Q. Which important event immediately preceded Jallianwala Bagh massacre?
(a) Rowlatt Act enactment
(b) Communal award
(c) Coming of Simon Commission
(d) Quit India Movement
Ans: (a) Rowlatt Act enactment
Explanation: The important event that immediately preceded the Jallianwala Bagh massacre was (a) the enactment of the Rowlatt Act.
The Rowlatt Act, also known as the Anarchical and Revolutionary Crimes Act of 1919, was passed by the British colonial government in India. It gave extensive powers to the government to arrest and detain individuals without trial and curtailed civil liberties.
The enactment of the Rowlatt Act sparked widespread outrage and protests across India. As a part of the protest against the act, a nationwide hartal (general strike) was called on April 6, 1919. The protests reached their peak on April 13, 1919, in Amritsar, Punjab, where a large gathering of people assembled in Jallianwala Bagh to peacefully protest the act.
However, British Brigadier General Reginald Dyer ordered British troops to open fire on the unarmed crowd at Jallianwala Bagh, leading to the tragic Jallianwala Bagh massacre. The event resulted in the death and injury of hundreds of people and had a profound impact on the Indian independence movement.
Therefore, option (a) Rowlatt Act enactment is the correct event that immediately preceded the Jallianwala Bagh massacre.
