CBSE Class 10 · Nationalism in India

Satyagraha and the Rowlatt Act: Class 10 History Explained

Updated 14 October 2026 · Fact-checked

Satyagraha was Gandhiji's method of mass struggle that relied on truth and non-violence instead of force. He used it in India at Champaran, Ahmedabad and Kheda. In 1919 he called a nationwide satyagraha against the Rowlatt Act, which was followed by the Jallianwala Bagh massacre. Map questions use Champaran, Kheda, Ahmedabad mill workers and Jallianwala Bagh from the official list.

Notice that three local struggles (shaded) came before the nationwide 1919 satyagraha against the Rowlatt Act, which was followed by Jallianwala Bagh.

Illustration drawn for QuestionBuddy.

Understand Satyagraha and the Rowlatt Act

Satyagraha is a method of struggle built on the power of truth. Gandhiji had already used it with success against the racist regime in South Africa. He came back to India in January 1915.

The reasoning goes like this. When a cause is just, you need no force to win it. The satyagrahi does not hit back or try to get even. Instead, he works on the conscience of the person doing wrong. The aim is to make even the oppressor see the truth, not to force it on him. Gandhiji was sure truth would win in the end. He also saw non-violence as a dharma that could bring all Indians together.

Do not confuse this with doing nothing. People called 'passive resistance' a weapon of the weak, and Gandhiji rejected that label. In his view satyagraha needed constant effort and real courage, so only the strong could practise it. In an answer, call it active, non-violent resistance.

Gandhiji tried the method in three local struggles before taking it to the whole country. In 1917, at Champaran in Bihar, he encouraged peasants to resist the harsh plantation system. In 1918 he led a satyagraha of cotton mill workers in Ahmedabad. Also in 1918 he backed the peasants of Kheda district in Gujarat. Their crops had failed and plague had struck, so they could not pay revenue. They asked for revenue collection to be eased. Success in all three gave Gandhiji the confidence to think bigger.

In 1919 he turned against the Rowlatt Act. The government rushed the Act through the Imperial Legislative Council even though every Indian member opposed it. It gave officials sweeping powers to crush political activity. It let them hold political prisoners for two years without a trial. Gandhiji asked for non-violent civil disobedience against this unjust law. It was to begin with a hartal (a protest strike in which shops close and work stops) on 6 April. Cities held rallies, railway workshop workers stopped work and shops stayed shut.

The size of the response worried the British. They feared that railway and telegraph links might be cut. So they moved against the nationalists. Amritsar's local leaders were arrested, and Gandhiji was stopped from entering Delhi. On 10 April police in Amritsar opened fire on a peaceful procession. Angry crowds then attacked banks, post offices and railway stations. Martial law followed, with General Dyer in charge.

On 13 April 1919 a large crowd filled the enclosed ground of Jallianwala Bagh. Part of it had come to protest against the government's harsh new laws. The rest were mostly villagers who had come into the city for the yearly Baisakhi fair; living outside Amritsar, many did not know that martial law (rule by the army, with ordinary rights suspended) was in force. Dyer entered, blocked the exits and opened fire on the crowd. Hundreds died. He later said he wanted to 'produce a moral effect', meaning terror and awe in the minds of satyagrahis.

As the news travelled, protests broke out in many north Indian towns. The government hit back in ways meant to humiliate people: satyagrahis were forced to crawl in the streets, press their noses to the ground and salute every British official. People were flogged, and villages around Gujranwala were bombed. Violence was now spreading, so Gandhiji ended the movement. The Rowlatt satyagraha had reached many places, but mostly cities and towns. Gandhiji now wanted a broader movement, and this led him to Khilafat and Non-Cooperation.

Satyagraha and the Rowlatt Act: key facts

Satyagraha: Non-violent mass agitation based on the power of truth, appealing to the oppressor's conscience; Use for 'What is meant by satyagraha?' Add that it is active, not passive.
Champaran, 1917: Bihar: peasants against the oppressive plantation system; Map item. The 1917 satyagraha against the plantation system.
Ahmedabad, 1918: Satyagraha among cotton mill workers; Map item. Remember: workers, not peasants.
Kheda, 1918: Gujarat: peasants hit by crop failure and plague demanded relaxation of revenue collection; Map item. The revenue satyagraha.
Rowlatt Act, 1919: Passed despite united Indian opposition; powers to repress politics; detention without trial for two years; Core of 'Why were Indians outraged?'
Rowlatt satyagraha: Hartal on 6 April 1919; Amritsar firing on 10 April; martial law under General Dyer; Keep the sequence of dates in order.
Jallianwala Bagh: 13 April 1919, Amritsar: Dyer blocked exits and fired, killing hundreds, to 'produce a moral effect'; Map item. Crowd included Baisakhi fair visitors.

