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Rowlatt Act

1919 · 20th century · Also known as Rowlatt Acts, Anarchical and Revolutionary Crimes Act

The Rowlatt Act was a law passed by the Imperial Legislative Council of British India in March 1919, extending wartime emergency powers. Based on the report of a committee chaired by the judge Sidney Rowlatt, it allowed the detention of suspected revolutionaries without trial and trial without jury. It provoked Gandhi's first all-India protest, a nationwide strike, and the unrest in Punjab that led to the Jallianwala Bagh massacre.

Rowlatt Act
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APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Rowlatt Act. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/rowlatt-act
MLA
“Rowlatt Act.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/rowlatt-act. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Rowlatt Act.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/rowlatt-act.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Rowlatt Act’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/rowlatt-act (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