MODERATES AND EXTREMISTS

PHASE OF INC
● The Moderates were a group of political leaders in India active between 1885 and 1907.

● Their emergence marked the beginning of the organised national movement in India.

● With members of the group drawn from educated middle-class professionals including
lawyers, teachers and government officials, many of them were educated in England.

● They are known as "Early Nationalists" because they believed in demanding reforms while
adopting constitutional and peaceful means to achieve their aims.
● The Early Nationalists had full faith in the British sense of justice, fair play, honesty, and
integrity while they believed that British rule was a boon for India.

Surendranath Banerjee

To create an all-India political organisation, Banerjee convened the Indian National Conference in
1883 at Kolkata.
Banerjee merged the Indian National Conference with the Indian National Congress in 1886 as both
organisations had similar objectives.
[6]
He presided over two sessions of the Congress in 1895 and 1902.

Gopal Krishna Gokhale

 ● Gopal Krishna Gokhale, known as "The Political Guru of Gandhi"
● Gokhale was a senior leader of the Indian National Congress and founder of the Servants of
India Society.
● Through the Society as well as the Congress and other legislative bodies he served in,
Gokhale campaigned for Indian self-rule and also social reform.

A. O. Hume (Allan Octavian Hume)

● Englishman A. O. Hume, a retired Indian Civil Servant, saw the need for an organisation that
would draw the government's attention to current administrative drawbacks and suggest the
means to rectify them.

● In 1884 Hume, in consultation with the Indian leaders, laid the foundations of the Indian
National Union but it was postponed due to an outbreak of plague in Pune.

● Later on, at the suggestion of Dadabhai Naoroji, the name was changed to "Indian National
Congress" and the foundation of the organisation was laid on 28 December 1885.

Dadabhai Naoroji

● Dadabhai Naoroji, popularly known as the "Grand Old Man of India",

● Took an active part in the foundation of the Indian National Congress
● Elected its President thrice, in 1886, 1893 and after the Moderate phase in 1906.
● He spent a major part of his life in Britain.
 ● He founded the London Indian Society which he used to create awareness among the British
people about the plight of the Indians.

● His book Poverty and UnBritish Rule in India explored how India was economically exploited
by the British government.

Comparison between Moderates and Extremist Leadership of Congress

Basis Moderates Extremists

Phase 1885-1905 1905-1920

Aim 1. Aimed at administrative and 1. Aim of getting Swaraj

constitutional reforms. 2. Wanted to end the tyranic rule of
2. Wanted more Indians in the
the British.
administration and not to an end of
British rule.

3. They were secular in their

attitudes, though not always
forthright enough to rise above
their sectarian interests. They
knew the exploitative nature of
British rule but wanted its reforms
and not expulsion.
Ideology 1. They believe in the efficacy of
peaceful and constitutional
agitation.
2. They had great faith in the
British sense of justice and fair
play.
3. They were inspired by the ideas
of western philosophers like Mill,
Burke, Spencer and Bentham.
Moderates imbibed western ideas
of liberalism, democracy, equity
and freedom.
1. They were radical in their
approach. Demands of extremists
were aggressive.
2. They believed in atmashakti or
self-reliance as a weapon against
domination.
3. Ideological inspiration was Indian
History, Cultural heritage, national
education and Hindu traditional
symbols. Hence, they revived the
Ganapati and Shivaji festivals to
arouse the masses.
4. They wanted to inculcate pride in
India’s glorious culture to generate
the spirit of nationalism. They
invoked goddesses Kali or Durga
for strength to fight for the
motherland.
5. Guided by four: principles
Swarajya, Swadeshi, Boycott of
foreign goods and National
education to make the Indian
aware.
Methodology 1. They follow the principles of 3P:
Petition, Prayer and Protest.
2. They believed in cooperation
and reconciliation.
1. They believe in militant methods.
2. They follow the principle of
atmashakti or self-reliance as a
weapon against domination.

3. Method of Non-Cooperation.

4. They advocated democracy,

constitutionalism and progress.

Leaders A.O. Hume Lala Lajpat Rai

W.C. Banerjee Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak
Surendra Nath Banerjee Bipin Chandra Pal
Dadabhai Naoroji Aurobindo Ghose
Feroze Shah Mehta. Gopal Rajnarayan Bose
Krishna Gokhale Ashwini Kumar Dutt
Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya
Badruddin Tyabji
Justice Ranade
G.Subramanya Aiyar

Social Zamindars and Upper middle Educated middle and lower middle
Support classes in towns classes in towns
Contribution 1. Economic Critique of British
Imperialism
2. Constitutional Reforms and
Propaganda in Legislature
3. Campaign for General
Administrative Reforms
4. Defence of Civil Rights
1. Demand of Swaraj
2. Mass movement
3. Spread of national education
4. Upliftment of downtrodden
5. Nationalism
6. Support to revolutionary
movements
7. Rise of communalism
8. Encouraged co-operative
organisation
9. Set up charitable association for
rural sanitation, preventive police
duties, regulation of fairs and pilgrim
gatherings for providing relief funds
during famines and other calamities.
The factors that led to the rise of and extremist trend within the Congress circles

● Frustration with moderate politics was definitely the major reason behind the rise
of extremists’ reaction. The congress under moderate leadership was being
governed by an undemocratic constitution, although after repeated attempts by
Tilak, a new constitution was drafted and rectified in 1899, it was never given a
proper trial.

● Moderate politics reached a dead end as most of their demands remained

unfulfilled and this was certainly a major reason behind the rise of extremism.

● The failure of the Moderates to win any notable success other than the
expansion of the legislative councils by the Indian Councils Act (1892).

● The partition of Bengal in 1905 opened the eyes of the Indians to the true colors
of the British rulers.