were nearer to the dogs in their evolution, while Indians moved further away in their 5000-year old history. Imagine this dialogue taking place between the guest and his hostess! In his personal life too, Nair was a stern man. He loved children dearly but did not interact with them. He was always aloof, reserved and unemotional. His relationship with his only son was also distant.
The book scenically portrays the carnage occurred at Jallianwala Bagh on April 13, 1919 and the events which preceded and followed this horrible crime. The army platoon led by Dyer discharged 1650 rounds of bullets on unarmed people out of sheer colonial fury to avenge the physical assault on Europeans in the city a few days ago. Dyer casually estimated the death toll at 200-300, but the actual tally was many times higher. There was no warning to disperse and the troops were ordered to shoot into the crowd. Dyer checked his fire and directed it upon places where the crowd was the thickest. He later admitted that he had made up his mind to punish the Indians for disobedience at having assembled there. When a few soldiers initially shot in the air, an annoyed Dyer yelled at them to fire low to ensure maximum casualties. Those who tried to scale the perimeter wall to escape the carnage were methodically shot down. Three months later, 120 bodies were taken out of a well in the compound. After the firing, he left the place leaving the wounded to die of the sustained injuries and unattended by anybody. Dyer also tried inhuman and deeply humiliating punishments on the local population. Marcella Sherwood, a Christian missionary, was assaulted at Kucha Kurrichchan earlier, and Dyer ordered that every Indian man using the street must crawl across its length on his hands and knees. This order was enforced for seven days. He even justified the order in a discourse filled with unbridled contempt for Indians thus: “Some Indians crawl face downwards in front of their gods. I wanted them to know that a British woman is as sacred as a Hindu goddess and therefore they have to crawl in front of her too”.
Nair resigned in protest against the massacre from the executive council of Viceroy Lord Chelmsford. Relations with this haughty official were never relaxed anyway. The viceroy formally asked Nair whether he had any suggestions as to his replacement. Nair stunned him by suggesting the name of the viceroy’s liveried chamber attendant who was standing nearby as that man would truthfully carry out his orders to the letter. In London, Nair was coopted to the Secretary of State’s Council for India. It was in this period that he wrote ‘Gandhi and Anarchy’, setting out the physical state of India. He criticized Punjab’s Lt. Governor Michael O’Dwyer for inept handling of the volatile situation. He had access to several government documents which depicted the true actions of O’Dwyer, who took offense at this perceived slight and sued Nair for libel.
Nair didn’t believe in Gandhi’s extraordinary policies in fomenting public unrest as a form of political struggle. This book gives a brief glance of the points of dispute. As part of the 1919 constitutional reforms, the possibility of a round-table conference in 1921 arose. Gandhi nipped this opening in the bud by raising impossible preconditions. His first priority was the reinstatement of the Ottoman caliph as he was the spiritual leader of Muslims all over the world. He also demanded that the French should leave Syria and wanted the British to vacate Egypt. Nair thought Gandhi to be impractical. Being a man of law, he did not agree with civil disobedience movement. He believed that it would lead to disorder, chaos, riots and bloodshed. Nair was eventually proved right many times on each of the points.
As is expected, several chapters in the book are reserved for the legal fight between O’Dwyer and Nair. In his book, Nair accused the former of complicity in the highhanded action. O’Dwyer sued for libel in the Court of the King’s Bench in London knowing that an English court would side with him. A large section of the English public still believed that Dyer’s inhuman action had saved the empire from collapse. Zamindars of Punjab appeared in the court on the side of O’Dwyer irrespective of religious lines. Nair’s witnesses were mostly Indian and they had their sworn testimonies recorded on paper and sent to England. These were then read in open court. Obviously, this arrangement was sure to benefit O’Dwyer. In addition to all this, judge McCardie openly sided with the plaintiff throughout the trial. Instead of finding whether Nair’s words were libelous to O’Dwyer, the judge wanted to establish whether Dyer was justified under the circumstances he found himself in on that fateful day. This was designed to elicit concurrence from an all-white jury. Summing up the arguments, the judge suggested the lines in which the jury should arrive at a consensus. Surprisingly, they returned with a hung verdict. At this point, the proceedings should’ve been declared a mis-trial and repeated. But McCardie opted for a majority decision which went in favour of O’Dwyer 11-1. Even though Nair lost the case and had to pay compensation, all information regarding the atrocities had come out in the press during the trial and O’Dwyer was completely dishonoured. Nair lost all confidence in British justice and declined to appeal. However, this episode boosted the morale of the national movement by uniting and firmly linking the intelligentsia with it.
