Question

The Rowlatt Act empowered the British government to________________.
A.Foment class and caste strife
B. Shut down any individual unit s will
C.Extend the period of imprisonment for Indians
D. Detain a person for any duration without trial

Answer 1

Hint:
The Rowlatt Act is also known as the Black Act. It was introduced in the year 1919. It was aimed to curtail civil liberties. This controversial Black Act was named after a British judge, who was the President of the Committee which recommended the Act. It raised much hue and cry among Indians.

Complete answer:
This Rowlatt Act was implemented in 1919. It was recommended by the Rowlatt Committee. A British Judge, Sir Sidney Rowlatt was its president. This Act gave the British enormous power. The Act was aimed to curtail the civil liberties of the Indians.

A) It was not aimed at fomenting class and caste strife. It was aimed to weaken the rising nationalist sentiments against the British.

B) It allowed the British Government to arrest anyone but it was not associated with shutting down any individual units. It was aimed at arresting people.

C) The Act empowered the British Government to detain political prisoners not extending the period of imprisonment for Indians.

D) As per this Act, the police were free to arrest anyone without warrant on the basis of suspicion only.
It indefinitely extended the emergency measures of preventive steps for indefinite detention, incarceration without trial and judicial review.

Therefore the correct answer is option (D).

Note:
Some of the Indians were of the opinion that the British Rule in India was a boon for the country. But with the passage of time, the true character of the British Rule came before the Indians. The British tried to suppress the rising nationalist sentiments among Indians through the Rowlatt Act.