When and Why was the Rowlatt Act Passed?
By Balaji
Updated on: May 23rd, 2023
The Rowlatt Act was passed in February 1919 to suppress the nationalist uprising in British India. The Imperial Legislative Council, British India’s legislature, passed the act. Contrary to expectations, the law engendered widespread resentment among nationalists, who overwhelmingly voted against it.
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Reasons for Passing of Rowlatt Act
The Rowlatt Act was passed by the Imperial Legislative Council in 1919. The act was intended to quell a growing nationalist uprising against the British government. The act authorized the internment of suspects without trial, and certain political cases could even be tried without juries.
The act, which was passed based on the recommendations of the Rowlatt Committee and was named after its chairman, Sir Sidney Rowlatt, gave the colonial British government the authority to deal with all revolutionary activities and effectively granted the colonial British government the right to imprison anyone in British India who was suspected of terrorism for up to two years.
- Among other Indian leaders, Mahatma Gandhi[g] harshly criticized the Act and contended that not everyone should be punished for sporadic political crimes.
- In opposition to the action, Madan Mohan Malaviya, Mazarul Haque, and Muhammad Ali Jinnah, a representative of the All-India Muslim League, resigned from the Imperial Legislative Council.
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