How to answer Satyagraha and the Rowlatt Act questions

Answers on this topic reward clear value points with exact facts from the NCERT text. Follow these steps.

1Read the command word: 'explain', 'why' or 'trace' each needs a different shape (meaning, reasons, or events in order).
2For satyagraha, write three points: power of truth, no physical force or revenge, appeal to the conscience of the oppressor. Add 'active, not passive' for an extra point.
3For the Rowlatt Act, give the two provisions (repressive powers, detention without trial for two years) and the way it was passed (despite united Indian opposition).
4For Jallianwala Bagh, give date, place, who, what he did (blocked exits, fired) and his aim ('moral effect' of terror).
5In sequence questions, keep dates in order: 6 April hartal, 10 April Amritsar firing, martial law, 13 April Jallianwala Bagh, repression, withdrawal.
6Link up: say the early satyagrahas gave Gandhiji confidence, and the urban limit of the Rowlatt satyagraha led him to a broader movement.
7Keep to word limits: about one fact-based sentence per mark.

Satyagraha and the Rowlatt Act in real life

The idea, met in an everyday situation. Answer the question in your own words, then compare with the model answer. The one-line hook is what to remember.

The Idea of Satyagraha

Suppose the gram panchayat in your village suddenly closes the only public path to the fields. Some young men want to break the fence at night. An elderly farmer suggests that the villagers sit peacefully at the panchayat office every day and explain how unfair the closure is, until the members agree to listen.

Which approach follows Gandhiji's idea of satyagraha? Explain with two features of satyagraha. (3 marks)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Identify the elderly farmer's plan as satyagraha.
It uses no physical force or revenge.
It appeals to the conscience of those in power and persuades them to see the truth.
It is active resistance, not passive, as it needs daily effort.

Answer: The elderly farmer's plan follows satyagraha. It fights an injustice without physical force or revenge. It tries to appeal to the conscience of the panchayat members so they see the truth. It is also active, not passive: villagers act every day, which needs courage and discipline.

Memory hook: Persuade, don't push: that is satyagraha.

The Rowlatt Act and Jallianwala Bagh

Imagine a school rule is passed that lets the management suspend any student for two weeks without telling them the reason or hearing their side. All the student council members had voted against it, but it was passed anyway.

Compare this imaginary rule with the Rowlatt Act. Why did Indians find the Act unjust? (3 marks)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Both were passed despite the opposition of the people's representatives.
Both allow punishment without a hearing.
Rowlatt Act: detention of political prisoners without trial for two years.
Rowlatt Act: huge powers to repress political activities.

Answer: Like the school rule, the Rowlatt Act was hurriedly passed despite the united opposition of Indian members of the Imperial Legislative Council. It gave the government huge powers to repress political activities. It allowed political prisoners to be detained without trial for two years, denying them any hearing.

Memory hook: No hearing, no trial: that is why Rowlatt was called unjust.

Tricks to remember Satyagraha and the Rowlatt Act

Short memory aids. Say each one aloud once, then use it on a question the same day.

C-A-K order
Champaran = crop growers against plantations (1917); Ahmedabad = mills; Kheda = revenue (both 1918). 'CAK' is also the time order.
Use it when: Sequence MCQs and map questions on the three satyagrahas.
6-10-13
April 1919 counts up: 6 hartal, 10 Amritsar firing, 13 Jallianwala Bagh.
Use it when: Chronology and assertion-reason questions.
Rowlatt = 2 + 2
Two powers (repress political activity; detain without trial) and two years (the length of detention without trial). Add how it was passed: against the united opposition of Indian members.
Use it when: 'Why were Indians outraged by the Rowlatt Act?'

Satyagraha and the Rowlatt Act: solved examples

Ordered from board level to HOTS. Try each one before you open the solution.

Example 1: Statements on the early satyagrahas · 1 mark · MCQBoard level

Read the statements about Gandhiji's early satyagrahas in India.
I. At Champaran, he encouraged peasants to resist the oppressive plantation system.
II. At Ahmedabad, he supported peasants who could not pay revenue after a plague.
III. At Kheda, peasants hit by crop failure and plague wanted revenue collection relaxed.
IV. All three satyagrahas took place after the Rowlatt satyagraha.
Which of the statements are correct?
(a) I and II
(b) I and III
(c) II and IV
(d) I, III and IV

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

I and III are correct. II is wrong because Ahmedabad was a satyagraha of cotton mill workers, not peasants. IV is wrong because Champaran (1917) and Ahmedabad and Kheda (1918) came before the Rowlatt satyagraha of 1919. So the answer is (b) (1 mark).

