FREEDOM MOVEMENT IN INDIA - Unit 1

FREEDOM MOVEMENT IN INDIA (1885-1947)
Unit - 1. Indian Nationalism

Chapter - 1
Genesis of Indian National Congress
Wyomesh Chandra Bonnerjee was the President of the first session of Indian
National Congress.
Indian National Congress - History

The Indian National Congress was established in 1885 by A.O. Hume. The Indian
Nation Union was its previous name. It was not by chance that the Indian
National Congress was founded in 1885. It was the result of a political awakening
process that started in the 1860s and 1870s and came to a head in the late
1870s and early 1880s. Read all about Indian National Congress for UPSC
Examination.
This process reached a turning point in 1885. Modern political thinkers who
viewed themselves as defenders of the interests of the nation rather than
particular interest groups saw the results of their labour. They created an all-
India nationalist organization that would act as a platform, coordinator, focal
point, and a representation of the new national politics.
Indian National Congress - History

The Indian National Congress was founded by 72 delegates on December 28,
1885, at Gokuldas Tejpal Sanskrit College in Mumbai (then Bombay). It was
created by former Indian Civil Services Officer Allan Octavian Hume. The
Congress was established with the goal of fostering a climate that would allow
for polite dialogue between Indians and British.
Only educated Indians were invited to the Congress. Through the Congress, the
British could gain support for their rule in India. This was made feasible because
educated Indians were more receptive to modernization concepts and could
therefore influence other Indians. General Secretary of the Congress was Allan
Octavian Hume, and President of the Congress was Womesh Chunder Banerjee.
Indian National Congress - Foundation

In the late 1870s and early 1880s, the foundation for the creation of an all-India
organisation had been created. A.O. Hume, a retired English civil official, gave
this concept its definitive form by enlisting the help of prominent intellectuals of
the day.
For the first session, Hume received approval from Lord Dufferin, the viceroy of
India at the time. Due to a cholera outbreak in Poona, where it was originally
scheduled to take place, it was shifted to Bombay. In 1883, Hume expressed his
wish to create an organisation for educated Indians to demand greater
participation in government and to offer a forum for discussion in an open letter
to Calcutta University graduates.
The first woman to graduate from Calcutta University, Kadambini Ganguly, spoke
before the Congress in 1890, demonstrating the liberation movement’s
dedication to ensuring that Indian women receive their proper standing in public
life.
Indian National Congress - Features

1. The INC was the country of India’s first national political movement, and
its main goal was to boost Indian participation in governmental affairs.
2. Later, it upgraded its objective to achieve complete independence.
3. Following independence, it evolved into a powerful political force in the
country.
4. In its early years, the INC was a moderate group that restricted its tactics
to constitutional ones and discourse.
5. Its demands were limited to increasing the percentage of Indians
participating in the armed services and government. Independence was
never discussed.
6. After some time, the party’s demands and strategy grew more extreme.
The party had clearly split by 1905, with the more recent segment, the
extremists, who were known for their radical tactics, and the long-standing
moderates. Along with the Indian National Congress, provincial conferences,
associations, newspapers, and literature also participated in nationalist action.
Indian National Congress - Objective

The Indian National Congress was the country’s first large-scale political
movement.
1. Its main goal was to boost Indian participation in governmental affairs.
2. To foster friendly contacts between nationalist political activists from
various parts of the nation.
3. To Develop and enhance a sense of national unity that transcends caste,
religion, and province was the goal.
4. The goal was to compile and submit a list of general demands to the
government.
5. Another goal was to organise and inform the public opinion of the country.
6. Creating and promoting an anti-colonial nationalist concept and upholding
a sense of national unity among all citizens, regardless of their religion,
caste, or province, were additional goals.
Indian National Congress - Role of A. O Hume

Following the Theosophical Convention in Madras in December 1884, a small
group of seventeen persons is believed to have discussed the concept for an all-
India congress. It is also said that Hume’s Indian union, which he created after
leaving the Civil Service, contributed to the Congress’s convocation.
We can infer that there was a need for such an organization, and A.O. Hume took
the initiative, regardless of where the idea originated or who the idea’s original
creator was. Hume was the son of British radical activist Joseph Hume. He
adopted his father’s political beliefs and originally had an interest in European
revolutionary groups.
He began working for the East India Company in 1849 and was stationed in the
Northwestern Provinces. He got interested in initiatives like promoting education,
eradicating social ills, and advancing agriculture. Even Hume launched a
newspaper in 1861 to inform Etawah residents about political and social issues.
The other British commanders did not appreciate Hume’s pro-Indian position and
efforts to advance Indian welfare. Hume was made Secretary to the Government
of India in 1870. For his opinions, Viceroy Northbrook threatened to fire Hume.
Additionally, he did not get along with Lord Lytton, and as a result, he was
demoted in 1879 and eventually left the service in 1882. Hume established
himself in Shimla and developed a passion for Indian politics. He
He got interested in initiatives like promoting education, eradicating social ills,

