What is the Rowlatt Act?
The Rowlatt act 1919 or Rowlatt act was a legislative council act passed by the Imperial Legislative Council, the legislature of British India in 1919. The Rowlatt Act was named after the Rowlatt Committee’s President, Sir Sidney Rowlatt. The purpose of this act was to eradicate rebels and remove any conspiracy theories against the British from India. Under this act, people who have involved themself in revolt against the British could be sent to jail for upto 2 years without any trial. Any accused could be captured without a warrant and could be held up for an extended period. The act also gave the government an authority to repress the media’s voice if they wanted to find out the reasons behind it with the evidence.
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When Was the Rowlatt Act Passed?
The Rowlatt Act was passed in the year 1919 by the Imperial Legislative Council, the legislature of British India.
What Was the Purpose of Rowlatt Act?
The Rowlatt Act issued by the British Colonial Government gave authority to the police to arrest any person without any reason The purpose of the Rowlatt Act was to eliminate the growing nationalist improvement in the country. Gandhi invited the people to perform Rowlatt satyagraha against the act.
The Rowlatt Act was passed in 1919 by the suggestions of the Rowlatt Committee and named after its president, Sir Sidney Rowlatt. The act effectively gave authority to colonial government to arrest any person suspected of terrorism for up to two years without any hearings, and gave power to the colonial governor to tackle all the rebellious activities.
The unrecognized legislation provided for rigorous monitoring of the press, arrests without warrant, indefinite imprisonment without trial, and juryless in camera trials for prohibited political acts. The accused were denied the right to know the petitioner and the evidence used in the court case. Those imprisoned were required to deposit securities upon release, and were prevented from participating in any political, educational, or religious activities. On February 6, 1919, two bills also termed as “Black Bills” were issued in the Central Legislation. These Black bills were passed on the report of Justice S.A.T. Rowlatt's committee of 1918. They gave tremendous power to the police to look for a place and arrest any person they disapproved of without a warrant. Despite much discrepancy, the Rowlatt Act was passed on 18 March 1919.
What Was the Major Provision of Rowlatt Act?
The two main provisions of the ‘Rowlatt Act’ are:
The Government is not permitted to use exceptional restrictive powers it had during the war.
The British Government has power to arrest any person without empowering any reason for the arrest, look out for any place without a warrant, and jail anyone without any trial.
Rowlatt Act Timeline
March 21, 1919: Rowlatt Act was initiated by the British government in India to control revolutionary activities. The Act enabled the British to arrest or imprison suspects without trial.
April 6, 1919: Gandhiji and other eminent Indian leaders organized a “hartal”. Indians deferred business and went on a fast to oppose the Act. This was known as the Rowlatt Satyagraha.
April 10,1919: The claim in Punjab was strong and two leaders, Dr. Satya Pal and Dr. Saifuddin Kitchlew, were arrested. Protests and rallies were arranged. The British government laid down Amritsar under martial law and banned all public rallies and gatherings.
April 13, 1919: People gathered at Jallianwala Bagh. Brigadier General Reginald Dyer came to the place with 50 soldiers and ordered them to shoot at the crowd. The shooting went on for 10 minutes. Many were injured while others were killed.
1920: In 1920, a trust was formed by the Indian National Congress to build a memorial for the victim.
1960: Rajendra Prasad starts off the memorial.
FAQs on Rowlatt Acts
1. What is meant by the Rowlatt Act?
The Rowlatt Act , also known as the Black Act refers to the strict law issued by the British government in March 1919. The Rowlatt Act is officially known as the Anarchical and Revolutionary Crimes Act. The act gave immense power to the British government and police to jail anyone suspected of provocative activities. The act was issued with an aim meant to replace the emergency law known as the Defence of India Act 1915. The act gave the government the permission to imprison any culprit without any issuance of warrant and can jail him/her for up to 2 years without any hearing.
2. When was the Rowlatt Act Initiated?
The Rowlatt act was passed in 1919.
3. What was the Impact of the Rowlatt Act to Political Leaders?
Gandhi organised Rowlatt Satyagraha against the Rowlatt Act which gave immense power to the government to abolish the political activities of Indian leaders. To oppose this act, protests and rallies were arranged in various cities, workers went on strikes in railway workshops, and shops closed down. The British government tried to defeat the nationalist activity of cruelty. Local leaders were raised from Amritsar, and Mahatma Gandhi was not permitted to enter Delhi. The martial law was misled after the bombardment of post offices and railways and General Dyer took command. On April 13, 1919, the Jallianwala Bagh massacre was initiated. This incident overwhelmed the entire nation. As the Jallianwala Bagh news spread, people came to the streets in many north Indian towns. There were strikes, confrontation with the police and attacks on government buildings. Hence, we can say that the Rowlatt Satyagraha led to the development of nationalist activities of people in the country.
4. What was the main objective of the Rowlatt Act?
The main objective of the Rowlatt act was to dominate the growing nationalists in the country.
5. What were the Two Bills Associated with the Rowlatt Act?
Two bills issued by the Central Legislature authorized police to look for a place without any search warrant and to jail anyone who they disapprove of. These bills are known as ‘Black Bills.