The book is pleasant to read but much depth should not be expected. Even though Raghu Palat is the great-grandson of Sankaran Nair, there is practically no personal touch to the narrative. This is in sharp contrast to one of the other books by the same authors titled ‘Destiny’s Child’ reviewed earlier here. The authors shed some light on Nair’s opposition to Gandhi’s disobedience movement which is normally not mentioned in mainstream books on the subject. This was because he was a man of law and didn’t want to see anarchy encouraged as an ideal. But the reason given for his animosity to non-violence is quite strange by enlightened standards. Palat states that, ‘being a Nair, he could not accept a fight through non-violence’ (p.107). This refers to the Nair caste’s traditional occupation as soldiers – mostly mercenary in nature. But in the early twentieth century, Nair soldiery was a thing of the past often remembered as a nostalgic thought than any serious avenue for employment. Besides, many of the leaders who organized the movement in Kerala belonged to the Nair caste.
The book is highly recommended.
The official Indian reckoning of the freedom struggle was for a long time confined only to the actions of the Indian National Congress. Brave countrymen who sacrificed their lives and families for the nation were edged out to make way for timid leaders who happened to be in the right party at the right time. Sir Chettur Sankaran Nair’s contributions to the national movement is overshadowed and sidelined by animosity against his criticism of Gandhi’s civil disobedience movement. Sankaran Nair was one of the greatest Indians of the modern era. He was a lawyer, member of the legislative council of Madras, president of the Indian National Congress, advocate general of Madras, judge of the High Court of Madras and a member of the Viceroy’s Executive Council. This position was second only to that of the Viceroy in colonial hierarchy. He was part of the ruling establishment but was bold enough to talk straight to the face of top British officials which sometimes appeared rude. At a dinner meeting held by O’Dwyer, his dog approached Nair docilely for a little petting but he drove the animal away. Seeing this, Lady O’Dwyer remarked that even though Indians professed kindness to all animals, they didn’t love the dogs half as much as the English did. Nair angrily retorted that it was because the English were nearer to the dogs in their evolution, while Indians moved further away in their 5000-year old history. Imagine this dialogue taking place between the guest and his hostess! In his personal life too, Nair was a stern man. He loved children dearly but did not interact with them. He was always aloof, reserved and unemotional. His relationship with his only son was also distant.
The book scenically portrays the carnage occurred at Jallianwala Bagh on April 13, 1919 and the events which preceded and followed this horrible crime. The army platoon led by Dyer discharged 1650 rounds of bullets on unarmed people out of sheer colonial fury to avenge the physical assault on Europeans in the city a few days ago. Dyer casually estimated the death toll at 200-300, but the actual tally was many times higher. There was no warning to disperse and the troops were ordered to shoot into the crowd. Dyer checked his fire and directed it upon places where the crowd was the thickest. He later admitted that he had made up his mind to punish the Indians for disobedience at having assembled there. When a few soldiers initially shot in the air, an annoyed Dyer yelled at them to fire low to ensure maximum casualties. Those who tried to scale the perimeter wall to escape the carnage were methodically shot down. Three months later, 120 bodies were taken out of a well in the compound. After the firing, he left the place leaving the wounded to die of the sustained injuries and unattended by anybody. Dyer also tried inhuman and deeply humiliating punishments on the local population. Marcella Sherwood, a Christian missionary, was assaulted at Kucha Kurrichchan earlier, and Dyer ordered that every Indian man using the street must crawl across its length on his hands and knees. This order was enforced for seven days. He even justified the order in a discourse filled with unbridled contempt for Indians thus: “Some Indians crawl face downwards in front of their gods. I wanted them to know that a British woman is as sacred as a Hindu goddess and therefore they have to crawl in front of her too”.
