Rowlatt to Non-Cooperation Movement (1919-1922)

Rowlatt to Non-Cooperation Movement (1919-1922)

Rowlatt Act (1919)

• During the viceroyalty of Lord Chelmsford, a sedition committee was appointed by the government in 1918, with Justice Rowlatt, which made certain recommendations to curb seditious activities in India.

• The Rowlatt Act 1919 gave unbridled powers to the government to arrest and imprison suspects without trial.

• The act caused a wave of anger among the people. Even before the act was passed, popular agitation began against it.

• Gandhiji decided to fight against this act and gave a call for Satyagraha on April 6, 1919.

• He was arrested on April 8, 1919.

• This led to further intensification of the agitation in Delhi, Ahmedabad, and Punjab.

Jallianwala Bagh Massacre (April 13, 1919)

• The arrest of Dr. Saifuddin Kitchlu and Dr. Satyapal on April 10, 1919, under the Rowlatt Act in connection with Satyagraha caused serious unrest in Punjab.

• A public meeting was held on April 13, 1919, in a park called Jallianwala Bagh in Amritsar, where thousands of people, including women and children, assembled.

• Before the meeting could start, General Reginald Edward Harry (R.E.H.) Dyer ordered indiscriminate heavy firing on the crowd, and the people had no way to escape.

• As a result, hundreds of men, women, and children were killed, and more than 1,200 people were wounded.

• At that time, Michael O'Dwyer was the Lieutenant Governor of Punjab.

• The massacre was a turning point in Indo-British relations and inspired the people to provide a more unrelenting fight for freedom.

Note: Sardar Udham Singh, an Indian patriot from Punjab, shot down Michael O'Dwyer in London in 1940.

Khilafat Movement (1920–22)

• The Caliph (or Khalifa) Sultan of Turkey was looked upon by the Muslims as their religious head.

• During the First World War, when the safety and welfare of Turkey were threatened by the British—thereby weakening the Caliph's position—Indian Muslims adopted an aggressive anti-British attitude.

• The Ali Brothers—Mohammad Ali and Shaukat Ali—launched an anti-British movement in 1920, the Khilafat Movement, for the restoration of the Khilafat.

• Maulana Abul Kalam Azad also led the movement.

• It was supported by Gandhiji and the INC, which paved the way for Hindu-Muslim unity.

Non-Cooperation Movement (1920–22)

At the Calcutta session in September 1920, the Congress resolved in favour of the Non-Cooperation Movement and defined Swaraj as its ultimate aim (according to Gandhi).

The movement envisaged:

• Surrender of titles and honorary offices

• Resignation from nominated offices

• Refusal to attend government darbars and official functions

• Boycott of British courts by lawyers

• Refusal by the general public to offer themselves for military and other government jobs

• Boycott of foreign goods, etc.

• Gandhiji, along with the Ali Brothers, undertook a nationwide tour, addressing meetings.

• The educational boycott was especially successful in Bengal, with Punjab also responding under the leadership of Lala Lajpat Rai.

• Apart from the educational boycott, there was a boycott of law courts, which saw major lawyers like:

  • Motilal Nehru

  • C.R. Das

  • C. Rajagopalachari

  • Saifuddin Kitchlu

  • Vallabh Bhai Patel

  • Aruna Asaf Ali (giving up their lucrative practices in their fields).

• The movement also saw the picketing of shops selling foreign clothes and a boycott of foreign clothes by Gandhiji’s followers.

Visit of the Prince of Wales (Nov. 17, 1921)

• A dramatic event during this period was the visit of the Prince of Wales.

• On the day he landed in India (Bombay, November 17, 1921), he was greeted with empty streets and shutters wherever he went.

Chauri-Chaura Incident & Withdrawal (Feb. 4–12, 1922)

• An attack on a local police station by angry peasants at Chauri-Chaura, in Gorakhpur district of UP, on February 4, 1922, changed the whole situation.

• Gandhi, shocked by the Chauri-Chaura incident, withdrew the Non-Cooperation Movement on February 12, 1922.

Final Thoughts

The Gandhian Era was a defining period in India's struggle for independence. Through non-violent resistance, civil disobedience, and mass movements, Mahatma Gandhi awakened the conscience of the nation and united people across regions, religions, and classes.

Events like the Rowlatt Act agitation, the Jallianwala Bagh massacre, the Khilafat movement, and the Non-Cooperation Movement showcased the power of peaceful protest in the face of colonial injustice.

Gandhiji’s unwavering commitment to truth (Satya) and non-violence (Ahimsa) transformed Indian politics and inspired civil rights movements around the world. His legacy continues to serve as a guiding light for those striving for justice, peace, and freedom through non-violent means.