Answer: (b) I and III

Example 2: The Rowlatt Act and Gandhiji's response · 5 marks · Long answerHarder board level

Analyse how the Rowlatt Act went against the idea of justice, and explain why Gandhiji chose a non-violent hartal to oppose it. (5 marks)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

It was pushed through the Imperial Legislative Council although all the Indian members opposed it, so it had no consent from Indian representatives (1 mark).
It let the government hold political prisoners for two years without trial, denying them a fair hearing (1 mark).
It gave the government sweeping powers to crush political activity, punishing even peaceful protest (1 mark).
Gandhiji's satyagraha held that a just cause needs no force and wins by appealing to the oppressor's conscience, so he called for non-violent civil disobedience beginning with a hartal on 6 April (1 mark).
His successes at Champaran, Ahmedabad and Kheda had given him confidence, and he believed non-violence could unite all Indians; a hartal let ordinary people join through rallies, strikes and closed shops (1 mark).

Answer: The Rowlatt Act went against justice in three ways. The government forced it through the Imperial Legislative Council although every Indian member opposed it. It allowed political prisoners to be held for two years without trial, so they got no hearing. It gave officials sweeping powers to crush political activity.

Gandhiji answered with a non-violent hartal on 6 April 1919. Satyagraha taught that a just cause needs no force and wins by moving the oppressor's conscience. His successes at Champaran, Ahmedabad and Kheda had made him confident. He believed non-violence could unite all Indians, and a hartal let anyone join: cities saw rallies, railway workshop strikes and shut shops.

Example 3: How 10-13 April 1919 changed the Rowlatt satyagraha · 5 marks · Long answerHarder board level

Analyse how the events of 10-13 April 1919 changed the nature of the Rowlatt satyagraha, and explain why Gandhiji called it off. (5 marks)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Until 10 April it was a planned, non-violent protest: a hartal on 6 April with rallies, railway workshop strikes and shut shops (1 mark).
Alarmed by the upsurge and fearing for the railways and telegraph, the British arrested Amritsar's local leaders and barred Gandhiji from Delhi; on 10 April police fired on a peaceful procession, and crowds attacked banks, post offices and railway stations (1 mark).
Martial law under General Dyer and the Jallianwala Bagh firing of 13 April turned protest into confrontation; Dyer's aim was a 'moral effect' of terror and awe (1 mark).
News of the massacre brought strikes, clashes with the police and attacks on government buildings in north Indian towns, answered by humiliating repression (1 mark).
With violence spreading, the movement no longer matched satyagraha's rule of non-violence, so Gandhiji called it off; its mostly urban spread also showed him the need for a broader movement (1 mark).

Answer: Until 10 April the Rowlatt satyagraha was a disciplined, non-violent protest: the 6 April hartal brought rallies, railway workshop strikes and closed shops. The size of this upsurge alarmed the British, who feared for the railways and telegraph. They arrested Amritsar's local leaders, barred Gandhiji from Delhi and, on 10 April, fired on a peaceful procession. From then on the movement changed character. Crowds attacked banks, post offices and railway stations; martial law came under General Dyer, and on 13 April he opened fire at Jallianwala Bagh to create terror and awe. Strikes, clashes and attacks on government buildings spread, met by humiliating repression. Since violence now went against the core of satyagraha, Gandhiji called the movement off.

Example 4: Satyagraha as active resistance · 3 marks · Short answerBoard level

'Satyagraha is not passive resistance.' Explain the idea of satyagraha in the light of this statement. (3 marks)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Satyagraha stressed the power of truth; if the cause is true and against injustice, physical force is not needed (1 mark).
A satyagrahi wins through non-violence by appealing to the oppressor's conscience, without vengeance or aggression (1 mark).
It is active: it calls for intense activity and can be used only by the strong, not as a weapon of the weak (1 mark).

Answer: Satyagraha rests on the power of truth: a just cause needs no physical force. The satyagrahi avoids revenge and aggression and persuades the oppressor by appealing to his conscience. Gandhiji called it active because it demands intense activity and courage; only the strong can use it, so it is not passive resistance.