Nair resigned in protest against the massacre from the executive council of Viceroy Lord Chelmsford. Relations with this haughty official were never relaxed anyway. The viceroy formally asked Nair whether he had any suggestions as to his replacement. Nair stunned him by suggesting the name of the viceroy’s liveried chamber attendant who was standing nearby as that man would truthfully carry out his orders to the letter. In London, Nair was coopted to the Secretary of State’s Council for India. It was in this period that he wrote ‘Gandhi and Anarchy’, setting out the physical state of India. He criticized Punjab’s Lt. Governor Michael O’Dwyer for inept handling of the volatile situation. He had access to several government documents which depicted the true actions of O’Dwyer, who took offense at this perceived slight and sued Nair for libel.
Nair didn’t believe in Gandhi’s extraordinary policies in fomenting public unrest as a form of political struggle. This book gives a brief glance of the points of dispute. As part of the 1919 constitutional reforms, the possibility of a round-table conference in 1921 arose. Gandhi nipped this opening in the bud by raising impossible preconditions. His first priority was the reinstatement of the Ottoman caliph as he was the spiritual leader of Muslims all over the world. He also demanded that the French should leave Syria and wanted the British to vacate Egypt. Nair thought Gandhi to be impractical. Being a man of law, he did not agree with civil disobedience movement. He believed that it would lead to disorder, chaos, riots and bloodshed. Nair was eventually proved right many times on each of the points.
As is expected, several chapters in the book are reserved for the legal fight between O’Dwyer and Nair. In his book, Nair accused the former of complicity in the highhanded action. O’Dwyer sued for libel in the Court of the King’s Bench in London knowing that an English court would side with him. A large section of the English public still believed that Dyer’s inhuman action had saved the empire from collapse. Zamindars of Punjab appeared in the court on the side of O’Dwyer irrespective of religious lines. Nair’s witnesses were mostly Indian and they had their sworn testimonies recorded on paper and sent to England. These were then read in open court. Obviously, this arrangement was sure to benefit O’Dwyer. In addition to all this, judge McCardie openly sided with the plaintiff throughout the trial. Instead of finding whether Nair’s words were libelous to O’Dwyer, the judge wanted to establish whether Dyer was justified under the circumstances he found himself in on that fateful day. This was designed to elicit concurrence from an all-white jury. Summing up the arguments, the judge suggested the lines in which the jury should arrive at a consensus. Surprisingly, they returned with a hung verdict. At this point, the proceedings should’ve been declared a mis-trial and repeated. But McCardie opted for a majority decision which went in favour of O’Dwyer 11-1. Even though Nair lost the case and had to pay compensation, all information regarding the atrocities had come out in the press during the trial and O’Dwyer was completely dishonoured. Nair lost all confidence in British justice and declined to appeal. However, this episode boosted the morale of the national movement by uniting and firmly linking the intelligentsia with it.
The book is pleasant to read but much depth should not be expected. Even though Raghu Palat is the great-grandson of Sankaran Nair, there is practically no personal touch to the narrative. This is in sharp contrast to one of the other books by the same authors titled ‘Destiny’s Child’ reviewed earlier here. The authors shed some light on Nair’s opposition to Gandhi’s disobedience movement which is normally not mentioned in mainstream books on the subject. This was because he was a man of law and didn’t want to see anarchy encouraged as an ideal. But the reason given for his animosity to non-violence is quite strange by enlightened standards. Palat states that, ‘being a Nair, he could not accept a fight through non-violence’ (p.107). This refers to the Nair caste’s traditional occupation as soldiers – mostly mercenary in nature. But in the early twentieth century, Nair soldiery was a thing of the past often remembered as a nostalgic thought than any serious avenue for employment. Besides, many of the leaders who organized the movement in Kerala belonged to the Nair caste.
