Dawood Public School

Grade VIII
2059/1

ROWLATT ACT AND AMRITSAR

MASSACRE – 1919

Chapter # 5
By: Ms Rida Qasim
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
 By the end of the lesson students should be able to
explain:
 How British rulers dealt with the violent events in
India in 1919
 Why they introduced Rowlatt Act?

 What happened at Amritsar?

ROWLATT ACT – 1919
 During WW1, British introduced Defence of India Act to
keep law and order in India.
 British Government was well aware of the growing
demands of Self Rule in India.
 They were also aware of the Lucknow Pact.

 They knew that they were not fulfilling the demands of

Indians.
 They feared that there might be any violent event occur
against British Government .
 In 1917, a committee was formed under Justice Rowlatt
to investigate the revolutionary activities in India.
ROWLATT ACT - 1919
 In 1918, Justice Rowlatt recommended tough new laws
to be made to deal with those who tried to protest against
the Government.
 Features of Rowlatt Act:

 Arrest without warrant

 Detention without bail

 No rights of appeal

 People could be ordered to live in a particular place

REACTIONS OF INDIANS
 Furious with the new laws.
 Mr. Jinnah resigned from the Imperial Legislative
Council in protest.
 Mr. Gandhi launched “hartaal”

 Throughout April there were protests, strikes and

demonstrations against the Government .
 Viceroy ignored the Indian demands and passed Rowlatt
Act.
AMRITSAR MASSACRE
1919
AMRITSAR MASSACRE – APRIL 1919
 Amritsar Massacre also goes by the name The
Jallianwala Bagh Massacre.
 The incident took place on April 13, 1919.

 The day on which the incident took place was

‘Baisakhi’, Punjab’s one of the largest festivals.
 The precursor to the Massacre was the Rowlatt Act.

 The Rowlatt Act was basically designed for controlling

activities of Indian Revolutionaries.
 The strikes and demonstrations against Rowlatt Act were
strengthening and the British Government put ban on
public meetings.
EVENTS LEAD TO AMRITSAR
MASSACRE
 Riots started in the city of Amritsar, two banks were
attacked and 5 Europeans were killed.
 On April 10, 1919, two famous leaders, Dr. Kitchlew and
Dr. Satyapal were arrested on the basis of Rowlatt Act.
 on 12th of April, 1919, General Dyer took command of
troops. He issued a proclamation banning all public
gatherings.
 An estimated crowd of 20,000 Indians gathered at
Jallianwala Bagh for peaceful protest.
THE INCIDENT
 The main character of this story is General Dyer.
 He ordered his men to take positions in front of the gates
of the ground.
 The troops fired 1600 rounds.

 No one exactly know how many people died that day.

 British said around 400 people were killed.

 Congress claimed that more than 1000 people were

killed.
 Most of them jumped into the well and drowned.
THE HUNTER COMMITTEE
 An inquiry committee was formed in England to
investigate what General Dyer had done in Amritsar.
 The committee was called The Hunter Committee.

 Dyer said that he fired on the crowd to teach them a

lesson.
 Dyer was removed from the active service but was never
received any punishment.
 In the eyes of the European he was a HERO.
A VIDEO
Watch the video about Amritsar Massacre
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2LaoamJ3vbs
THANK YOU