and advancing agriculture. Even Hume launched a newspaper in 1861 to inform
Etawah residents about political and social issues.
The other British commanders did not appreciate Hume’s pro-Indian position and
efforts to advance Indian welfare. Hume was made Secretary to the Government
of India in 1870. For his opinions, Viceroy Northbrook threatened to fire Hume.
Additionally, he did not get along with Lord Lytton, and as a result, he was
demoted in 1879 and eventually left the service in 1882. Hume established
himself in Shimla and developed a passion for Indian politics. He felt more
sympathy for the Bombay and Poona factions than for the leaders of Calcutta,
such Surendranath Banerjee and Narendra Nath Sen. Hume also got to know
Viceroy Lord Ripon and developed an interest in his plan for local self-
government.
Indian National Congress - Foundation Theories

1. Safety Valve Theory (Lala Lajpat Rai)
It has been hypothesized that A.O.Hume, a retired English civil officer who
created the INC rather than an Indian, did so in order to address the growing
unrest against British authority. Viceroy Dufferin is said to have given Hume the
idea for an annual gathering of intelligent Indians for political discourse.
This may be somewhat true, but there is no solid proof that Dufferin suggested
the INC’s formation or that the INC was meant to serve as a “safety value.”
2. Conspiracy Theory (R P Dutt)

The idea of a “safety valve” gave rise to the conspiracy theory of the Marxist
historian. According to R.P. Dutt, the bourgeois leaders conspired to put down an
uprising of the Indian people, and this is how the Indian National Congress came
to be.
3. Lightning Conductor Theory (G.K Gokhale)

Indians who were politically aware wanted to create a national organisation to
voice their political and economic aspirations, and the Indian National Congress
served as their representation. The authorities would have been violently
opposed to such a body if the Indians had created it on their own; it would not
have been permitted to exist.
Even though they did so in the name of a “safety valve,” the early Congress
leaders utilised Hume as a “lightning conductor,” or a catalyst, to unite patriotic
forces.
Congress Split (Surat Split)

The Indian National Congress split in 1907 permanently due to a rift in the extremists
and the moderate factions. They had earlier patched their differences but had split
for good in 1907.
The moderates wanted to resort to non-violent means to achieve their goals for
Indian independence while the extremists wanted to use radical methods to achieve
complete independence from Britain.
Background of the Surat Split

The years from 1885-1905 was known as the period of the moderates because they
dominated the Indian National Congress. The Moderates used petition, prayers,
meetings, leaflets, pamphlets, memorandum and delegations to present their
demands to the British government.
Their only notable achievements were expansion of the legislative council by the
Indian Councils Act of 1892. This created dissatisfaction among the people. The 1907
INC meeting was to be held in Nagpur. The Extremists wanted leaders were not
released till that date. Some of the new extremists came into being with the same
policy of prior extremists. The Moderates supported Rash Bihari Ghosh. Gopal
Krishna Gokhale moved the meeting place from Nagpur to Surat fearing that in
Nagpur, Bal Gangadhar Tilak would win. The partition of Bengal drove the rise of
extremism in INC.
An INC meeting was shifted from Nagpur to Surat. Since Surat was in the home
province of Bal Gangadhar Tilak, he could not preside over the meeting. But what
outraged the extremists was that he was not even given permission to speak. This
led to a violent altercation between the two factions and the meeting being
cancelled.
The Moderates and the Extremists patched up their differences for a year, but in
1907 the two groups permanently split.
Important Points regarding the Surat Split

