Background and the founding of the Congress
Children from different villages come to one school and become friends. In the same way, educated people from different parts of the country came into one organisation and their voice became one.
English education, newspapers and the experience of economic exploitation raised national feeling among Indians. The organisation that gave it a united form was the Indian National Congress (1885).
Key idea 1 : Why national feeling grew — A uniform administration across the country made people think together. Everyone felt the pain of economic exploitation. English education gave new ideas. The studies of the Asiatic Society, Bhau Daji Lad and R. G. Bhandarkar created pride in India’s ancient history. Newspapers carried these ideas into homes.
Key idea 2 : Founding of the Congress — On 28 December 1885 the first session of the Indian National Congress met in Mumbai at the Gokuldas Tejpal Sanskrit School. Seventy-two delegates came from different parts of the country. W. C. Bonnerjee was the president, and A. O. Hume, a retired British official, took the initiative.
Key idea 3 : The Moderate phase (1885–1905) — The early leaders — Gopal Krishna Gokhale, Pherozeshah Mehta, Surendranath Banerjee — believed in petitions, requests and discussion, so they are called ‘Moderates’. In 1905 Gokhale founded the ‘Servants of India Society’. The Moderates spread political education among the people, but the government paid little attention to their demands.
- Easy : Where and when did the first Congress session meet? — In Mumbai, on 28 December 1885.
- Medium : Who presided over the first session? — W. C. Bonnerjee.
- Exam-type : What was the way of the Moderate leaders? — Petitions, requests and discussion.
In the figure: From education to newspapers and from awakening to organisation, the Congress arose from a chain of causes.
What happened before? On 1 March 1883 the retired official A. O. Hume wrote an open letter to the graduates of Calcutta University, calling for at least fifty volunteers to come forward. In 1884 he formed the ‘Indian National Union’. The first meeting was planned in Pune, but because of an outbreak of disease there it was held in Mumbai.
What happened next? The first session ran for four days, 28 to 31 December 1885; seventy-two delegates came and Hume became the General Secretary. The next year, in December 1886, the second Congress session met in Calcutta.
Congress = 28 December 1885, Mumbai, 72 delegates; Moderate phase = 1885–1905.
It is incomplete to say Hume alone founded the Congress. He took the initiative, but Indian leaders from many parts of the country took part.
Memory clue: Remember ‘85-72-Bombay’ = 1885, 72 delegates, Mumbai.
Spot the difference
| Cause | What happened | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Uniform administration | One system across the country | People began to think together |
| Economic exploitation | Taxes and unemployment rose | Discontent grew |
| English education | New ideas reached people | Awakening grew |
| Newspapers | Ideas spread | Public opinion formed |
Practice questions
- 1When and where did the first Congress session take place?
- 2How many delegates attended the first session?
- 3State any two reasons for the growth of national feeling.
- 4Why are they called ‘Moderates’?
- 5Name three Moderate leaders.
- 6Which society did Gokhale found in 1905?
- 7What step did Hume take before the Congress was founded?
- 8What happened the year after the 1885 session?
Show answers (try them yourself first)
- 1On 28 December 1885 in Mumbai.
- 272.
- 3Uniform administration, economic exploitation, English education, newspapers — any two.
- 4Because they believed in petitions, requests and discussion.
- 5Gokhale, Pherozeshah Mehta, Surendranath Banerjea.
- 6The Servants of India Society.
- 7He wrote an open letter to Calcutta University graduates (1883) and formed the Indian National Union in 1884.
- 8The second session was held in Calcutta in December 1886.
The Extremist phase: Partition of Bengal and Swadeshi
If nobody listens after repeated requests at home, some people decide to act. Because the Moderate way did not bring the hoped-for results, some leaders chose a firmer way.
The years 1905 to 1920 are the ‘Extremist phase’ of the Congress. Instead of only making requests, the Extremist leaders drew the people into the struggle through swaraj, swadeshi, boycott and national education.
