01 Who was the Lieutenant Governor of Punjab at the time of the Jallianwala Bagh massacre?
Answer and explanation
Correct answer: A. Michael O'Dwyer
Explanation: The direct answer is A: Michael O’Dwyer. He was the Lieutenant Governor of Punjab during the Jallianwala Bagh massacre on 13 April 1919. It is important to distinguish his office from that of Brigadier-General Reginald Edward Harry Dyer. Dyer commanded the troops that fired at the crowd in Amritsar, while O’Dwyer was the provincial Lieutenant Governor and supported the administration’s repressive policy. Option A is correct because Michael O’Dwyer held the office of Lieutenant Governor of Punjab at that time. Option B, Lord Curzon, had been Viceroy earlier and was not Punjab’s Lieutenant Governor in 1919. Option C, Lord Mountbatten, became the last Viceroy of India much later, in 1947, so he cannot be the answer. Option D, Lord Ripon, served as Viceroy in the nineteenth century and was not in office during the massacre. The reasoning is therefore based on identifying the correct provincial official and separating O’Dwyer from General Dyer. Memory cue: O’Dwyer—Punjab’s Lieutenant Governor; Dyer—officer who ordered the firing.