The book is highly recommended.
August 22, 2019
Title: The Case that Shook the Empire
Author: Raghu Palat and Pushpa Palat
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Genre: Non-fiction
Format: Hardcover
Language: English
No. of pages: 187
My review:
The Case that Shook the Empire tells us of the real truth, we hardly find in our history books. I myself had been unknowing of so many facts surrounding the infamous Jallianwala Bagh Massacre and this book was critical in informing me of the great man who dared.
When it comes to the writing, the book reads like a story. Beginning with a section on Sir Nair’s life, we slowly are introduced to the Punjab section, where the authors tell us or rather show (such as the vivid imagery) the atrocities inflicted on the Indian people. Leading up to the massacre, and the aftermath as the court proceedings take place, this is, without doubt, one of the most important events that marked a defining moment in India’s struggle for independence. The court proceeding scenes were just as intriguing to witness as well. It is a horrific tale that details the facts we have never read in our history books. I love how the writing flows smoothly, making it a good read. The authors also ensure that the reader is not bored – not that the events covered will let anyone rest. It is a tumultuous read that left me teary-eyed at some points, while at others, with gooseflesh at the back of my neck. However, I did find the text a bit repetitive at times.
The authors have also pointed out the differences in opinion between Nair and Gandhi. Gandhi and Anarchy is a book I intend to pick up soon. One of the things that were shown was that Sir Nair was a real character – he was a bit flawed at times if you have certain perspectives – but he was unapologetically loyal to the principles he had for himself. He always strived to live up to those standards and ensured that he did his best at all times. His character is truly an inspiration for so many of us.
Verdict:
This was an informative read that I really felt genuinely while reading. I rate it 4/5 stars!
Author: Raghu Palat and Pushpa Palat
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Genre: Non-fiction
Format: Hardcover
Language: English
No. of pages: 187
My review:
The Case that Shook the Empire tells us of the real truth, we hardly find in our history books. I myself had been unknowing of so many facts surrounding the infamous Jallianwala Bagh Massacre and this book was critical in informing me of the great man who dared.
When it comes to the writing, the book reads like a story. Beginning with a section on Sir Nair’s life, we slowly are introduced to the Punjab section, where the authors tell us or rather show (such as the vivid imagery) the atrocities inflicted on the Indian people. Leading up to the massacre, and the aftermath as the court proceedings take place, this is, without doubt, one of the most important events that marked a defining moment in India’s struggle for independence. The court proceeding scenes were just as intriguing to witness as well. It is a horrific tale that details the facts we have never read in our history books. I love how the writing flows smoothly, making it a good read. The authors also ensure that the reader is not bored – not that the events covered will let anyone rest. It is a tumultuous read that left me teary-eyed at some points, while at others, with gooseflesh at the back of my neck. However, I did find the text a bit repetitive at times.
The authors have also pointed out the differences in opinion between Nair and Gandhi. Gandhi and Anarchy is a book I intend to pick up soon. One of the things that were shown was that Sir Nair was a real character – he was a bit flawed at times if you have certain perspectives – but he was unapologetically loyal to the principles he had for himself. He always strived to live up to those standards and ensured that he did his best at all times. His character is truly an inspiration for so many of us.
Verdict:
This was an informative read that I really felt genuinely while reading. I rate it 4/5 stars!
September 3, 2019
The Case That Shook the Empire: One Man's Fight for the Truth about the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre by Pushpa Palat and Raghu Palat
Freedom has a cost and India has already paid it well. In order to get freedom at first India has believed in non-violence. But from the beginning of 1900, the political environment of Pre-independent India started to change. People were taking part in lots of petition .
