In 1919, Mahatma Gandhi decided to launch a nationwide satyagraha against which proposed repressive law in British India?

Introduction / Context:
After returning from South Africa, Mahatma Gandhi gradually emerged as a national leader in India. In 1919, he called for his first all India satyagraha against a set of bills that came to be known collectively as the Rowlatt Act. These bills extended wartime emergency powers into peacetime, allowing detention without trial and severe restrictions on civil liberties. Gandhi saw them as a grave attack on basic freedoms and therefore decided to resist them through non violent mass protest.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The year in question is 1919, just after the First World War.
• The question asks which proposed law Gandhi opposed through a nationwide satyagraha.
• The options include the Simon Commission, the Rowlatt Act, the Salt Act, Pitt's India Act and the Government of India Act 1919.
• We must identify the specific repressive measure that Gandhi labelled as unjust and 'bad in essence'.

Concept / Approach:
The Rowlatt Act (also known as the Rowlatt Bills) was introduced in 1919, based on the recommendations of the Rowlatt Committee, to continue wartime restrictions into peace. It allowed the government to imprison people without trial and curb press and assembly rights. Gandhi responded by calling for a nationwide hartal and satyagraha. The Simon Commission arrived in 1928, and the Salt laws became the focus of the 1930 Civil Disobedience Movement, not the 1919 campaign. Pitt's India Act dates back to 1784, and the Government of India Act 1919 was the constitutional framework, not the main target of this satyagraha.

Step-by-Step Solution:

Verification / Alternative check:
Most history textbooks describe the Rowlatt Satyagraha in detail, emphasising that it was Gandhi's first attempt at nationwide mobilisation using satyagraha. They explain that his campaign against the Rowlatt Act was followed by tragic events such as Jallianwala Bagh in April 1919. In contrast, the Simon Commission and the Salt Act belong to later mass movements, confirming that the Rowlatt Act is the law referred to in this question.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

• Simon Commission recommendations: The Simon Commission visited India in 1928, almost a decade after the 1919 satyagraha.
• Salt Act and salt tax: These were challenged during the 1930 Salt March, not in 1919.
• Pitt's India Act: An eighteenth century law designed to regulate the East India Company, with no connection to Gandhi's satyagraha.
• Government of India Act 1919: Although this Act was part of the same period, Gandhi's specific campaign was directed at the Rowlatt Act, not at this constitutional measure.

Common Pitfalls:
Students sometimes mix up different phases of Gandhi's movement and associate any repressive colonial law with the wrong year. Another common confusion is between the Rowlatt Act of 1919 and the Simon Commission of 1928. A helpful way to remember is: 1919 – Rowlatt Act and Jallianwala Bagh; 1928 – Simon Commission; 1930 – Salt Satyagraha.

Final Answer:
Correct answer: Rowlatt Act (Rowlatt Bills).