Early Phase of Freedom Movement

Overview

The Early Phase of the Indian National Movement (roughly 1885–1905) marks the organized beginning of India's struggle for self-rule. The Indian National Congress (INC), founded in 1885, became the principal vehicle for expressing Indian political aspirations under British colonial rule. This period is crucial for UPSSSC PET because it introduces foundational concepts: the moderate leadership's constitutional methods, the rise of extremist dissent, and the pivotal 1905 Partition of Bengal that transformed Indian nationalism from elite petitioning to mass mobilization.

Understanding this phase means grasping two competing ideologies within the Congress—moderates who believed in gradual reform through petitions and dialogue, versus extremists who demanded immediate self-government and weren't afraid of confrontation. The Partition of Bengal 1905 serves as the watershed event that exposed British divide-and-rule tactics and triggered the Swadeshi movement, anti-partition agitations, and the widening of nationalist consciousness beyond the educated elite.

For PET, expect 2–4 questions testing dates (1885 founding, 1905 partition), key personalities (Dadabhai Naoroji, Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Lala Lajpat Rai), ideological differences, and consequences of the Bengal partition. Clarity on who stood for what and why 1905 was a turning point will help you tackle MCQs confidently.

Key Concepts

• **Foundation of Indian National Congress (1885)**: A.O. Hume, a retired British civil servant, along with Indian leaders like Dadabhai Naoroji, W.C. Bonnerjee, and Surendranath Banerjee, founded the INC in Bombay. The first session had 72 delegates. Early Congress functioned as a safety valve for Indian grievances and a platform for constitutional agitation.

• **Moderate Leadership (1885–1905)**: Leaders like Dadabhai Naoroji, Gopal Krishna Gokhale, Pherozeshah Mehta, and Surendranath Banerjee dominated this phase. They believed in loyalty to the British Crown, gradual reforms, and petitions/resolutions as methods. They sought representation in councils, civil service reforms, and reduction of military expenditure.

• **Moderate Methods and Demands**: Moderates used petitions, memorials, debates in legislative councils, and public speeches. Key demands included expansion of legislative councils, simultaneous ICS exams in India, reduction of land revenue, separation of judiciary from executive, and protection of civil liberties.

• **Economic Critique by Moderates**: Dadabhai Naoroji's "Drain Theory" argued that wealth was systematically drained from India to Britain through home charges, pensions, and profits. R.C. Dutt analyzed land revenue policies and famines. This economic critique laid the intellectual foundation for self-rule arguments.

• **Rise of Extremism (1890s onward)**: Leaders like Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Lala Lajpat Rai, and Bipin Chandra Pal (collectively Lal-Bal-Pal) grew impatient with moderate methods. They demanded Swaraj (self-rule) as a birthright, encouraged mass participation, and used cultural-religious symbolism (Ganapati festivals, Shivaji Jayanti) to mobilize common people.

• **Partition of Bengal (1905)**: Lord Curzon announced the partition on October 16, 1905, ostensibly for administrative efficiency. Bengal was divided into Bengal (Hindu-majority, capital Calcutta) and East Bengal & Assam (Muslim-majority, capital Dhaka). The real motive was to weaken Bengali nationalism by dividing Hindus and Muslims.

• **Anti-Partition Movement**: The partition triggered massive protests, hartals, and the Swadeshi movement. People pledged to boycott British goods and use Indian-made products. The slogan "Bande Mataram" became the rallying cry. This was the first large-scale mass movement involving students, women, and workers.

• **Swadeshi and Boycott**: Swadeshi meant promoting indigenous industries and rejecting foreign goods. Boycott targeted British textiles, leading to bonfires of foreign cloth. Leaders like Tilak linked Swadeshi to political freedom, not just economic self-reliance. This radicalized the nationalist discourse beyond petitions.