Example 5: Source: Jallianwala Bagh · 4 marks · Source-basedHOTS / competency

Read the source and answer the questions.

In April 1919 Amritsar was tense. Local leaders had been arrested, police had fired on a peaceful procession, and martial law had been declared with General Dyer in command. On 13 April, a large crowd collected inside the enclosed ground of Jallianwala Bagh. A part of it had come to protest against the government's harsh new measures. Many others were villagers who had come into the city for the yearly Baisakhi fair and did not know that martial law was in force. Dyer entered, closed the exits and opened fire on the crowd, killing hundreds. He later said he wished to produce a 'moral effect'. News of the firing spread, and crowds came out in many north Indian towns.

(i) Why were many people in the crowd unaware of martial law? (1)
(ii) What did Dyer mean by a 'moral effect'? (1)
(iii) Analyse how the government's response after the massacre affected the Rowlatt satyagraha. (2)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

(i) Many were villagers from outside the city who had come for the Baisakhi fair (1 mark).
(ii) He wanted to create a feeling of terror and awe in the minds of satyagrahis (1 mark).
(iii) The government used brutal repression to humiliate people: crawling orders, salaams to sahibs, flogging, bombing of villages around Gujranwala (1 mark).
(iii) Violence spread, so Gandhiji, committed to non-violence, called off the movement (1 mark).

Answer: (i) They were villagers from outside Amritsar who had come for the Baisakhi fair. (ii) He wanted to terrify and awe the satyagrahis. (iii) The government answered protests with humiliating repression such as crawling orders, flogging and bombing villages near Gujranwala. As violence spread, Gandhiji called off the movement, since it went against non-violence.

Example 6: Source: Gandhiji on satyagraha · 4 marks · Source-basedHOTS / competency

Read the source and answer the questions.

Gandhiji wrote that people often described 'passive resistance' as a weapon of the weak. The force he had in mind was different. Only the strong could use it, and it demanded intense activity, as his struggle in South Africa had shown. A satyagrahi did not hurt his opponent or wish for his destruction, and he carried no ill-will. Gandhiji described it as soul-force, rooted in truth and love, and called non-violence the highest dharma. He also pointed out that India could never match Britain or Europe in the force of arms, because its hundreds of millions could never carry arms. For him, non-violence was the path that suited the people of India.

(i) Why did Gandhiji say satyagraha was not passive resistance? (1)
(ii) Why did he think India should not fight Britain with arms? (1)
(iii) Evaluate whether non-violence was a strength or a weakness of the Rowlatt satyagraha when the British cracked down in 1919. (2)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

(i) It demanded intense activity and could be used only by the strong, not the weak (1 mark).
(ii) India could never match Britain or Europe in force of arms; its millions could not carry arms (1 mark).
(iii) Strength: an unarmed hartal drew rallies, railway workshop strikes and shut shops, and this alarmed the British (1 mark).
(iii) Limit: after the Amritsar firing and Jallianwala Bagh, violence spread and non-violence could not be held, so Gandhiji called off the movement; it was a strength in mobilising people but weak in the face of brutal repression (1 mark).

Answer: (i) It needed intense activity and courage, so only the strong could use it. (ii) India could never equal Britain or Europe in arms, as its millions could not carry them. (iii) Non-violence was a strength: an unarmed hartal brought rallies, strikes and shut shops that alarmed the British. But after the Amritsar firing and Jallianwala Bagh, violence spread and non-violence broke down, so Gandhiji withdrew. It mobilised people well but could not withstand brutal repression.

Where students lose marks in Satyagraha and the Rowlatt Act

The slips examiners see most often, and what to write instead.

Mistake: Calling satyagraha passive resistance
Students equate non-violence with doing nothing.
Wrong working
Satyagraha is passive resistance used by the weak.
Right working
Satyagraha is active non-violent resistance; Gandhiji said it needs intense activity and only the strong can use it.
Do this: Always write 'active, non-violent' and mention the appeal to conscience.
Usually costs: 1 mark in a 2- or 3-mark definition.
Mistake: Mixing up Ahmedabad and Kheda
Both are in Gujarat and both are 1918.
Wrong working
Gandhiji supported Ahmedabad peasants who could not pay revenue.
Right working
Ahmedabad: cotton mill workers. Kheda: peasants seeking relaxed revenue collection.
Do this: Link Ahmedabad to mills, Kheda to revenue.
Usually costs: 1 mark in MCQs or map questions.
Mistake: Vague Rowlatt Act answers
Writing 'it was a bad law' without provisions.
Wrong working
Indians were angry because the Act was harsh and British.
Right working
Passed despite united Indian opposition; repressive powers; detention without trial for two years.
Do this: Learn the three exact points.
Usually costs: 2 marks in a 3-mark answer.
Mistake: Wrong order of April 1919 events
Students place Jallianwala Bagh before the Amritsar firing or hartal.
Wrong working
Jallianwala Bagh happened, then the hartal on 6 April was called.
Right working
6 April hartal, 10 April Amritsar firing and martial law, 13 April Jallianwala Bagh.
Do this: Use the 6-10-13 trick.
Usually costs: Up to 2 marks in a sequence answer.

