What were the differences between Moderates and Extremists in the INC?

Moderates (1885–1905) believed in constitutional methods — petitions, prayers, protests. Leaders: Gopal Krishna Gokhale, Dadabhai Naoroji, Pherozeshah Mehta. Extremists (from 1905) believed in mass agitation, Swaraj, Swadeshi, Boycott, and National Education. Leaders: Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Bipin Chandra Pal, Lala Lajpat Rai (Lal-Bal-Pal).

What was the Swadeshi Movement?

The Swadeshi Movement (1905–1907) was launched against the Partition of Bengal (1905) by Lord Curzon. Indians boycotted British goods and promoted indigenous (Swadeshi) products. It marked the shift from moderate to militant nationalism. Tilak's slogan was 'Swaraj is my birthright and I shall have it.'

Why did Lord Curzon partition Bengal in 1905?

Lord Curzon officially partitioned Bengal on October 16, 1905, citing administrative reasons — Bengal was too large. The real motive was divide-and-rule: separating the Muslim-majority East Bengal from the Hindu-majority West Bengal to weaken the nationalist movement. The partition was annulled in 1911.

Indian National Movement — TNPSC Group II/IIA History

Overview

The Indian National Movement, spanning from 1857 to 1947, represents India's struggle to end British colonial rule. For TNPSC Group 2/2A, the key phases are: the founding and early period of INC, the Moderate-Extremist split, the Swadeshi Movement, and the Partition of Bengal. The Gandhian era is covered separately.

Pre-Congress Nationalist Organisations

Organisation	Founder	Year	Headquarters
Landholders' Society	Dwarkanath Tagore	1838	Calcutta
British India Association	Radhakanta Deb	1851	Calcutta
Bombay Association	Jagannath Shankarseth	1852	Bombay
East India Association	Dadabhai Naoroji	1866	London
Indian Association	Surendranath Banerjea	1876	Calcutta
Poona Sarvajanik Sabha	M.G. Ranade	1870	Poona

Founding of Indian National Congress (1885)

Detail	Information
Founded	December 28, 1885
Place	Bombay (Gokuldas Tejpal Sanskrit College)
Founder	Allan Octavian Hume (A.O. Hume) — retired British ICS officer
First President	Womesh Chandra Bonnerjee (W.C. Bonnerjee)
Initial members	72 delegates from across India

A.O. Hume's Role:

Hume wrote a circular in 1883 calling for a national organisation
Viceroy Lord Dufferin allegedly supported the idea as a "safety valve" for discontent
Hume wanted to provide a moderate, loyal platform to avoid violent revolts

Early INC Sessions:

Year	Session	President	Notable Decision
1885	Bombay	W.C. Bonnerjee	First session; 72 delegates
1886	Calcutta	Dadabhai Naoroji	Demands for civil service reform
1887	Madras	Badruddin Tyabji	First Muslim president
1906	Calcutta	Dadabhai Naoroji	"Swaraj" demand first made
1907	Surat	Rash Behari Ghosh	Surat Split — Moderates vs Extremists

The Moderates (1885–1905)

Key Leaders

Dadabhai Naoroji ("Grand Old Man of India") — exposed "Drain of Wealth" theory
Gopal Krishna Gokhale — Gandhiji's political guru
Pherozeshah Mehta — "Lion of Bombay"
Surendranath Banerjea — "Nation Maker"
M.G. Ranade — Maharashtra reformer

Methods and Demands

Constitutional methods: Petitions, prayers, protests (3 Ps)
Faith in British sense of justice
Demanded: Expansion of legislative councils, Indianisation of ICS, reduction in military expenditure, free trade protection

Dadabhai Naoroji — Drain of Wealth Theory

First to systematically prove British exploitation of India
Calculated that Britain "drained" India's wealth through salaries, profits, pensions
Wrote "Poverty and Un-British Rule in India" (1901)
First Indian elected to British Parliament (1892) — as Liberal MP

Criticism of Moderates

Bal Gangadhar Tilak called their methods "political mendicancy"
Lal-Bal-Pal trio wanted mass agitation, not petitions
Partition of Bengal (1905) proved Moderates' methods were insufficient

The Extremists (From 1905)

Lal-Bal-Pal Trio

Leader	Full Name	Region	Method
Lal	Lala Lajpat Rai	Punjab	Mass agitation, boycott
Bal	Bal Gangadhar Tilak	Maharashtra	Swaraj, mass politics via festivals
Pal	Bipin Chandra Pal	Bengal	Revolutionary nationalism

Bal Gangadhar Tilak (1856–1920) — "Lokmanya"

Slogan: "Swaraj is my birthright and I shall have it"
Founded Deccan Education Society (1884)
Started Ganesh Chaturthi festival as nationalist mass event
Started Shivaji Jayanti celebrations
Newspapers: Kesari (Marathi) and Mahratta (English)
Wrote Gita Rahasya (commentary on Bhagavad Gita) while imprisoned in Mandalay (Burma)
First nationalist imprisoned by British — Poona Plague Commissioner case (1897)
Died in 1920; Gandhi became the dominant leader after

Four-Point Programme of Extremists

1. Swaraj — Self-rule (political independence) 2. Swadeshi — Use Indian-made goods; boycott British goods 3. Boycott — Refuse to use British goods and services 4. National Education — Indian-controlled education, not Western