The dream of a ‘Surat Split’ was already conceived by Curzon when he
made the statement ‘Congress was tottering to its fall and one of the
biggest ambitions in my life is to give it a peaceful demise’.
1. The Surat split was a big jolt to the Indian National Congress. In fact, the
difference between the moderates and the extremists presented an
opportunity to the British.
2. The moderates were quite reluctant to pass the motion on the demand for
Swaraj. The Arya-samajist notion of Swaraj and Swadeshi, was the hallmark of
the programme of the extremists.
3. In the initial days, there were many Congress leaders who opposed the notion
of Swaraj, the demand for Swaraj, and extremist politics, but in the beginning
of the 20th Century, some of the veteran Congress leaders like Dadabhai
Naoroji, and G.K. Gokhale, had the word, ‘Swaraj’ in their minds.
For Example,
In 1905 (Banaras Session of the INC): Gokhale was the President and for the first
time he had a discussion over ‘Swaraj’.
In 1906, Dadabhai Naoroji (who was the President of the INC session at Calcutta),
and in his Presidential address, used the word Swaraj. Thus, the word, ‘Swaraj’
wasn’t untouchable to them, but they were reluctant to pass the resolution over
‘Swaraj’.
In 1907, Surat Session: The two main objectives placed by the extremists were
that:
1) Demand for the resolution of Swaraj
2) Lala Lajpat Rai to be made the President of the INC
These two demands were not acceptable to the moderates. Thus, instead of
Lala Lajpat Rai (November 17 1928), the moderates supported the idea of Rash
Behari Ghosh as the President. This was the first time that there was to be an
election in the INC for Presidentship. In between the election, the extremists were
expelled from the INC, and the moderates had complete command over the affairs of
the INC. Rash Behari Ghosh became the President of the Surat session.
The Surat split was a victory of the British policy of Divide and Rule, and
after a long time, the British believed that they were in control of the affairs of the
moderates over the INC.
In 1909: Separate electorates were granted to the Muslim community during a time
when the Congress was at its lowest ebb. The most critical and vocal elements were
not a part of the INC. Thus the British had taken absolute advantage over the INC.
However, there are some reservations over the split of the INC at Surat:
1. This was because the extremists did not form a separate organization at
first. They were merely indifferent from the activities of the Congress. And when they
were expelled from the INC, the British Government was looking for an opportunity
to settle scores with the extremists.
2. Thus Bal Gangadhar Tilak was imprisoned for 6 years (on the pretext that it
was an ‘offence to preach nationalism’). Lala Lajpat Rai was expelled from Punjab,
and Bipin Chandra Pal had overnight turned ‘moderate’.
Thus the extremist view no longer remained active in the field of Indian politics. This
again encouraged the British to pursue the aggressive policy of Divide and Rule.
Thus the ‘Surat split’ need not be called a ‘split’, as the extremists merely remained
indifferent to the INC, and did not form a separate organization.
In 1916, they reunited with the Congress in the Lucknow session, thus there was
only an ideological difference between the extremists and the moderates and not a
division as such. The extremists only remained outside the fold of the INC and did
not participate in its activities. Curzon really had a loud voice in the support of the
policy of Divide and Rule, but the voice of Curzon found practical application in the
policies undertaken by Lord Minto.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q 1. What was the Surat Split of 1907?

Ans. The Surat Split was the splitting of the Indian National Congress into two groups
– the Extremists and the Moderates – at the Surat session in 1907.
Q 2. What was the cause of the Surat Split?
Ans. At the Surat Session of INC, the Extremists wanted Lala Lajpat Rai to become
the presidential candidate, while the Moderates were in support of Rash Bihari
Ghosh.
Q 3. What was the ideology of Moderates and

Extremists during the Freedom Struggle?
Extremists were completely against British rule and wanted complete independence. The
Moderates, on the other hand, wanted self-rule and greater autonomy and accepted nominal British
rules.
Q 4. How were extremists different from moderates?

The Moderates believed that once Britishers would understand the Indian mass, they would work
for their benefits and progress and improve the lives of the people. However, the Extremists firmly
believed that the British authorities were not interested in the Indian people and lives.

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FREEDOM MOVEMENT IN INDIA (1885-1947)

Unit - 1. Indian Nationalism

Indian National Congress - History

Indian National Congress - History

Indian National Congress - Foundation

Indian National Congress - Features

Indian National Congress - Objective

Indian National Congress - Role of A. O Hume

He got interested in initiatives like promoting education, eradicating social ills,

Indian National Congress - Foundation Theories

2. Conspiracy Theory (R P Dutt)

3. Lightning Conductor Theory (G.K Gokhale)

Congress Split (Surat Split)

Background of the Surat Split

Important Points regarding the Surat Split

1) Demand for the resolution of Swaraj

2) Lala Lajpat Rai to be made the President of the INC

Frequently Asked Questions

Q 1. What was the Surat Split of 1907?

Q 3. What was the ideology of Moderates and

Q 4. How were extremists different from moderates?

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