When Rowlett Act was imposed upon , people did protest . But it was first a non-violent movement but British took it differently. Two Activists were arrested .
On the eve of Baishakhi, Punjabi new year , a meeting was organised in Jaliwanwala Bagh, a large ground surrounded by 10 ft wall with only one major entrance. Commoners gathered there . They were Hindu , Muslims, Sikhs. And we all know what happened after that .
This case shook the entire country .
My views.
The Case that Shook the Empire is a book which has unfolded the true story of Jaliwanwala Bagh massacre step by step . First the book started with the life of Sir Nair then it slowly took us to the past , how the Punjab Empire was turned into a Province. We get a vivid detail of the Jaliwanwala Bagh massacre along with the description of O'Dwyer and General Dayar . The book provides us another picture after the massacre. The difference between the views of Nair and Gandhi also has been pointed out greatly.
This is such an informative book.I want everyone to read .
Freedom has a cost and India has already paid it well. In order to get freedom at first India has believed in non-violence. But from the beginning of 1900, the political environment of Pre-independent India started to change. People were taking part in lots of petition .
When Rowlett Act was imposed upon , people did protest . But it was first a non-violent movement but British took it differently. Two Activists were arrested .
On the eve of Baishakhi, Punjabi new year , a meeting was organised in Jaliwanwala Bagh, a large ground surrounded by 10 ft wall with only one major entrance. Commoners gathered there . They were Hindu , Muslims, Sikhs. And we all know what happened after that .
This case shook the entire country .
My views.
The Case that Shook the Empire is a book which has unfolded the true story of Jaliwanwala Bagh massacre step by step . First the book started with the life of Sir Nair then it slowly took us to the past , how the Punjab Empire was turned into a Province. We get a vivid detail of the Jaliwanwala Bagh massacre along with the description of O'Dwyer and General Dayar . The book provides us another picture after the massacre. The difference between the views of Nair and Gandhi also has been pointed out greatly.
This is such an informative book.I want everyone to read .
September 18, 2019
There are many things about Indian history which are still unknown to us and this book throws light on some of those incidents. Everyone knows about the horrific Jallianwala Bagh Massacre but the events following it are still unfamiliar and have never been highlighted in our textbooks. Very few people know about the true extent of the horrors. I came to know about Sir Chettur Sankaran Nair after reading this amazing piece of literature which showcases how he fought against the British in the court of law when General O’Dwyer filed a defamation case for publishing a book named ‘Gandhi and Anarchy’ on the atrocities committed by the Bristish in Punjab. The beginning of the book throws a glance into the life of Sir Nair and his way of living. It also mentions the differences in views between Gandhi and Nair. Clearly a lot of research has been put behind this book and it doesn’t fail to impress you. The plight of the Indians during that period leaves you aggrieved and upset. Sir Nair is one of those people who fought for our country but remained an unsung hero. His thoughts and principles are inspiring, motivating and thought provoking. It is a must read if you want to know more about India’s history.
December 9, 2022
The book claims to be about The Case That Shook the Empire but left me unconvinced about it's real contribution to shaking an empire that was already weakening rapidly.
From a literary perspective this book surprised me because it felt like someone hadn't edited it bravely enough. The authors told us things about various characters without any validation or proof. Like "Though Nair loved his daughters dearly, he did not interact with them at all." How do they know he loved them dearly? Does it matter? This is minor but there are times when they tell us of the motivations of the judge in the case central to this story or of O Dwyer or Montagu, telling us things when their actions spoke for themselves.
Sometimes tones and styles would change drastically which might be expected when there are two authors but should have been picked up by an editor.
It is a real pity because if arranged better it is a powerful book that really explains why Jallianwallah Bagh happened and its significant influence on the trajectory of Indian freedom struggle. I didn't know just how awful things were in Punjab leading up to and after the massacre.