Partition of Bengal (1905)

Background

Bengal Presidency (1905): Population of 85 million — largest province
Lord Curzon (Viceroy 1899–1905): Wanted to partition Bengal

Partition Announcement

Announced July 19, 1905; came into effect October 16, 1905
West Bengal (Hindu majority): With Bihar and Orissa
East Bengal and Assam (Muslim majority): New province with capital at Dhaka

Real Motive

Official reason: Administrative convenience
Real motive: Divide and rule — weaken Bengali nationalist movement by separating Hindus and Muslims

Response to Partition — Swadeshi Movement

Aspect	Details
Launch date	October 16, 1905 (day of partition) — observed as national mourning
Symbol	Raksha Bandhan — Hindus and Muslims tied rakhis as symbol of unity
Method	Boycott British goods; burn British cloth; sing Vande Mataram
Leaders	Tilak, Pal, Lajpat Rai, Aurobindo Ghosh, Surendranath Banerjea
Outcome	First mass nationalist movement with popular participation

Vande Mataram:

Song from Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay's novel Anandamath (1882)
Became the rallying cry of the Swadeshi movement
Now India's National Song

Surat Split (1907)

INC annual session at Surat (1907): Moderates and Extremists split
Dispute over extending Swadeshi movement methods
Congress controlled by Moderates until 1916 (Lucknow Pact)
Tilak and Extremists formed a separate group temporarily

Annulment of Partition (1911)

Partition annulled on December 12, 1911 at Delhi Durbar (coronation of King George V)
Victory of Indian nationalism but also marked Morley-Minto reforms era
Capital shifted from Calcutta to Delhi (1911)

Other Key Developments

Morley-Minto Reforms (Indian Councils Act 1909)

Separate electorates for Muslims introduced — sowed seeds of communalism
Minto: Viceroy; Morley: Secretary of State
First time Indians got elected representation in Legislative Councils

Muslim League (1906)

Founded at Dhaka on December 30, 1906
Founded by Aga Khan III and Nawab Salimullah Khan
Demanded separate electorates for Muslims — granted in Morley-Minto Reforms
Initially loyal to British; later under Jinnah demanded Pakistan

Lucknow Pact (1916)

Tilak rejoined Congress; INC-Muslim League agreement
INC accepted separate electorates for Muslims
United front against British rule
Sign of maturation of nationalist politics

Home Rule League (1916)

Tilak founded Indian Home Rule League in Poona (April 1916)
Annie Besant founded All India Home Rule League in Adyar, Madras (September 1916)
Demanded self-governance within British Empire (like Canada, Australia)
Popularised idea of Swaraj among middle class

Key Facts for TNPSC Group II/IIA

INC founded: December 28, 1885, in Bombay by A.O. Hume; first president W.C. Bonnerjee
Dadabhai Naoroji: "Grand Old Man of India"; "Drain of Wealth" theory; first Indian MP in British Parliament
Moderates: Petitions and prayers; faith in British justice (Gokhale, Naoroji, Mehta)
Extremists (Lal-Bal-Pal): Swaraj, Swadeshi, Boycott, National Education
Tilak's slogan: "Swaraj is my birthright and I shall have it"
Partition of Bengal: October 16, 1905 by Lord Curzon; annulled December 12, 1911
Swadeshi Movement: Boycott British goods; burn British cloth; Vande Mataram anthem
Surat Split (1907): Moderates vs Extremists — INC split
Muslim League founded: December 30, 1906 at Dhaka
Lucknow Pact (1916): INC-Muslim League united front against British

Previous Year MCQ Patterns

Q: Who founded the Indian National Congress in 1885? a) Bal Gangadhar Tilak b) Gopal Krishna Gokhale c) A.O. Hume d) Dadabhai Naoroji

Answerc) A.O. Hume — Allan Octavian Hume, a retired British ICS officer, founded the Indian National Congress on December 28, 1885 in Bombay. W.C. Bonnerjee was the first president. Hume served as the secretary of the INC for its early years.

Q: The Swadeshi Movement was launched in response to: a) Partition of Punjab b) Partition of Bengal c) Rowlatt Act d) Jallianwala Bagh massacre

Answerb) Partition of Bengal — The Swadeshi Movement was launched on October 16, 1905, the day Lord Curzon's Partition of Bengal came into effect. Indians boycotted British goods, burned British cloth, and sang Vande Mataram. The movement marked the shift from moderate to mass nationalism.

Q: "Swaraj is my birthright and I shall have it" — who said this? a) Mahatma Gandhi b) Jawaharlal Nehru c) Bal Gangadhar Tilak d) Lala Lajpat Rai

Answerc) Bal Gangadhar Tilak — This famous slogan was proclaimed by Bal Gangadhar Tilak, known as "Lokmanya" (Respected by the People). He was the key leader of the Extremist faction in the INC and founded India's Home Rule League in 1916.

Frequently Asked Questions

The Indian National Congress (INC) was founded on December 28, 1885, in Bombay by A.O. Hume, a retired British ICS officer. The first session was held at Gokuldas Tejpal Sanskrit College, Bombay. W.C. Bonnerjee (Womesh Chandra Bonnerjee) was the first president of the INC.