Rowlatt Act: Difference between revisions

{{short description|Act passed, in 1919, by the British in India that gave them extensive powers to arrest activists}}

|short_title       =The Anarchical and Revolutionary Crimes Act,1919

|image =Star-of-India-gold-centre.svg

|legislature = [[Imperial Legislative Council]]

|repealed_by = The Special Laws Repeal Act,1922

|status = repealed

[[File:Sir Sidney Arthur Taylor Rowlatt (cropped).jpg|200px|thumbnail|right|[[Sidney Rowlatt]], best remembered for his controversial presidency of the [[Rowlatt Committee]], a [[sedition]] committee appointed in 1919 by the [[British Raj|British Indian]] Government to evaluate the links between [[political terrorism]] in [[Presidencies and provinces of British India|India]].]]

The '''Anarchical and Revolutionary Crimes Act of 1919''', popularly known as the '''Rowlatt Act''', was a legislative council act passed by the [[Imperial Legislative Council]] in [[Delhi]] on 18 March 1919, indefinitely extending the emergency measures of preventive [[indefinite detention]], incarceration without trial and judicial review enacted in the [[Defence of India Act 1915]] during the [[First World War]]. It was enacted in light of a perceived threat from revolutionary nationalists to organisations of re-engaging in similar [[Hindu–German Conspiracy|conspiracies as during the war]] which the Government felt the lapse of the Defence of India Act would enable.<ref name=Popplewell175>{{Harvnb|Popplewell|1995|p=175}}{{full citation needed|date=December 2020}}</ref><ref name=Lovett>{{Harvnb|Lovett|1920|pp=94, 187–191}}{{full citation needed|date=December 2020}}</ref><ref name=Sarkar1921>{{Harvnb|Sarkar|1921|p=137}}{{full citation needed|date=December 2020}}</ref><ref name=Tinker92>{{Harvnb|Tinker|1968|p=92}}{{full citation needed|date=December 2020}}</ref><ref name=Fisher129>{{Harvnb|Fisher|1972|p=129}}{{full citation needed|date=December 2020}}</ref> {{short description|Act passed, in 1919, by the British in India that gave them extensive powers to arrest activists}}

{{More footnotes|date=December 2019}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2019}}

{{Use Indian English|date=November 2018}}

|short_title        =The Anarchical and Revolutionary Crimes Act,1919

|image =Star-of-India-gold-centre.svg

|legislature = [[Imperial Legislative Council]]

|repealed_by = The Special Laws Repeal Act,1922

|status = repealed

[[File:Sir Sidney Arthur Taylor Rowlatt (cropped).jpg|200px|thumbnail|right|[[Sidney Rowlatt]], best remembered for his controversial presidency of the [[Rowlatt Committee]], a [[sedition]] committee appointed in 1919 by the [[British Raj|British Indian]] Government to evaluate the links between [[political terrorism]] in [[Presidencies and provinces of British India|India]].]]

 

The '''Anarchical and Revolutionary Crimes Act of 1919''', popularly known as the '''Rowlatt Act''', was a legislative council act passed by the [[Imperial Legislative Council]] in [[Delhi]] on 18 March 1919, indefinitely extending the emergency measures of preventive [[indefinite detention]], incarceration without trial and judicial review enacted in the [[Defence of India Act 1915]]  during the [[First World War]]. It was enacted in light of a perceived threat from revolutionary nationalists to organisations of re-engaging in similar [[Hindu–German Conspiracy|conspiracies as during the war]]  which the Government felt the lapse of the Defence of India Act would enable.<ref name=Popplewell175>{{Harvnb|Popplewell|1995|p=175}}{{full citation needed|date=December 2020}}</ref><ref name=Lovett>{{Harvnb|Lovett|1920|pp=94, 187–191}}{{full citation needed|date=December 2020}}</ref><ref name=Sarkar1921>{{Harvnb|Sarkar|1921|p=137}}{{full citation needed|date=December 2020}}</ref><ref name=Tinker92>{{Harvnb|Tinker|1968|p=92}}{{full citation needed|date=December 2020}}</ref><ref name=Fisher129>{{Harvnb|Fisher|1972|p=129}}{{full citation needed|date=December 2020}}</ref>

The British colonial government passed the Rowlatt Act which gave powers to the police to arrest any person without any reason whatsoever. The purpose of the Act was to curb the growing [[Indian nationalism|nationalist]] upsurge in the country. Gandhi called upon the people to perform ''[[satyagraha]]'' against the act.

