Correct Option
The Rowlatt Act, officially known as the Anarchical and Revolutionary Crimes Act of 1919, was enacted by the Imperial Legislative Council. Its primary aim was to extend the emergency powers of the government, which were in force during World War I, into peacetime. The Act empowered the British government to imprison any person suspected of terrorism without trial for up to two years. It also allowed for summary procedures for trials, denying the right to legal representation and appeal. This legislation was widely condemned as the 'Black Act' for its repressive nature, leading to widespread protests and Mahatma Gandhi's first nationwide Satyagraha.
Incorrect Options
Option (1) Compulsory economic support to war efforts: This option is incorrect. While the British government did implement various measures to secure economic support for its war efforts during World War I, such as war loans and increased taxation, these were distinct from the provisions of the Rowlatt Act. The Rowlatt Act specifically targeted political dissent and revolutionary activities, not economic contributions.
Option (3) Suppression of the Khilafat Movement: This option is incorrect. The Khilafat Movement emerged in India in 1919-1920 as a protest against the treatment of the Ottoman Caliph by the British after World War I. The Rowlatt Act was enacted to suppress general political unrest and revolutionary activities, predating the widespread organization and specific objectives of the Khilafat Movement. Although the Act could have been used against Khilafat activists, its primary aim was not the suppression of this particular movement.
Option (4) Imposition of restrictions on freedom of the press: This option is incorrect. While the British colonial administration frequently imposed restrictions on press freedom through various acts (e.g., Vernacular Press Act of 1878), the Rowlatt Act's central objective was not press censorship. Its main provisions focused on detention without trial and summary legal procedures to curb political agitation and revolutionary crimes, rather than directly controlling publications.