[1] Between 140[2] and 260[3] Sikhs were killed, including children, by the Udasi Custodian Narayan Das and his mercenaries,[4] in retaliation for a confrontation between him and members of the reformist Akali movement, who accused him of both corruption and sexual impropriety.

The saga constitutes the core of the Gurdwara Reform Movement started by the Sikhs in the early twentieth century.

At the time of the massacre, there was a growing demand in Sikhism that the traditional hereditary custodians hand over their control of the gurdwaras to democratically elected committees.

But the Committee got the information from its own intelligence that Mahant was planning to invite the Sikh leaders to Nanakana Sahib and have them killed by hired goondas.

A meeting of the Sikh leaders was called at Gurdwara Khara Sauda on 16 February 1921 to chalk out the future course of action.

[citation needed] The combined Jatha took a Hukamnama and started for the Gurdwara at about 10 PM on that night so as to reach there by early morning at Amrit Velā (the holy time of prayer).

They waited for a while in vain and finally, Jathedar Dharowali decided to cancel the plan for further march to Nankana Sahib.

From here-on, Jathedar Tehal Singh took over the supreme command of the Shaheedi Jatha and resumed the march to Nankana.

The hired goondas armed with swords, spears, hatchets, and other lethal weapons to mercilessly slaughter the peaceful Sikhs within the very premises of the Gurdwara.