So if you want to know more about Punjab around the time of Jallianwala Bagh and about Sankaran Nair, check it out. It is a quick and easy read.
From a literary perspective this book surprised me because it felt like someone hadn't edited it bravely enough. The authors told us things about various characters without any validation or proof. Like "Though Nair loved his daughters dearly, he did not interact with them at all." How do they know he loved them dearly? Does it matter? This is minor but there are times when they tell us of the motivations of the judge in the case central to this story or of O Dwyer or Montagu, telling us things when their actions spoke for themselves.
Sometimes tones and styles would change drastically which might be expected when there are two authors but should have been picked up by an editor.
It is a real pity because if arranged better it is a powerful book that really explains why Jallianwallah Bagh happened and its significant influence on the trajectory of Indian freedom struggle. I didn't know just how awful things were in Punjab leading up to and after the massacre.
So if you want to know more about Punjab around the time of Jallianwala Bagh and about Sankaran Nair, check it out. It is a quick and easy read.
March 25, 2025
The Jallianwala Bagh massacre remains one of the most horrific atrocities committed by the British Empire during its colonial rule, for which they have yet to apologize to India. The incident is central to the case of C. Sankaran Nair, who took his fight to a British court, only to face bias from both the jurors and the judge. Although he did not win, his efforts played a crucial role in accelerating India's independence movement and shattered the moderates' belief in the fairness of British law.
The book is a quick and engaging read, but some facts require verification, and the writing could have been stronger with a more skilled author.
The book is a quick and engaging read, but some facts require verification, and the writing could have been stronger with a more skilled author.
July 14, 2025
I picked up this book after being profoundly moved by the film Kesari 2, which sparked a deep interest in learning more about Sir Sankaran Nair. The story left a lasting impression on me, and this book offered a powerful, insightful look into the life and legacy of a remarkable figure too often overlooked in our history curriculum. It’s a reminder of how many unsung heroes have shaped our past. I truly wish figures like Sir Nair were given more attention in our school history books. A compelling and thought-provoking read.
April 19, 2025
Watched the movie and saw that it was based on a book. I knew I had to read it immediately, and wow, while I liked the movie... this was far more illuminating than it. Sir Sankaran Nair was truly a man worthy of emulation and the utmost respect. I wish I had read about him during history lessons in school.
August 11, 2021
Very few are aware of this story and this needs to reach as many people as possible.
May 13, 2022
A story that deserves to be told
October 2, 2024
Detailed description of atrocities committed by British army and administrators in Punjab and overall India. Feeling great ful that I got introduced to Sir Sankaran Nair.
September 2, 2019
"By accepting Sir Michael O'Dwyer's challenge, Sir Sankaran Nair had put the British Constitution and the British people on trial. They were tried and found wanting." - Mahatma Gandhi
Blurb:
30 April 1924. At the Court of the King's Bench in London, the highest court in the Empire, an English judge and jury heard the case that would change the course of India's history: Sir Michael O'Dwyer, the former Lieutenant Governor of the Punjab - and architect of the infamous Jallianwala Bagh massacre - had filed a defamation case against Sir Chettur Sankaran Nair for having published a book in which he referred to the atrocities committed by the Raj in Punjab.
The widely-reported trial - one of the longest in history - stunned a world that finally recognized some of the horrors being committed by the British in India.
Through reports of court proceedings along with a nuanced portrait of a complicated nationalist who believed in his principles above all else, The Case That Shook the Empire reveals, for the very first time, the real details of the fateful case that marked the defining moment in India's struggle for Independence.
Views:
History is a subject which has always fascinated me since I was in middle grades. The reign of Ashoka, Mughals and others just made me dream about that time. And then the pre-indepence era did wonders. I turned spellbound reading about the freedom fighters, their sacrifice and the British imperialism made me cringe in disgust.