Key idea 1 : Extremist leaders and their work — Lala Lajpat Rai, Lokmanya Tilak and Bipin Chandra Pal were known as ‘Lal-Bal-Pal’. Tilak raised public awareness through his newspapers ‘Kesari’ and ‘Maratha’ and through the Shivaji Jayanti and Ganesh festivals. In 1897 plague broke out in Pune; because of the harshness of the government’s measures the officer Rand was killed by the Chapekar brothers, and Tilak was punished.
Key idea 2 : Partition of Bengal (1905) — Viceroy Curzon divided the province of Bengal into two in 1905. People saw it as a policy of dividing them. In protest the cry of ‘Vande Mataram’, the boycott of foreign goods and the use of swadeshi goods began. The movement did not stay in Bengal but spread across the country.
Key idea 3 : Calcutta session, Surat split and repression — The 1906 Calcutta session (president Dadabhai Naoroji) passed four resolutions: swaraj, swadeshi, national education and boycott. At the 1907 Surat session the Moderate and Extremist groups split. The government repressed the movement: in 1908 Tilak was sentenced to six years and sent to Mandalay jail (where he wrote ‘Geeta Rahasya’) and Lala Lajpat Rai was deported.
- Easy : Who are ‘Lal-Bal-Pal’? — Lala Lajpat Rai, Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Bipin Chandra Pal.
- Medium : What were the four resolutions of the 1906 Calcutta session? — Swaraj, swadeshi, national education, boycott.
- Exam-type : What happened at the Surat session? — The Moderates and Extremists split (1907).
In the figure: From the partition of Bengal the swadeshi and boycott movement grew; in 1907 the Congress split at Surat.
What happened before? In July 1905 Curzon announced the division of Bengal into two provinces. ‘Administrative convenience’ was given as the reason; but the parts had a Hindu majority on one side and a Muslim majority on the other, so many saw it as a policy of divide and rule.
What happened next? The partition came into force on 16 October 1905; in Bengal it was observed as a day of mourning. On Rabindranath Tagore’s suggestion people tied rakhis on each other’s wrists as a symbol of Hindu–Muslim unity. After strong opposition King George V cancelled the partition at the Delhi Durbar on 12 December 1911; the shifting of the capital from Calcutta to Delhi was announced the same day.
Partition 16 October 1905; cancelled 1911; four resolutions = swaraj, swadeshi, national education, boycott.
It is wrong to think the swadeshi movement was only about cloth. Schools, industries and national education were part of it too.
Memory clue: Three years in a row: ‘05-06-07’ = partition, Calcutta, Surat.
Spot the difference
| Point | Moderates | Extremists |
|---|---|---|
| Method | Petitions and requests | Boycott and swadeshi |
| Leaders | Gokhale, Mehta, Banerjea | Lal-Bal-Pal |
| Period | 1885–1905 | 1905–1920 |
| Goal | Gradual reforms | Swaraj |
Practice questions
- 1Who are included in ‘Lal-Bal-Pal’?
- 2Which two means did Tilak use to awaken the public?
- 3Who partitioned Bengal and when?
- 4Who presided over the Calcutta session in 1906?
- 5State two differences between Moderates and Extremists.
- 6What repression did the government carry out after the Surat session?
- 7Why did people see the partition as a divisive policy when it was announced?
- 8How did people protest after the partition came into force, and when was it cancelled?
Show answers (try them yourself first)
- 1Lala Lajpat Rai, Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Bipin Chandra Pal.
- 2‘Kesari’ and ‘Maratha’ newspapers; Shivaji Jayanti and Ganesh festival — any two.
- 3Viceroy Curzon; in 1905.
- 4Dadabhai Naoroji.
- 5Method (requests versus boycott), leaders, period — any two differences.
- 6Tilak was sentenced to six years and sent to Mandalay; Lajpat Rai was deported.
- 7Because the parts had a Hindu majority on one side and a Muslim majority on the other.
- 8Day of mourning, rakhi, boycott of foreign goods; cancelled on 12 December 1911.
