CUET UG History: Modern India - Rise of Nationalism, INC Formation, Moderates vs Extremists

Must?Know (15–20 detailed bullets)

• Indian National Congress (INC) was founded in December 1885 in Bombay under the leadership of A.O. Hume, a retired British civil servant.
• The first session of the INC was held at Gokuldas Tejpal Sanskrit College in Bombay, attended by 72 delegates from across India.
• Womesh Chandra Bonnerjee was elected as the president of the first session of the INC in 1885.
• The early phase of the INC (1885–1905) is known as the Moderate phase, characterized by constitutional methods and petitions.
• Moderates believed in "prayer, petition, and protest" as tools for political reform; Dadabhai Naoroji, Pherozeshah Mehta, and Gopal Krishna Gokhale were key leaders.
• Dadabhai Naoroji presented the Drain Theory in his book Poverty and Un-British Rule in India (1901), estimating annual drain of ?30 crore from India to Britain.
• The Indian Councils Act of 1892 was a result of Moderate demands, increasing non-official membership in legislative councils but without voting rights.
• The Extremist phase emerged around 1905, rejecting Moderate methods; leaders included Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Bipin Chandra Pal, and Lala Lajpat Rai (Lal-Bal-Pal).
• Tilak declared "Swaraj is my birthright and I shall have it" during the anti-Partition of Bengal movement (1905).
• The Partition of Bengal was announced by Lord Curzon in 1905 and implemented on 16 October 1905, dividing Bengal into East (Muslim-majority) and West (Hindu-majority).
• The Swadeshi Movement (1905–1911) followed the Partition of Bengal, promoting indigenous goods and boycott of British products.
• The Surat Split in 1907 divided the INC into Moderates and Extremists; the session was held in Surat under President Rash Behari Ghosh.
• The Extremists wanted Swaraj as a goal and mass mobilization; Moderates wanted gradual reforms within British constitutional framework.
• The Morley-Minto Reforms (Indian Councils Act, 1909) introduced separate electorates for Muslims, accepted by Moderates but criticized by Extremists.
• Gopal Krishna Gokhale founded the Servants of India Society in 1905 to train national missionaries for social and political service.
• Tilak started two newspapers: Kesari (in Marathi) and Mahratta (in English) to spread nationalist ideas.
• The Lucknow Pact (1916) marked reunion between Moderates and Extremists in the INC and also an agreement with the Muslim League.
• The Surat Split occurred due to conflict over the choice of president: Moderates supported Rash Behari Ghosh; Extremists wanted Tilak.
• The Extremists emphasized self-reliance (Atmashakti), national education, and mass participation; Tilak celebrated Ganpati and Shivaji festivals to build unity.
• The Indian National Congress re-united in the Lucknow session of 1916, with Ambika Charan Majumdar as president.

Difficulty Level

Intermediate — Requires understanding of ideological differences and chronological events; dates and names are specific but interlinked.

Common CUET Traps

• Trap: Believing the INC was founded by Indian leaders alone.
  Avoid: A.O. Hume, a British civil servant, played a key role in founding the INC in 1885.

• Trap: Confusing the year of the Surat Split with the Partition of Bengal.
  Avoid: Partition of Bengal was in 1905; Surat Split occurred in 1907.

• Trap: Assuming Moderates wanted complete independence.
  Avoid: Moderates sought self-government within the British Empire, not Purna Swaraj.

Practice MCQs

1. Question: Who was the president of the first session of the Indian National Congress in 1885?
   A. A.O. Hume
   B. Dadabhai Naoroji
   C. Womesh Chandra Bonnerjee
   D. Pherozeshah Mehta
   Answer: C
   Explanation: Womesh Chandra Bonnerjee presided over the first INC session in Bombay in 1885.
   Why others fail: A.O. Hume organized it but did not preside; Naoroji became president later (1886, 1893, 1906).

2. Question: The slogan "Swaraj is my birthright and I shall have it" is associated with which leader?
   A. Mahatma Gandhi
   B. Bipin Chandra Pal
   C. Bal Gangadhar Tilak
   D. Lala Lajpat Rai
   Answer: C
   Explanation: Tilak gave this slogan during the anti-Partition of Bengal agitation.
   Why others fail: Gandhi used "Do or Die" in 1942; Lal-Bal-Pal were a trio, but only Tilak is linked to this phrase.

3. Question: Which of the following correctly matches the leader with their newspaper?
   A. Dadabhai Naoroji – Kesari
   B. Mahatma Gandhi – Young India
   C. Motilal Nehru – Hindustan Times
   D. Muhammad Ali Jinnah – Al-Hilal
   Answer: B
   Explanation: Gandhi edited Young India and Harijan during the freedom struggle.
   Why others fail: Kesari was Tilak’s; Al-Hilal was Maulana Azad’s; Hindustan Times founded in 1924 by others.

4. Question: The Surat Split in the Indian National Congress took place in which year?
   A. 1905
   B. 1906
   C. 1907
   D. 1916
   Answer: C
   Explanation: The Surat Split occurred in 1907 due to ideological differences between Moderates and Extremists.
   Why others fail: 1905 was Partition of Bengal; 1916 was Lucknow Pact; 1906 was Muslim League formation.

5. Question: Which of the following was NOT a feature of the Extremist phase of the Indian National Movement?
   A. Boycott of foreign goods
   B. Faith in British justice
   C. Promotion of national education
   D. Use of Swadeshi symbols
   Answer: B
   Explanation: Extremists rejected faith in British justice, unlike Moderates who believed in constitutional methods.
   Why others fail: Boycott, Swadeshi, and national education were key Extremist strategies; only B was Moderate.

Last?Minute Revision (15–20 one?liners)

• INC founded in 1885, not 1886.
• First INC session: Bombay, Gokuldas Tejpal College.
• Womesh Chandra Bonnerjee – first INC president.
• A.O. Hume – founder secretary, not president.
• Moderate phase: 1885–1905 – petitions, not protests.
• Drain Theory – Dadabhai Naoroji – ?30 crore drain.
• Indian Councils Act – 1892 – no voting rights.
• Extremists: Lal-Bal-Pal – Tilak, Pal, Lajpat Rai.
• “Swaraj is my birthright” – Tilak, not Gandhi.
• Partition of Bengal – 16 October 1905 – Lord Curzon.
• Swadeshi Movement – started 1905 – boycott of British goods.
• Surat Split – 1907 – Moderates vs Extremists.
• Surat session president – Rash Behari Ghosh.
• Morley-Minto Reforms – 1909 – separate electorates.
• Gokhale founded Servants of India Society – 1905.
• Tilak’s newspapers: Kesari (Marathi), Mahratta (English).
• Lucknow Pact – 1916 – INC and Muslim League unity.
• Reunion of INC – 1916 – Lucknow session – Ambika Charan Majumdar.
• Extremists emphasized Atmashakti (self-reliance).
• Moderates believed in “Prayer, Petition, Protest”.