Rowlatt Satyagraha: Rowlatt Act 1919 & Jallianwala Bagh Massacre

The Rowlatt Satyagraha (1919) was the First all-India Strike & a non-violent protest by Gandhiji against Britishers. It was started against the repressive Black law namely Rowlatt Act of 1919 (or Anarchical & Revolutionary Crimes Act). Despite every single Indian member’s vote being against it, the Imperial Legislative Council passed the Rowlatt Act in March 1919 based on the recommendations of the Sedition Committee. The law was so draconian that the slogan ‘No Dalil, No Vakil & No Appeal’ became popular among the masses.

In response to it, Gandhiji launched the Satyagraha that witnessed an unprecedented Hindu-Muslim unity. It led to the arrest of Saifuddin Kitchlew & Satyapal Malik and ultimately the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre took place on 13 April 1919 that horrified the world. Later Gandhiji realised that it was a ‘Himalayan Miscalculation’ because people were not yet fully ready for a non-violent protest.

The Rowlatt & the Jallianwala Incident became the immediate reason for the Non Cooperation Movement (NCM) in August 1920.

• The Rowlatt Satyagraha and Jallianwala Bagh Massacre were watershed moments in India’s struggle for independence. It underscored the colonial government’s disregard for the civil liberties of the Indian people.
• The brutal methods were used by the Britishers to curb the nationalist sentiments which exposed the colonial government’s disregard for the basic rights such as freedom of speech.
• The Rowlatt Satyagraha marked Gandhiji’s first major all-India political action aimed at resisting the stringent Rowlatt Act of 1919.
• The tragic events at Jallianwala Bagh soon intensified Indian resentment against British rule and galvanised an unprecedented freedom movement.

• After the First World War, the Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms or the Government of India Act, 1919 raised hopes among people for constitutional reforms.
• However, the Rowlatt Committee recommended repressive legislation to curtail civil liberties, which was seen as a betrayal to the people of the country.
• The Rowlatt Act, officially known as the Anarchical and Revolutionary Crimes Act (1919) granted the then British government extensive powers to curb political activities, search their premises without any authority, arrest without warrant and imprison individuals without trial for up to 2 years.
• It effectively suspended the Right to Habeas Corpus, provoking widespread opposition among Indian leaders.
• Gandhiji opposed the act, describing it as reflecting a ‘distrust of the common man’. Drawing from his successful campaigns in Champaran, Kheda and Ahmedabad, he initiated a Satyagraha (nonviolent resistance) pledging to defy the act and similar unjust laws.

• Also known as the Anarchical and Revolutionary Crimes Act, the law was passed on the recommendation of the Sedition Committee by the British government to curb revolutionary activities in India.
• The important provisions of Rowlatt Act includes the following:
  • Arrest without trial: Suspects could be detained for up to 2 years.
  • Suspension of Habeas Corpus: The fundamental right against unlawful detention was suspended which left the Indian people vulnerable.
  • Formation of special tribunals: The cases under the Rowlatt act were conducted by special panels with no jury trials and no legal aid for the accused.
  • Censorship of Press: There was a strict control over the publication of ‘seditious’ material and a mandate for sedition trials.
• The Rowlatt Act was popularly called the Black law. It empowered the authorities to arrest and detain individuals without trial, curtail press freedom, and conduct searches without warrants. The act completely bypassed the ordinary judicial procedures.
• It was seen as a betrayal by the Indian people following India’s contributions to World War I and ignited widespread protests. It also included the Jallianwala Bagh massacre where British officer Reginald Dyer ordered troops to fire on the peaceful gathering of Indian people at Amritsar in Punjab which brutally killed many people.
• The incident fueled the Indian Independence Movement under Mahatma Gandhi and reflected the oppressive British colonial regime.

• The Satyagraha Sabha was established by Mahatma Gandhi on February 24, 1919 in Bombay. The Sabha took up the cause of resisting the oppressive Rowlatt Act through non-violence. The members would have to sign a pledge to disobey the Rowlatt Act and any other ‘objectionable laws’.
• On April 6, 1919, a nationwide hartal (strike) was organised with the shops closed and rallies held in several cities.
• The movement saw massive protests in Lahore and Punjab, demonstrating the power of non-cooperation before the formal beginning of the movement.
• Workers went on strike in railway workshops and large demonstrations were held. Unfortunately, these protests often led to violence, especially following Gandhi’s arrest on April 9, 1919.
• Further the tension reached a breaking point in Amritsar (Punjab) with the arrest of two prominent local leaders namely Dr. Saifuddin Kitchlew and Dr. Satyapal Malik under the Rowlatt provisions triggered massive unrest.

• On the day of the festival of Baisakhi, a large & peaceful gathering took place at Jallianwala Bagh in Amritsar on April 13, 1919 to protest the arrest of two prominent leaders, Dr. Saifuddin Kitchlu and Dr. Satyapal.
• The British General Dyer ordered his troops to open fire on the unarmed crowd killing hundreds of innocent people and injuring thousands.
• The Jallianwala Bagh Massacre shook the nation, leading Rabindranath Tagore to renounce his knighthood (honor) and Gandhiji to return his Kaiser-i-Hind (medal).
• Montagu, the then British Secretary of State for India, famously described the massacre as ‘Preventive Murder’.
• Subsequently, the Hunter Commission was formed to investigate the tragedy of Jallianwala Bagh.
• By 1920, the anger over the massacre, the Rowlatt Act 1919, and the Khilafat issue were merged into the Non-Cooperation Movement.

• Though the Rowlatt Satyagraha did not achieve its primary objective, it marked the beginning of the ‘Politics of the masses’ in India. It also introduced a new level of popular involvement in the nationalist movement.
• The British repressive policies in the form of ‘Black Law’ exposed the moral bankruptcy of colonial rule to the world.
• The Jallianwala Bagh incident revealed the extent of British brutality & sparked a wave of resentment that gave rise to India’s freedom struggle.
• The Jallianwala Bagh massacre exposed the cruelty of British rule to a global audience & attracted international criticism and further uniting Indians in their demand for independence.
• In the upcoming Non-Cooperation Movement, It resulted into an unprecedented level of Hindu-Muslim unity through the alliance with the Muslim League.

What was the Rowlatt Act?

The Rowlatt Act was passed in 1919 & authorised the British government in India to arrest and detain individuals without trial, restrict press freedom, and conduct warrantless searches, aiming to suppress revolutionary activities.

What was the “no dalil, no vakil, no appeal” slogan?

“No dalil, no vakil, no appeal” slogan referred to the Provisions of Rowlatt Act where an accused had no right to a lawyer (no legal aid), no right to argue their case, and no right to appeal the tribunal’s decision.

Give a brief description of Rowlatt Satyagraha?

The Rowlatt Satyagraha was a nationwide protest against the Rowlatt Act which gave the British officials the power to arrest any suspect without a warrant. The suspects can also be imprisoned for 2 years without any trial.

Why did Gandhi call off the Rowlatt Satyagraha?

Gandhi called off the Rowlatt satyagraha because the movement turned violent in several places. Gandhiji felt that the masses weren't ready and required more training.