Jallianwala Bagh Massacre was such an event which absolutely stunned the world. It was almost out of anyone's wildest dreams that a man can stoop to such a low. But I didn't have any knowledge about the man who fought in the British court and made the world listen to the sufferings of India under Britishers.
Sir Chettur Sankaran Nair is the man who published a book regarding all the atrocities that are committed by the British government in Punjab. Sir Michael O'Dwyer filed a defamation case against him and Sir Nair being a lawyer himself fought the case in London and established the truth in front of everyone.
This is a book about a hero who is not that well known. This is a book about a hero whose contribution made the Britishers frightened. This is a book about a hero who fascilitated the Indian independence movement. From his birth to his habits, his way of working and every other minute things are described in this book.
The descriptions of each and every moment of his life is portrayed well. The references given are really helpful for gathering further knowledge. The writing is lucid with proper use of vocabulary. The narration pattern is also well maintained throughout the book. The book not even once looked like it's getting stretched or something. Editing is crisp as well as the order of the incidents are maintained. Overall it's a book which should be read by all.
Rating and Recommendations:
5/5. It's a book about a very important person who helped paving the path of incidence. This book should be read by each and everyone out there. It's an absolute must read.
Blurb:
30 April 1924. At the Court of the King's Bench in London, the highest court in the Empire, an English judge and jury heard the case that would change the course of India's history: Sir Michael O'Dwyer, the former Lieutenant Governor of the Punjab - and architect of the infamous Jallianwala Bagh massacre - had filed a defamation case against Sir Chettur Sankaran Nair for having published a book in which he referred to the atrocities committed by the Raj in Punjab.
The widely-reported trial - one of the longest in history - stunned a world that finally recognized some of the horrors being committed by the British in India.
Through reports of court proceedings along with a nuanced portrait of a complicated nationalist who believed in his principles above all else, The Case That Shook the Empire reveals, for the very first time, the real details of the fateful case that marked the defining moment in India's struggle for Independence.
Views:
History is a subject which has always fascinated me since I was in middle grades. The reign of Ashoka, Mughals and others just made me dream about that time. And then the pre-indepence era did wonders. I turned spellbound reading about the freedom fighters, their sacrifice and the British imperialism made me cringe in disgust.
Jallianwala Bagh Massacre was such an event which absolutely stunned the world. It was almost out of anyone's wildest dreams that a man can stoop to such a low. But I didn't have any knowledge about the man who fought in the British court and made the world listen to the sufferings of India under Britishers.
Sir Chettur Sankaran Nair is the man who published a book regarding all the atrocities that are committed by the British government in Punjab. Sir Michael O'Dwyer filed a defamation case against him and Sir Nair being a lawyer himself fought the case in London and established the truth in front of everyone.
This is a book about a hero who is not that well known. This is a book about a hero whose contribution made the Britishers frightened. This is a book about a hero who fascilitated the Indian independence movement. From his birth to his habits, his way of working and every other minute things are described in this book.
The descriptions of each and every moment of his life is portrayed well. The references given are really helpful for gathering further knowledge. The writing is lucid with proper use of vocabulary. The narration pattern is also well maintained throughout the book. The book not even once looked like it's getting stretched or something. Editing is crisp as well as the order of the incidents are maintained. Overall it's a book which should be read by all.
Rating and Recommendations:
5/5. It's a book about a very important person who helped paving the path of incidence. This book should be read by each and everyone out there. It's an absolute must read.
August 27, 2019
I am not a big fan of Non-Fiction, but when it comes to Jallianwala bagh, I become a bit emotional. I have visited this place twice and I can still get the goosebumps seeing the bullets on the wall and the well.
To get the close look, I even watched "Phillauri" the movie.
When this book arrived, I was happy and emotional at the same time.
💢💢💢💢
30 April 1924. At the Court of the King's Bench in London, the highest court in the Empire, an English judge and jury heard the case that would change the course of India's history: Sir Michael O'Dwyer, the former Lieutenant Governor of the Punjab - and architect of the infamous Jallianwala Bagh massacre - had filed a defamation case against Sir Chettur Sankaran Nair for having published a book in which he referred to the atrocities committed by the Raj in Punjab.
