UPSC Prelims 2012 Q70: Modern History – Gandhian Mass Movements (1915 - 1942)
The Rowlatt Act aimed at
- (a) compulsory economic support to war efforts
- (b) imprisonment without trial and summary procedures for trial
- (c) suppression of the Khilafat Movement
- (d) imposition of restrictions on freedom of the press
Answer: (b) imprisonment without trial and summary procedures for trial
Explanation
The Rowlatt Act, 1919
Its formal name was the Anarchical and Revolutionary Crimes Act.
It was based on the report of the Sedition Committee under Justice Sidney Rowlatt.
| Option | Verdict | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| (a) compulsory economic support to war efforts | Incorrect | The First World War had already ended |
| (b) imprisonment without trial and summary procedures for trial | Correct | Detention for up to two years without trial; trial by special courts with no jury |
| (c) suppression of the Khilafat Movement | Incorrect | The Khilafat Movement began after the Act |
| (d) imposition of restrictions on freedom of the press | Incorrect | Press control came under other laws |
What followed:
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Rowlatt Satyagraha, Gandhi's first all-India movement | 6 April 1919 (hartal) |
| Jallianwala Bagh massacre | 13 April 1919 |
| The slogan against the Act | 'No dalil, no vakil, no appeal' |
Answer: (b) imprisonment without trial and summary procedures for trial.
Why each option is right or wrong
- (a) Incorrect. The Act had nothing to do with economic support to war efforts.
- (b) CORRECT. It allowed imprisonment without trial and summary trials.
- (c) Incorrect. The Khilafat Movement came later, in 1919 to 1920.
- (d) Incorrect. It was not a law on the freedom of the press.
Key point
Rowlatt Act (March 1919): detention without trial up to two years, special courts; Rowlatt Satyagraha (6 April 1919); Jallianwala Bagh (13 April 1919).
Remember
Rowlatt Act = jail without trial.
Common mistakes
- Confusing it with the Defence of India Act, 1915, the wartime law it replaced.
- Linking it to the press; the Vernacular Press Act was a different law of 1878.
- Forgetting that it led to Gandhi's first all-India satyagraha.
Exam tip
'No dalil, no vakil, no appeal' sums up the Act. That is detention without trial.
Sources
- Bipan Chandra — India's Struggle for Independence, Ch 14 (The Non-Cooperation Movement: background)
- Spectrum — A Brief History of Modern India, Ch on Emergence of Gandhi