Exam tips

Map questions on this topic come from Champaran, Kheda, Ahmedabad mill workers and Jallianwala Bagh (Amritsar): learn each with its year and cause.
For 'what is satyagraha', give truth, no force or revenge, appeal to conscience, and active not passive.
If a source is given on Jallianwala Bagh or on Gandhiji's views, answer 1-mark parts from the passage and the 2-mark part with chapter facts.
End sequence answers with why Gandhiji called off the movement: spreading violence.
Link forward: the Rowlatt satyagraha was mostly urban, which pushed Gandhiji towards a broad-based movement.

Practice questions on Satyagraha and the Rowlatt Act

Write each answer on paper first. Open the hint only if you are stuck, and the answer only when you have finished.

Q1 · 2 marks · Map workBoard level
On an outline map of India, locate and label:
A. The place where General Dyer opened fire on a crowd on 13 April 1919.
B. The district where Gandhiji supported peasants demanding relaxation of revenue collection in 1918. (2 marks)
Hint
A is in Amritsar, Punjab. B is a district of Gujarat.
Answer
A: Jallianwala Bagh, in Amritsar, Punjab (1 mark). B: Kheda, a district of Gujarat (1 mark).
Q2 · 1 mark · Assertion-reasonHarder board level
Assertion (A): After the Rowlatt satyagraha, Gandhiji decided to take up the Khilafat issue.
Reason (R): He felt that no broad-based movement could be organised without bringing Hindus and Muslims closer together.
(a) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A.
(b) Both A and R are true but R is not the correct explanation of A.
(c) A is true but R is false.
(d) A is false but R is true.
Hint
What did the Rowlatt satyagraha lack, what did Gandhiji want next, and what did he think that required?
Answer
(a) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A. The Rowlatt satyagraha had stayed mostly in cities and towns; Gandhiji wanted a broader movement, which he believed needed Hindu-Muslim unity, and taking up the Khilafat issue was one way to build it.
Q3 · 5 marks · Long answerHarder board level
Compare the satyagrahas at Champaran, Ahmedabad and Kheda: who took part, what they were struggling against or for, and where. Then explain how together they made a nationwide satyagraha possible. (5 marks)
Hint
One point for each satyagraha, then two points linking them to 1919.
Answer
Champaran, Bihar (1917): peasants, inspired by Gandhiji to resist the oppressive plantation system. Ahmedabad (1918): cotton mill workers, organised by Gandhiji in a satyagraha, so the method was tried with industrial workers too. Kheda, Gujarat (1918): peasants hit by crop failure and plague who could not pay revenue and wanted its collection relaxed.
The three covered peasants and workers in different regions, facing different problems. Each showed that non-violent struggle could work without force. These successes emboldened Gandhiji. In 1919 he felt ready to take satyagraha to the whole country against the Rowlatt Act.
Q4 · 5 marks · Long answerHarder board level
Examine how far the Jallianwala Bagh massacre and the repression that followed reveal the British fear of a united mass protest. (5 marks)
Hint
Link what alarmed the British in early April to Dyer's stated aim and to the kind of punishments that followed. End with a judgement.
Answer
Value points:
- What alarmed the British: the popular upsurge after the 6 April hartal and the fear that railway and telegraph links would be disrupted; so they arrested Amritsar's leaders and kept Gandhiji out of Delhi (1 mark).
- The massacre: on 13 April Dyer blocked the exits of the enclosed ground and opened fire on a crowd of protesters and Baisakhi visitors, killing hundreds (1 mark).
- The aim: a 'moral effect', terror and awe in the minds of satyagrahis, which goes beyond restoring order (1 mark).
- The repression: crawling orders, forced salaams to sahibs, flogging and the bombing of villages near Gujranwala were meant to humiliate people and break the will to protest (1 mark).
- Judgement: these acts show a government more afraid of united mass protest than of any single riot; yet terror did not end protest at once, as strikes and clashes spread through north Indian towns (1 mark).
Model answer: The British were already alarmed by the mass response to the 6 April hartal and feared that railways and telegraph would be disrupted, so they arrested Amritsar's leaders and kept Gandhiji out of Delhi. At Jallianwala Bagh on 13 April, Dyer blocked the exits of an enclosed ground and fired on protesters and Baisakhi visitors alike, killing hundreds. His own aim, a 'moral effect' of terror and awe, shows that the target was the spirit of protest itself. The humiliating punishments that followed, from crawling orders to flogging and the bombing of villages near Gujranwala, served the same purpose. This reveals a deep fear of united mass protest, though terror did not stop it at once.
Q5 · 3 marks · Short answerHOTS / competency
A classmate says: 'The British crushed the Rowlatt satyagraha only because it was violent from the start.' Use evidence from the chapter to evaluate this claim. (3 marks)
Hint
Was the start violent? What made the British act?
Answer
The claim is wrong. Gandhiji planned non-violent civil disobedience beginning with a hartal on 6 April. The British cracked down because they were alarmed by the popular upsurge and feared railways and telegraph would be disrupted. Violence followed the police firing on a peaceful procession on 10 April.
Q6 · 2 marks · Very short answerBoard level
What is meant by satyagraha? (2 marks)
Hint
Truth, no force, conscience, active.
Answer
Satyagraha was Gandhiji's method of struggle based on the power of truth. A just cause needs no physical force or revenge (1 mark). The satyagrahi uses non-violence to appeal to the oppressor's conscience; it is active, not passive, resistance (1 mark).
Q7 · 5 marks · Long answerHarder board level
Evaluate how effective Gandhiji's strategy of satyagraha was between 1917 and 1919. Use both the early satyagrahas and the outcome of the Rowlatt satyagraha. (5 marks)
Hint
Two strengths, two limits, one conclusion.
Answer
Strengths: at Champaran (1917), Ahmedabad and Kheda (1918) satyagraha worked for peasants and mill workers, and these successes emboldened Gandhiji (1 mark). In 1919 a simple non-violent hartal brought rallies, railway workshop strikes and shut shops, enough to alarm the British (1 mark).
Limits: the Rowlatt satyagraha stayed mostly in cities and towns (1 mark). After the Amritsar firing and Jallianwala Bagh, violence spread and brutal repression followed, so Gandhiji had to call it off (1 mark).
Conclusion: the method could mobilise people without arms, but it needed a broader base. So Gandhiji next sought Hindu-Muslim unity through the Khilafat issue (1 mark).