Passed on the recommendations of the [[Rowlatt Committee]] and named after its president, [[Sidney Rowlatt|Sir Sidney Rowlatt]], the act effectively authorized the colonial government to imprison any person suspected of [[terrorism]] living in British India for up to two years without a trial, and gave the colonial authorities power to deal with all revolutionary activities.

The unpopular legislation provided for stricter control of the press, arrests without warrant, indefinite detention without trial, and juryless ''in camera'' trials for proscribed political acts. The accused were denied the right to know the accusers and the evidence used in the trial.<ref name="Vohra 2001, 126">Vohra, Ranbir (2001). [https://books.google.com/books?id=IDKoyGjFo44C ''The Making of India: A Historical Survey''], 2nd Ed. Armonk, New York: M.E. Sharpe. {{ISBN|0-7656-0711-5}}. p. 126.</ref> Those convicted were required to deposit securities upon release, and were prohibited from taking part in any political, educational, or religious activities.<ref name="Vohra 2001, 126" />

On the report of the committee, headed by Justice Rowlatt, two bills were introduced in the [[Central Legislative Assembly|Central Legislature]] on 6 February 1919. These bills came to be known as "Black Bills". They gave enormous powers to the police to search a place and arrest any person they disapproved of without warrant. Despite much opposition, the Rowlatt Act was passed on 18 March 1919. The purpose of the act was to curb the growing nationalist upsurge in the country.

==Impact==

[[Mahatma Gandhi]], among other Indian leaders, was extremely critical of the Act and argued that not everyone should be punished in response to isolated political crimes. [[Madan Mohan Malaviya]] and [[Jinnah|Muhammad Ali Jinnah]], a member of the [[All-India Muslim League]] resigned from the Imperial legislative council in protest against the act.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.open.ac.uk/researchprojects/makingbritain/content/mohammed-ali-jinnah|title=Mohammed Ali Jinnah {{!}} Making Britain|website=www.open.ac.uk|access-date=2019-12-07}}</ref> The act also angered many other Indian leaders and the public, which caused the government to implement repressive measures. Gandhi and others thought that constitutional opposition to the measure was fruitless, so on 6 April, a [[hartal]] took place. This was an event in which Indians suspended businesses and went on strikes and would fast, pray and hold public meetings against the 'Black Act' as a sign of their opposition and civil disobedience would be offered against the law. Mahatma Gandhi bathed in the sea at Mumbai and made a speech before a procession to a temple took place.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.gandhitopia.org/profiles/blogs/remembering-this-week-jalianwala-bagh-massacre-april-6th-to-april|title=Remembering this week: Jalianwala Bagh Massacre – April 6th to April 15th, 1919|last=Balaji|first=Balamurali|date=9 April 2013|website=GandhiTopia|access-date=6 April 2019}}</ref> This event was part of the [[Non-cooperation movement]].

However, the success of the hartal in [[Delhi]], on 30 March, was overshadowed by tensions running high, which resulted in rioting in the [[Punjab Province (British India)|Punjab]], Delhi and Gujrat. Deciding that Indians were not ready to make a stand consistent with the principle of [[nonviolence]], an integral part of ''satyagraha'' (disobeying the British colonial government's laws without using violence), Gandhi suspended the resistance.

The Rowlatt Act came into effect on 21 March 1919. In Punjab the protest movement was very strong, and on 10 April two leaders of the congress, Dr. [[Satyapal]] and [[Saifuddin Kitchlew]], were arrested and taken secretly to [[Dharamsala, Himachal Pradesh|Dharamsala]].{{citation needed|date=December 2019}}

Accepting the report of the Repressive Laws Committee, the [[British Raj|British colonial government]] repealed the Rowlatt Act, the [[Press Act]], and twenty-two other laws in March 1922.<ref name="Riddick">[https://books.google.com/books?id=V2nGnWXV7coC&pg=PA106&sig=jrNru448QPQBfZbP5NfPWPxsUsQ&hl=en#v=onepage&q&f=false The history of British India: a chronology], John F. Riddick, 2006</ref>

[[Category:1919 in law]]