Muslim League, Lucknow Pact, Home Rule and the 1919 reforms
When two friends who quarrelled come together again, their strength grows. In 1916 a similar coming together was seen in Indian politics.
Between 1906 and 1919 the Muslim League was founded, and the Morley–Minto reforms, reunion within the Congress, the Lucknow Pact, the Home Rule movement and the Montagu declaration all took place.
Key idea 1 : Muslim League and Morley–Minto reforms — The Muslim League was founded in 1906; a deputation led by the Aga Khan met Viceroy Minto and demanded special representation for Muslims. The Morley–Minto Act of 1909 provided separate electorates for Muslims.
Key idea 2 : The First World War, Lucknow Pact and Home Rule — In 1914 Tilak was released and the First World War began. In 1916 at Lucknow the Congress and the Muslim League made the Lucknow Pact, jointly demanding swaraj. Tilak and Annie Besant started Home Rule Leagues; Tilak’s slogan was ‘Swaraj is my birthright’.
Key idea 3 : Montagu declaration and the Act of 1919 — In 1917 Secretary of State Montagu announced the British policy of moving towards responsible government. The Montagu–Chelmsford Act of 1919 followed; Tilak said these reforms were neither swaraj nor the foundation of swaraj. Still, some leaders took the policy of ‘Responsive Cooperation’.
- Easy : When was the Muslim League founded? — In 1906.
- Medium : Between whom was the Lucknow Pact made? — The Congress and the Muslim League (1916).
- Exam-type : Who started the Home Rule Leagues? — Tilak and Annie Besant.
In the figure: From the founding of the League to the unity of the Lucknow Pact and on to the Reforms Act: a chain of events over thirteen years.
What happened before? After the Surat split, Tilak and Annie Besant tried to bring the Moderate and Extremist groups of the Congress together again. In December 1916 at Lucknow, the Congress session met under Ambika Charan Mazumdar and the Muslim League session under Muhammad Ali Jinnah. The Congress accepted the Lucknow Pact on 29 December and the League on 31 December.
What happened next? On 20 August 1917 Secretary of State Edwin Montagu told the British Parliament that British policy would be to move gradually towards responsible government by building up self-governing institutions in India. After that, Annie Besant, whom the government had kept under arrest, was released in September 1917 and in December 1917 she became president of the Congress at its Calcutta session.
1906 League; 1909 Morley–Minto; 1916 Lucknow; 1917 Montagu declaration; 1919 Act.
It is wrong to think the Lucknow Pact gave swaraj at once. It only produced a joint demand of the Congress and the League.
Memory clue: Chant the years ‘06-09-16-17-19’ = League, Morley–Minto, Lucknow, Montagu, Act.
Spot the difference
| Event | Year | Main point |
|---|---|---|
| Muslim League founded | 1906 | Demand for Muslim representation |
| Morley–Minto Act | 1909 | Separate electorates for Muslims |
| Lucknow Pact | 1916 | Joint demand of Congress and League |
| Montagu declaration | 1917 | Move towards responsible government |
Muslim League, Lucknow Pact, Home Rule and the 1919 reforms
In the app you can move this figure with your finger.
Open in the appPractice questions
- 1When was the Muslim League founded?
- 2What provision did the Morley–Minto Act make for Muslims?
- 3When and between whom was the Lucknow Pact made?
- 4Who started the Home Rule Leagues?
- 5What was Tilak’s famous slogan?
- 6What did Tilak say about the Act of 1919?
- 7What effort did Tilak and Besant make before the Lucknow Pact?
- 8What happened regarding Annie Besant after the Montagu declaration?
Show answers (try them yourself first)
- 1In 1906.
- 2Separate electorates.
- 3In December 1916, between the Congress and the Muslim League.
- 4Tilak and Annie Besant.
- 5‘Swaraj is my birthright.’
- 6The reforms were neither swaraj nor the foundation of swaraj.
- 7They tried to bring the Moderate and Extremist groups of the Congress together again.
- 8She was released in September 1917 and became president of the Congress in December 1917.