Consider the following acts passed during British rule: 1. Vernacular Press Act (1878) 2. Rowlatt Act (1919) 3. Ilbert Bill controversy (1883) Which of the following represents the correct chronological order of these events?

💡 Solution & Explanation

The correct chronological sequence begins with the Vernacular Press Act enacted in 1878 under Lord Lytton to muzzle native newspapers. This was followed by the Ilbert Bill controversy in 1883 under Lord Ripon, which sought to empower Indian judges to try Europeans. The Rowlatt Act was passed much later in 1919 under Lord Chelmsford, sparking widespread national indignation and the Non-Cooperation movement. Colonial legislative measures frequently catalyzed anti-imperial mobilization across India.