The widely-reported trial - one of the longest in history - stunned a world that finally recognized some of the horrors being committed by the British in India.
Through reports of court proceedings along with a nuanced portrait of a complicated nationalist who believed in his principles above all else, The Case That Shook the Empire reveals, for the very first time, the real details of the fateful case that marked the defining moment in India's struggle for Independence.
💥💥💥
This book serves as an eye opener to the famous Jallianwala bagh massacre.
It is that fateful case that brought the atrocities committed at Jallianwala Bagh.
The decision given in page 145-146 was heartbroken. As the book was coming to end, The verdict segment started giving me goosebumps.
What does this has in store for you?? Give it a try and I bet you won't regret.
It's "Sir Sankaran Nair's bold stand as he fought for the right of indian's, for reforms, for rule of law and Indian nationalism.
💢💢💢💢
It's an eye opener which should be tried because of its honesty.
🔥🔥🔥
To get the close look, I even watched "Phillauri" the movie.
When this book arrived, I was happy and emotional at the same time.
💢💢💢💢
30 April 1924. At the Court of the King's Bench in London, the highest court in the Empire, an English judge and jury heard the case that would change the course of India's history: Sir Michael O'Dwyer, the former Lieutenant Governor of the Punjab - and architect of the infamous Jallianwala Bagh massacre - had filed a defamation case against Sir Chettur Sankaran Nair for having published a book in which he referred to the atrocities committed by the Raj in Punjab.
The widely-reported trial - one of the longest in history - stunned a world that finally recognized some of the horrors being committed by the British in India.
Through reports of court proceedings along with a nuanced portrait of a complicated nationalist who believed in his principles above all else, The Case That Shook the Empire reveals, for the very first time, the real details of the fateful case that marked the defining moment in India's struggle for Independence.
💥💥💥
This book serves as an eye opener to the famous Jallianwala bagh massacre.
It is that fateful case that brought the atrocities committed at Jallianwala Bagh.
The decision given in page 145-146 was heartbroken. As the book was coming to end, The verdict segment started giving me goosebumps.
What does this has in store for you?? Give it a try and I bet you won't regret.
It's "Sir Sankaran Nair's bold stand as he fought for the right of indian's, for reforms, for rule of law and Indian nationalism.
💢💢💢💢
It's an eye opener which should be tried because of its honesty.
🔥🔥🔥
April 27, 2020
An Indian being defended against an Englishman in English court by a prejudiced English judge and all English jury...ingredients of a perfect disaster.
Although for Sir Nair the trial was beyond acquittal or loss, rather it was about bring to forefront the atrocities committed by the English rulers in Punjab region.
This is one magnificent read which ended in a loss for an Indian but would play a masterful victory score for India and it’s freedom movement and would ultimately rock the foundations of the greatest empire where the sun never had set.
Although for Sir Nair the trial was beyond acquittal or loss, rather it was about bring to forefront the atrocities committed by the English rulers in Punjab region.
This is one magnificent read which ended in a loss for an Indian but would play a masterful victory score for India and it’s freedom movement and would ultimately rock the foundations of the greatest empire where the sun never had set.
June 26, 2023
Books explains the in details of the Jallianwala Bagh incident its history, incidents that led to the atrocity also the struggle of justice that led by C Shankaran Nair the man who fought for justice but failed in it, which also gave international attention of the Jallianwala Bagh Incident. The Privy Council failed to give justice and it is very biased as usual. Till now no apology to India by the British for atrocities of the Jallianwala Bagh.
Even after 75 years of Independence no justice is been served to the martyrs of Jallianwala Bagh
Even after 75 years of Independence no justice is been served to the martyrs of Jallianwala Bagh
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December 8, 2019This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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