Indian National Congress — TNPSC Group 4 History Notes

Overview

The Indian National Congress (INC), founded in 1885, became the primary vehicle of India's independence movement for over six decades. Its history can be divided into distinct phases: the Moderate phase (1885–1905), the Extremist phase (1905–1920), and the Gandhian phase (1920–1947). TNPSC Group 4 regularly tests founding facts, key sessions, the Surat Split, and the transition from moderate to militant nationalism.

Founding of the INC (1885)

Allan Octavian Hume (A.O. Hume), a retired British ICS officer, with support from Dadabhai Naoroji, Dinshaw Wacha, and others, organised the first session of the Indian National Congress.

The INC was initially welcomed by some British officials as a "safety valve" for Indian political aspirations — a controlled forum to channel discontent peacefully.

The Moderate Phase (1885–1905)

Key leaders: Dadabhai Naoroji, Gopal Krishna Gokhale, Pherozeshah Mehta, Surendranath Banerjee

Methods: Petitions, resolutions, memorials, press campaigns — entirely constitutional Demands: Indianisation of the civil service, reduction of military expenditure, representation in Legislative Councils, economic reforms

Dadabhai Naoroji — Drain of Wealth Theory

Dadabhai Naoroji (called the Grand Old Man of India) published his landmark book Poverty and Un-British Rule in India (1901), in which he argued that British rule was draining India's wealth through:

• Home charges (money sent to Britain for salaries, pensions, military)
• Profit repatriation by British companies
• Unfair trade policies

He served three times as INC President and was the first Asian elected to the British Parliament (1892, for Finsbury Central as a Liberal MP).

Gopal Krishna Gokhale

• Called "the greatest man in public life" by Gandhi (Gandhi considered him his political mentor)
• Founded the Servants of India Society (1905) — trained Indians for public service
• Advocated free and compulsory primary education
• Led the Moderate faction at the time of the Surat Split

The Extremist Phase (1905–1920)

The Partition of Bengal in 1905 by Lord Curzon was the catalyst for a more aggressive nationalism.

Lal-Bal-Pal Trio

The Extremists were led by three powerful leaders:

Bal Gangadhar Tilak (1856–1920)

Tilak is the most important Extremist leader:

• Used Ganesh Chaturthi (1893) and Shivaji Jayanti as tools for mass political mobilisation
• Published Kesari (Marathi) and Mahratta (English) newspapers
• Famous declaration: "Swaraj is my birthright and I shall have it"
• Arrested for sedition (1897, 1908) — his trials became nationalist rallying points
• Founded the Home Rule League (1916) along with Annie Besant
• Wrote Gita Rahasya while in Mandalay prison

Swadeshi Movement (1905–1908)

The Swadeshi Movement was the most powerful agitation before Gandhi:

• Boycott of British goods — burning of Manchester cloth, Liverpool salt
• Promotion of swadeshi goods — Indian cloth, sugar, matches
• National Education — Bengali medium schools outside British control
• Swaraj as the explicit political goal

This was the first time Swaraj (self-rule) was articulated as a Congress demand.

The Surat Split (1907)

At the Surat session (1907), INC split into:

• Moderates (under Gokhale): wanted gradual constitutional reform
• Extremists (under Tilak): wanted immediate Swaraj through agitation

Tilak and the Extremists were expelled. The split weakened the Congress for a decade.

Key Congress Sessions

Muslim League and Communal Politics

The All India Muslim League was founded in 1906 at Dhaka under the initiative of Aga Khan and Nawab Salimullah.

The Morley-Minto Reforms (1909) introduced separate electorates for Muslims — a provision that deepened communal divisions and was later used to justify the demand for Pakistan.

Important for Exam - INC founded: 28 December 1885 by A.O. Hume - First President: Womesh Chandra Bonnerjee - Surat Split = 1907 (Moderates vs Extremists) - Partition of Bengal = 1905 → Swadeshi Movement - Tilak's quote: "Swaraj is my birthright and I shall have it" - Dadabhai Naoroji = "Grand Old Man of India"; Drain of Wealth theory - Lahore Session 1929 = Purna Swaraj declared; Nehru president