Test your recall

Answer in your head or on paper first, then open the card. Pulling an answer out of memory makes it stick far better than re-reading.

1.When did Gandhiji return to India?Show answer
January 1915, from South Africa.
2.What did the Kheda peasants demand?Show answer
An easing of revenue collection, because their crops had failed and plague had struck.
3.Two powers given by the Rowlatt Act?Show answer
Sweeping powers to crush political activity; holding political prisoners for two years with no trial.
4.When was the hartal against the Rowlatt Act?Show answer
6 April 1919.
5.Date and place of the Jallianwala Bagh massacre?Show answer
13 April 1919, Amritsar.
6.Who ordered the firing and why?Show answer
General Dyer. He wanted a 'moral effect': to fill satyagrahis with terror and awe.

Satyagraha and the Rowlatt Act: frequently asked questions

What is the difference between satyagraha and passive resistance?

Passive resistance is often seen as the weapon of the weak. Gandhiji said satyagraha was different because it called for intense activity and courage. It uses truth and non-violence to change the oppressor's heart.

Why did the British fear the Rowlatt satyagraha?

The rallies, strikes and shut shops showed a huge public response, and this alarmed them. They worried that railway and telegraph links could be cut. So they moved quickly against nationalist leaders.

Why were villagers at Jallianwala Bagh on 13 April?

Many had come for the yearly Baisakhi fair. They lived outside the city, so many had not heard that martial law had been declared.

Why did Gandhiji call off the Rowlatt satyagraha?

After Jallianwala Bagh, strikes, clashes and attacks on government buildings broke out, and the government replied with harsh repression. Gandhiji stood for non-violence. Once violence was spreading, he ended the movement.

Is the Quit India Movement box part of this topic?

No. The Quit India box appears at the end of the chapter, outside this topic. This page covers satyagraha, the early satyagrahas, the Rowlatt Act and Jallianwala Bagh.