Rise of the Congress: Moderates and Extremists
Rise of the Congress: Moderates and Extremists
This topic covers the years from 1885 to 1916 and usually supplies 1 to 2 questions. The examiner tests founding facts, the split between two schools of thought, and the events around the partition of Bengal. Names paired with years are the whole game here.
Founding of the Indian National Congress
The Congress was founded in 1885 by A. O. Hume, a retired British civil servant. Its first session was held in Bombay and was presided over by W. C. Bonnerjee.
Two firsts are asked often: Dadabhai Naoroji is called the Grand Old Man of India and gave the drain of wealth theory, and Annie Besant became the first woman president of the Congress in 1917.
Moderates and Extremists
| Point | Moderates | Extremists |
|---|---|---|
| Period | 1885 to 1905 | 1905 to 1917 |
| Method | Petitions, prayers, appeals | Boycott, swadeshi, passive resistance |
| Faith in British rule | Believed in British justice | Rejected it |
| Leaders | Dadabhai Naoroji, G. K. Gokhale, S. N. Banerjee | Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Bipin Chandra Pal, Lala Lajpat Rai |
Tilak, Pal and Rai are remembered together as Lal-Bal-Pal. Tilak's line, Swaraj is my birthright and I shall have it, is the most quoted sentence of the period.
Partition of Bengal and the Swadeshi Movement
Lord Curzon partitioned Bengal in 1905, officially for administrative convenience but in practice to split Hindus and Muslims. The response was the Swadeshi and Boycott movement — foreign goods burned, Indian goods promoted, and national schools started. The partition was finally annulled in 1911, the same period in which the capital was shifted from Calcutta to Delhi.
Bihar has a connection here: it was carved out as a separate province in 1912, as Bihar and Orissa, in the reorganisation that followed.
Surat Split and the Lucknow Pact
- The Congress split into Moderates and Extremists at the Surat session of 1907.
- The two wings reunited at the Lucknow session of 1916.
- The Lucknow Pact of 1916 brought the Congress and the Muslim League together on a common demand.
- The Home Rule Movement of 1916 was led by Tilak and Annie Besant.
✗ The Congress split at Lucknow and reunited at Surat | ✓ It split at Surat in 1907 and reunited at Lucknow in 1916
लाल-बाल-पाल = लाला लाजपत राय, बाल गंगाधर तिलक, बिपिन चंद्र पाल।
TRE pointer: The Surat and Lucknow pair is the most reliable trap in this topic because the two names sound interchangeable to anyone revising in a hurry. Fix it as split at Surat 1907, unity at Lucknow 1916. For Bihar candidates, the 1911 annulment and the 1912 creation of the separate Bihar province sit in the same window and are worth learning as one sequence, since a state paper can ask either end of it.
60-Second Recap
- Congress founded in 1885 by A. O. Hume; first session at Bombay under W. C. Bonnerjee.
- Dadabhai Naoroji gave the drain of wealth theory; Annie Besant was the first woman president, 1917.
- Moderates used petitions; Extremists used boycott and swadeshi.
- Bengal partitioned by Curzon in 1905, annulled in 1911; Bihar became a separate province in 1912.
- Congress split at Surat in 1907 and reunited at Lucknow in 1916.
- Lucknow Pact 1916 joined Congress and Muslim League; Home Rule led by Tilak and Besant.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who founded the Indian National Congress and when?
A. O. Hume, a retired British civil servant, founded it in 1885. The first session met in Bombay with W. C. Bonnerjee as president. Questions sometimes offer Dadabhai Naoroji or Surendranath Banerjee as the founder, so keep Hume's name firmly attached to 1885.
What is the difference between Moderates and Extremists?
Moderates, active from 1885 to 1905, believed in British sense of justice and used petitions, prayers and constitutional appeals. Extremists, from 1905 onwards, rejected that faith and used boycott, swadeshi and passive resistance to force concessions rather than request them.
Why was Bengal partitioned in 1905?
Lord Curzon justified it as an administrative measure for a province that had grown too large, but its practical effect was to divide the population along religious lines and weaken the nationalist movement centred in Bengal. Sustained protest led to its annulment in 1911.
When did the Congress split and where?
At the Surat session of 1907, over differences between Moderates and Extremists on methods and leadership. The two groups came back together at the Lucknow session of 1916, which also produced the Lucknow Pact with the Muslim League. Split at Surat, unity at Lucknow.