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Question 18 of 66 · Gandhian Era & Struggle for Independence
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Who described the Rowlatt Act as 'preventive murder' in his speech in the House of Commons?

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Answer: Option B — Edwin Samuel Montagu

Detailed Solution

Edwin Samuel Montagu, the Secretary of State for India, is credited with criticising the principle behind the repressive measures of the time in words that came to be quoted as "preventive murder".

Context:

  • The Rowlatt Act (1919) allowed the government to imprison people without trial, on the suspicion of revolutionary activity.
  • After the Jallianwala Bagh massacre (April 1919), there was a debate in the British Parliament on the actions of the authorities in Punjab.
  • In the House of Commons debate of July 1920, Montagu strongly condemned the massacre and the doctrine of "frightfulness" (using terror to frighten people into submission).

He argued that once you adopt the doctrine of terrorism to frighten people, you are on a path that leads to the destruction of the empire; his remarks on punishing people in advance for what they might do were summed up as "preventive murder".

Montagu's critics in the Conservative Party attacked him for this speech.

About Edwin Montagu:

He was a Liberal politician, and served as Secretary of State for India from 1917 to 1922.

On 20 August 1917, he made the "August Declaration" in the House of Commons, announcing that the aim of British policy was the "progressive realisation of responsible government in India as an integral part of the British Empire".

He visited India in 1917-18 and held discussions with Indian leaders.

He prepared a report on Indian constitutional reforms jointly with the Viceroy (1918).

He resigned in 1922, after a controversy over the publication of a statement on Turkey.

The Rowlatt Act in India:

  • Indian leaders called it the "Black Act".
  • Gandhi launched the Rowlatt Satyagraha in protest.

Why not the other options?

  • ✗Ramsay MacDonald was a Labour leader and later Prime Minister.
  • ✗Winston Churchill also condemned the massacre, calling it "monstrous".
  • ✗Lord Morley was an earlier Secretary of State.

Quick tip

Remember: "preventive murder" = Edwin Samuel Montagu (Secretary of State for India, 1917-22; August Declaration, 20 August 1917).

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Gandhian Era & Struggle for Independence — Preparation

This question tests your understanding of Gandhian Era & Struggle for Independence, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.

This topic covers the freedom struggle from Gandhi's return to India in 1915 to independence in 1947: the Champaran, Kheda and Ahmedabad movements, the Rowlatt Act and Jallianwala Bagh, the Non-Cooperation, Civil Disobedience and Quit India movements, the Round Table Conferences, the Cripps Mission, the Cabinet Mission and the partition of India. Most questions ask about the year, cause or result of a movement, or the event that ended it. For example, the Chauri Chaura incident (1922) led Gandhi to call off the Non-Cooperation Movement, and the Dandi March (1930) started the Civil Disobedience Movement. Learning these events on a timeline is the best way to avoid confusion. Practise the Gandhian era questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.

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