ESTABLISHMENT OF THE INDIAN NATIONAL CONGRESS

• A.O. Hume, a retired English civil servant took the initiative and thus came the foundation of the Indian National Congress.
• Its first session was held in Bombay in December, 1885 under the Presidentship of W.C. Bonnerji, and it was attended by 72 delegates from all over India.
• Its second session was held in Calcutta in December, 1886.
• The history of the Indian nationalist movement from now onwards can be seen in three different phases or periods – the Moderate phase or the period of the Early Nationalists (1885-1905), the Extremist phase or the period of the Militant Nationalists (1905-18), and the Gandhian Era (1918-47).

Moderates- Extremists

MODERATE PHASE (1885-1905)

Changing Nature of Congress under Moderates

• Congress passed resolution criticizing some of the actions and policies of the British government and demanding reforms.
• By the beginning of the 20^th century, the moderate nationalists put forward the claim of self-government within the British Empire as in the colonies of Australia, New Zealand and Canada.
• This demand was first made from the Congress platform by Gokhale in 1905 and then by Dadabhai Naoroji in 1906.

Important Moderates

• The important moderate leaders were Dadabhai Naoroji, M.G. Ranade, Surendranath Banerji, Pherozeshah Mehta, Badruddin Tyabji, Gopala Krishna Gokhale, Dinsha Wacha, Anandamohan Bose, Rashbehari Ghosh.

Main Demands of Moderates

• Expansion and reform of the legislative councils, leading to popular control of administration.
• Greater opportunities for Indians in the public services by holding ICS examinations simultaneously in England and India.
• Reimposition of import duties on cotton goods.
• Reduction of military expenditure.
• Separation of technical and general education and spread of both.
• Grant of self-government to India within the British Empire as the colonies of Australia, Canada, etc. (1905).

Methods of Moderates

• The methods of the Moderates can best be described as `Constitutional agitation’.
• Confined themselves to meetings, speeches, resolutions and petitions.
• On rare occasions only, they resorted to the boycott of foreign goods and the use of Indian goods (Swadeshi).
• Confined their political activity to the educated classes only, not willing to involve the masses in the national movement.
• Moreover, they wanted to attain political rights and self-government in a prolonged stage-by-stage evolution, and not all of a sudden.

Achievements of Moderates

• Creation of a wide national awakening among the people and training them in the art of political work.
• Popularization of the ideas of democracy and nationalism among the people.
• Exposition of the exploitative character of British imperialism and the consequent evil results for India, for example Dadabhai Naoroji’s Drain Theory.
• Creation of a common political and economic programmed around which the Indians gathered and waged political struggle.
• Providing a solid base and foundation on which the Indian national movement built up momentum and vigour in later years.     
• Providing impetus to the campaign against medieval obscurantism and authoritarianism.
• Succeeded in getting the Indian Councils Act of 1892 passed by the British.

FAILURES OF MODERATES

• They failed to realize the importance of mass struggle, and hence their confinement of the movement to the educated middle classes.
• Also most of them failed to realize the true nature of the British for a considerable time.
• Finally, they failed to get anything substantial from the British through their constitutional methods.

GROWTH OF EXTREMISM (1906-18)

CAUSES FOR RISE OF EXTREMISM

• Growing Consciousness among the Indians
• Failure of the Moderate agitation
• Repressive Policies of the British Government: For instance, the enactment of a law making it an offence to preach nationalism (1898) and the enactment of the Indian Official Secrets Act to restrict the freedom of the press (1904). Also, the imprisonment of Tilak and some other editors for preaching nationalism (1897) aggravated the Indian sentiments.
• Realisation of the Need for Mass Action
• Growth of Self-respect among the Indians Tilak declared that swaraj was the birth right of every Indian and not a gift which would be granted to the Indians by the British after the former had passed all the test prescribed by the latter.
• Influence of Western Education and Ideas
• Realisation of the social and Cultural Evils of British Rule
• Existence of a Militant Nationalist School of Thought – The existence of a militant nationalist school [5]of thought from the beginning of the nationalist movement and the emergence of eminent extremist leaders [6]in the beginning of the 20^th century,
• Influence of International Events – Influence of certain international events like the rise of Japan and its defeat of Russia in 1905 and the defeat of an Italian army by the Ethiopians in 1896 (these events shattered the myth of European invincibility), and the revolutionary movements in Ireland, Russia, Egypt, Turkey and China and Boer war in South Africa (these events inspired the Indians to step up their struggle for swaraj).

Immediate Cause: Curzon’s Rule

• The reactionary rule of Lord Curzon (1889-1905) and his partition of Bengal (1905).
• During the first half he launched a programme of administrative reform covering twelve major fields. Commissions were constituted to deal with irrigation, railways, agricultural banks and police. His financial reforms soon began to bear fruit while the currency reform was widely applauded.
• His Calcutta Municipal Act (1899) sought to officialise municipal administration and diminish the Indian control. The measure proved to be extremely controversial and was ultimately undone in 1923.
• The widespread famine of 1897-98 made him to revise the earlier Famine Code. Through the Punjab Land Alienation Act (1901) he sought to protect cultivators from eviction. To promote agricultural production, he set up an Agricultural Research Institute at Pusa in Delhi. He also ordered a land survey under Sir Colin Scott Monorieff who recommended widespread irrigation. A new department of commerce and industry was started to promote, among other things, railway construction.
• The Police Commission (1901) under Sir Andrew Fraser was appointed to inquire into all facets of the force. On the basis of its recommendations a new covenanted police service was constituted and a criminal intelligence department established.
• During Curzon’s viceroy ship a Coronation Darbar was held at Delhi (1903) to mark the accession of King Edward (1902-12).
• Curzon partitioned Bengal, ostensibly for administrative convenience, but in reality for curbing the growing nationalism. Consequently the Indian put up passive resistance in the form of the Swadeshi movement. Curzon thus sought to stifle nationalism with bureaucracy. In fact in his single mindedness he aided rather than deterred the forces undermining the British position in India.
• Main Objective of Extremists     
• It was the attainment of swaraj which meant to them complete autonomy or independence and not just self government as in the colonies of Australia, New Zealand, etc. (aim of the moderates), and which has to be as soon as possible and not through gradual stages.

Methods of the Extremists

• The methods used by the extremists were:      
• Passive resistance, i.e. non-cooperating with the British government by boycotting government service, courts, schools and colleges.
• Promotion of Swadeshi and boycott of foreign goods.
• Building up a new national through the introduction and promotion of national education.
• A very significant role was played by the following extremist leaders.