---
title: "Rowlatt Act: 1919 British Repressive Law | Model Diplomat"
description: "The Rowlatt Act of 1919 allowed arrest without warrant and detention without trial for suspected revolutionaries, impacting India's struggle for freedom."
url: "https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/glossary/rowlatt-act"
---

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Model Diplomat Research Team · Last reviewed June 22, 2026

TL;DR

- The Rowlatt Act of 1919 was a repressive British law empowering arrest without warrant and detention without trial of Indians suspected of revolutionary activity.
- Who chaired the committee that recommended the Rowlatt Act?
- Why did Indian members oppose the Rowlatt Act in the Legislative Council?
- How is the Rowlatt Act connected to the Jallianwala Bagh massacre?
- What was the significance of the Rowlatt Satyagraha for Gandhi's leadership?

[Civil Service & Diplomatic Exams](https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/civil-services/glossary)Updated June 22, 2026

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## Timeline

1. 6 April 1919

   Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, who had hitherto cooperated with the Raj during the First World War, launched his first all-India campaign, the Rowlatt Satyagrah…

2. 13 April 1919

   Following disturbances in the Punjab and the arrest of leaders Saifuddin Kitchlew and Satya Pal, Brigadier-General Reginald Dyer ordered troops to fire witho…

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Example

In April 1919, Mohandas Gandhi launched the Rowlatt Satyagraha with a nationwide hartal, and on 13 April Brigadier-General Reginald Dyer fired on an unarmed crowd at Jallianwala Bagh, Amritsar.

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