Formulas / Key Facts

• **1885**: Indian National Congress founded in Bombay; first president W.C. Bonnerjee; 72 delegates attended.
• **1905 (16 October)**: Partition of Bengal announced by Lord Curzon; reversed in 1911 due to sustained agitation.
• **Moderates' Era**: 1885–1905; methods included petitions, memorials, constitutional agitation.
• **Extremists' Slogan**: "Swaraj is my birthright and I shall have it" — Bal Gangadhar Tilak (1906).
• **Drain Theory**: Propounded by Dadabhai Naoroji; estimated annual drain of wealth from India to Britain.
• **Lal-Bal-Pal**: Trio of extremist leaders — Lala Lajpat Rai (Punjab), Bal Gangadhar Tilak (Maharashtra), Bipin Chandra Pal (Bengal).
• **Swadeshi Movement**: Started 1905 in response to Bengal partition; involved boycott of British goods and promotion of indigenous industries.
• **Annulment of Partition**: 1911 — Bengal reunified by King George V during Delhi Durbar; capital shifted from Calcutta to Delhi as concession to Muslim opinion.

Worked Examples

**Example 1**: *Which leader is associated with the statement "Swaraj is my birthright"?* **Step 1**: Recall extremist leaders — Tilak, Lala Lajpat Rai, Bipin Chandra Pal. **Step 2**: The famous slogan is attributed to Bal Gangadhar Tilak, declared in 1906. **Answer**: Bal Gangadhar Tilak.

**Example 2**: *Why was Bengal partitioned in 1905 according to the British government, and what was the nationalist view?* **Step 1**: Official reason — administrative convenience; Bengal was too large (78 million people). **Step 2**: Nationalist interpretation — divide-and-rule policy to weaken Bengali unity and anti-British sentiment by creating Hindu-Muslim divide. **Answer**: British claimed administrative efficiency; nationalists saw it as deliberate communal divide to weaken the freedom movement.

**Example 3**: *Name two demands of the moderate phase of the Indian National Congress.* **Step 1**: Recall moderate methods focused on constitutional reforms. **Step 2**: Common demands — expansion of legislative councils, simultaneous ICS exams in India and England, reduction of military expenditure, separation of judiciary from executive. **Answer**: Expansion of legislative councils and simultaneous ICS exams in India.

Common Mistakes

• **Confusing dates**: Students mix up 1885 (INC foundation) with 1905 (Bengal partition). Remember: 20-year gap separates these milestones.

**Fix**: Use the mnemonic "85 Congress born, 05 Bengal torn."

• **Mixing moderate and extremist leaders**: Placing Gokhale with extremists or Tilak with moderates.

**Fix**: Moderates (3 G's) — Gokhale, Gopal Krishna (Gokhale), Dadabhai Naoroji; Extremists (Lal-Bal-Pal) — Lala Lajpat Rai, Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Bipin Chandra Pal.

• **Believing partition was reversed immediately**: The partition lasted until 1911, not 1906.

**Fix**: Anti-partition agitation was intense (1905–1911), but reversal came only in 1911 with capital shift to Delhi.

• **Overlooking economic critique**: Focusing only on political demands and ignoring Dadabhai Naoroji's Drain Theory or R.C. Dutt's writings.

**Fix**: Moderates built strong economic arguments showing British exploitation; this intellectual work legitimized later demands for independence.

• **Thinking Swadeshi = only boycott**: Swadeshi had a constructive dimension (build indigenous industry) alongside boycott (reject foreign goods).

**Fix**: Remember Swadeshi as both negative (boycott) and positive (self-reliance, promote Indian goods).

Quick Reference

• **INC founded 1885** — A.O. Hume, first president W.C. Bonnerjee, 72 delegates, Bombay.
• **Moderates (1885–1905)** — Petitions, constitutional methods, loyalty to Crown, demands for reforms.
• **Extremists (1890s–1905)** — Lal-Bal-Pal, Swaraj demand, mass mobilization, cultural nationalism.
• **Partition of Bengal (16 Oct 1905)** — Curzon's divide-and-rule; reversed 1911.
• **Swadeshi Movement (1905)** — Boycott British goods, use Indian products, mass participation.
• **Drain Theory** — Dadabhai Naoroji's economic critique of colonial exploitation.