Rowlatt Acts (10) Flashcards
What did the Rowlatt Commision report in July 1918?
It isolated Bengal, Bombay and the Punjab as centres of revolutionary activity and recommended old wartime controls should be used to contain the situation.
What did the Rowlatt Acts consist of?
Passed in March 1919, they allowed imprisonment without trial, trial by judges sitting without a jury, censorship and house arrest of suspects.
How did Montagu feel about the acts?
He reluctantly sanctioned them, stating to the Viceroy that they were ‘extremely repugnant’ but conceded the need to stamp out rebellion and riot.
How did the Indian Legislative Council react?
The acts were pushed through despite opposition from every Indian member, Muhammad Ali Jinnah and several of his colleagues resigned in protest.
How damaging were these acts?
Despite being found to be unnecessary and soon repealed, the impression was clearly created that the Montagu-Chelmsford reforms were meaningless and that the British were prepared to use force to crush Indian opposition. It also revealed that the British had no intention of releasing their grip on India.
These acts alienated a wide range of public opinion in India and came close to wrecking the 1919 Government of India Act.
They were also implemented at a time when many Indians were expecting a form of self government, after WW1
What happened regarding Congress leadership during this time?
When the acts were passed, Bal Tilak, the most important radical was in London and allowed Mohandas Gandhi to emerge as the real leader - Tilak’s death left Gandhi unchallenged.
Why did the Indian government set up the Rowlatt Commission?
They appointed a Scottish judge, Mr S.A.T Rowlatt to investigate ‘revolutionary conspiracies’ in 1917 as the Indian government were worried that the situation was slipping away from them as there were few British troops to control an uprising.
