Great Calcutta Killings

E273607

The Great Calcutta Killings refers to the large-scale communal riots and massacres that erupted in Calcutta in August 1946, resulting in thousands of deaths amid rising Hindu-Muslim tensions on the eve of Indian independence and Partition.

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Statements (50)

Predicate Object
instanceOf communal riot
historical event
massacre
religious riot
aftermath influence on Bihar riots of 1946
influence on subsequent Noakhali riots
spread of communal riots to other parts of Bengal
alsoKnownAs Direct Action Day riots
Great Calcutta Killings
surface form: Great Calcutta Riot
approximateDeaths 4000
cause Direct Action Day called by the Muslim League
Hindu–Muslim communal tensions
political mobilization around Pakistan demand
cityLeaderAtTime Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy
commemoratedIn histories of Partition of India
scholarly works on communalism in South Asia
country India
endDate 1946-08-20
ethnicReligiousDimension Hindu–Muslim conflict
governingAuthorityAtTime British colonial government
historicalSignificance example of colonial failure to maintain order
major precursor to Partition violence
turning point in Hindu–Muslim relations in Bengal
location Bengal Presidency
British India
Calcutta
mainParticipants Hindus
Muslims
local political activists
numberOfDeaths thousands
numberOfInjured tens of thousands
opposedBy Hindu Mahasabha
Indian National Congress
organisedBy All India Muslim League
surface form: All-India Muslim League (for Direct Action Day)
politicalContext approaching Partition of India
demand for Pakistan
negotiations over Indian independence
relatedEvent Bihar riots of 1946
Noakhali riots
Partition of India
Punjab Partition massacres
result breakdown of law and order in Calcutta
heightened communal polarization
large-scale communal violence
mass displacement of civilians
significantEvent Direct Action Day
startDate 1946-08-16
SuhrawardyRole Premier of Bengal during the riots
timePeriod August 1946
late colonial period in India

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Referenced by (5)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Direct Action Day alsoKnownAs Great Calcutta Killings
Direct Action Day alsoKnownAs Great Calcutta Killings
this entity surface form: Calcutta Killings of 1946
Great Calcutta Killings alsoKnownAs Great Calcutta Killings
this entity surface form: Great Calcutta Riot
Noakhali riots relatedEvent Great Calcutta Killings
Bihar riots of 1946 relatedEvent Great Calcutta Killings