INC Moderate Phase | KPSC KAS Preparation: All subjects - KPSC KAS (Karnataka) PDF Download

The Indian National Congress (1885)

• Allan Octavian Hume, a retired British civil servant, initiated the formation of an all-India organization, leading to the creation of the Indian National Congress.
• The Indian National Congress held its first session at Gokuldas Tejpal Sanskrit College in Bombay in 1885.
• W.C. Banerjee served as its first president.
• The session was attended by 72 delegates from across India.
• Attendees came from diverse religious backgrounds and discussed issues affecting all Indians, regardless of religion, caste, language, or region.
• From its inception, the Indian National Congress was a secular movement, inclusive of every section of Indian society.
• The second session of the Congress took place in Calcutta in 1886, and the third session was held in Madras in 1887.
• The Indian National Movement's history can be divided into three main phases:
  • The moderate nationalism phase (1885-1905), where the Congress remained loyal to the British crown.
  • The years 1906-1916, which saw the Swadeshi Movement, the rise of militant nationalism, and the Home Rule Movement.
  • The Gandhian era (1917-1947).

Moderate Nationalism (1885-1905) 

• Between 1885 and 1905, the Congress leaders, known as moderates, trusted the British sense of justice and goodwill.
• They were termed "moderates" because they used peaceful and constitutional methods to pursue their goals.
• Key figures during this early phase included A.O. Hume, W.C. Banerjee, Surendra Nath Banerjee, Dadabhai Naoroji, Feroze Shah Mehta, Gopalakrishna Gokhale, Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya, Badruddin Tyabji, Justice Ranade, and G. Subramanya Aiyar.
• Throughout the 19th Century, the Congress focused on criticizing government policies and demanding reforms.
• The initial goals of the Indian National Congress were:
  • Greater representation and expansion of legislative councils
  • Promotion of education
  • Freedom of the press
  • Separation of the judiciary from the executive
  • Conducting Indian Civil Service (I.C.S.) exams in India
  • Reducing military expenditure
  • Increasing import duties on foreign goods
• The Moderates had complete faith in British justice and were loyal to the British authorities.
• They used petitions, resolutions, meetings, leaflets, pamphlets, memorandums, and delegations to express their demands.
• Their political activities were mainly directed at the educated classes.
• Their strategy was to achieve political rights and self-government incrementally.
• Initially, the British Government welcomed the formation of the Indian National Congress.
• As Congress's demands grew, the British Government's stance became less friendly and encouraged Muslims to distance themselves from the Congress.
• The only concession granted by the British was the expansion of legislative councils through the Indian Councils Act of 1892.

Achievements of Moderates

• The Moderates successfully fostered a broad national awareness among the people.
• They promoted the concepts of democracy, civil liberties, and representative institutions.
• They highlighted the exploitation of Indians by the British, with Dadabhai Naoroji's book, Poverty and Un-British Rule in India, presenting his Drain Theory.
• Naoroji demonstrated how India's wealth was being siphoned off to England through:
  • Salaries
  • Savings
  • Pensions
  • Payments to British troops in India
  • Profits of British companies
• This led the British Government to establish the Welby Commission, with Dadabhai Naoroji as the first Indian member, to investigate the issue.
• Some Moderates, like Ranade and Gokhale, also advocated for social reforms, opposing practices like child marriage and widowhood.
• The Moderates achieved the expansion of legislative councils through the Indian Councils Act of 1892.