First World War started in July 1914. The Britishers were very much involved in the First World War and in such a situation they made an act to suppress the Indian revolutionary activities whose name was the Defense of India Act 1915.
This was the Emergency Law, which meant that the British were in an emergency. The World War ended in November 1918 and the British knew that this law was going to end after 6 months.
The Britishers started thinking that after the end of the law, how would the Indian Nationalist and Revolutionary activities be ended.
To solve this problem, the Britishers formed a committee under Sir Sidney Rowlatt. They were asked to evaluate political activities in India.
This committee established the link between the Indian and German governments. This committee recommended extending the Defense of India Act for an indefinite period.
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The defense of India, 1915, extended for an indefinite period, it is called the Rowlatt Act 1919.
This act came during the time of Viceroy Lord Chelmsford. The purpose of the Rowlatt Act was to put an end to any activity against the Britishers before it could happen.
Police could search any place without any warrant. People could be put in jail on the basis of suspicion.
Special courts were also made where the verdict was delivered immediately. Once you are proven guilty, you cannot even appeal.
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People were banned from assembling the public office. There were no peaceful dharnas allowed.
The Indian members who were in the Viceroy's council, they resigned in Protest of the Rowlatt Act.
Fire of anger had spread in the minds of the common people against the Rowlatt Act.
Gandhiji committed that he will fight against this act in a peaceful manner. Gandhiji started Satyagraha Sabha in Bombay on the 24th of 1919. Satyagraha meetings were held from place to place.
On 6th April 1919, there was a strike all over the country. Then the news came from Punjab that the big leaders of Punjab were caught by the police.
Due to this, people got very angry and started hurting British properties. In view of this, the law was imposed in Punjab and the responsibility of Punjab was given to General Dyer.
But unaware of all these things, on April 13, the people of Amritsar and its surrounding villages gathered in Jallianwala Bagh on the festival of Baisakhi.
Seeing the crowd of 10 to 15 thousand people gathered together, General Dyer attacked in which many people lost their lives.
Gandhiji was very angry with this. In Punjab and Gujarat, people did not do Satyagraha peacefully and fought over it.
After 3 years, this act itself was withdrawn in 1922 on the basis of the Representative Law Committee.
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