Under Lord Chelmsford, the British government introduced the Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms; however, they simultaneously passed the “Black Act” (Rowlatt Act) to suppress revolutionary activities. The public outrage against this act led to the Amritsar tragedy. Chelmsford’s failure to prevent the massacre or adequately punish General Dyer led to a total breakdown of trust between the British and the Indian public. This era of his viceroyalty effectively ended the moderate phase of Indian politics and paved the way for the rise of Gandhi and the launch of the massive Non-Cooperation Movement.