The study examines the impact of the Rowlatt Act of 1919 on the Madras Presidency and the resulting resistance movements that emerged in southern India. Enacted by the British colonial government, the Rowlatt Act extended wartime emergency measures into peacetime, allowing detention without trial and the suppression of public assembly. Widely perceived as a violation of civil liberties, the Act provoked widespread unrest across India, including intense protests in the Madras Presidency. Through a critical examination of historical records, speeches, newspapers, and government reports, this paper explores how political leaders such as C. Rajagopalachari, S. Satyamurti, and E.V. Ramasamy mobilized public dissent through Satyagraha, hartals, and civil disobedience. The research also highlights the role of local media, student movements, and the working class in the resistance, and documents the British government's harsh retaliatory measures, including censorship, arrests, and police brutality. The study situates Madras as a vital node in the broader nationalist struggle and reveals how colonial repression ultimately catalysed political awakening in the region.
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