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The Rowlatt Act aimed at
Explanation
The Rowlatt Act, officially known as the Anarchical and Revolutionary Crimes Act of 1919, was enacted based on the recommendations of a committee chaired by Sir Sidney Rowlatt [1]. Its primary objective was to extend the wartime emergency measures of the Defence of India Act 1915 to curb growing nationalist and revolutionary activities [1]. The Act granted the British colonial government enormous powers to repress political dissent, specifically allowing for the detention of political prisoners without trial for up to two years and the use of summary procedures for trials [2]. This suspension of civil liberties and the right to habeas corpus led to widespread public indignation, famously summarized by the slogan 'No plea, No lawyer, No appeal' [1]. Mahatma Gandhi responded by launching the Rowlatt Satyagraha, the first nationwide protest against British rule [2].
Sources
- [1] Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 15: Emergence of Gandhi > The Rowlatt Act > p. 320
- [2] India and the Contemporary World – II. History-Class X . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 2: Nationalism in India > 1.2 The Rowlatt Act > p. 31