Formation of Indian National Congress, 1885

The dissatisfaction with British rule intensified in the 1870s and 1880s. The Arms Act was passed in 1878, disallowed Indians from possessing arms. In the same year the Vernacular Press Act was also enacted. The Act allowed the government to confiscate the assets of newspapers including their printing presses if the newspapers published anything that was found objectionable.

In 1883, there was a furore over the attempt by the government to introduce the Ilbert Bill. The bill provided for the trial of British or European persons by Indians, and sought equality between British and Indian judges in the country. But when white opposition forced the government to withdraw the bill, Indians were enraged. The event highlighted the racial attitudes of the British in India.

The need for an all-India organisation of educated Indians had been felt since 1880, but the Ilbert Bill controversy deepened this desire. Inspired by a suggestion made by A.O. Hume, a retired British civil servant, 73 Indian delegates met in Bombay in 1885 and founded the Indian National Congress (INC). They were mostly members of the upwardly mobile and successful western-educated provincial elites, engaged in professions such as law, teaching and journalism.

The early leadership inclded Dadabhai Naoroji, Pherozeshah Mehta, Badruddin Tyabji, W.C. Bonnerji, Surendranath Banerji, Romesh Chandra Dutt, S. Subramania Iyer, among others.

Moderate Approach of Congress

Initially, the Congress functioned as a debating society that met annually to express its loyalty to the British Raj and passed resolutions on less controversial issues. The Congress in the first twenty years was moderate in its objectives and methods.

During this period it demanded a greater voice for Indians in the government and in administration. It wanted the Legislative Councils to be made more representative, given more power, and introduced in provinces where none existed. It demanded that Indians be placed in high positions in the government. For this purpose it called for civil service examinations to be held in India as well, not just in London. Other demands included the separation of the judiciary from the executive, the repeal of the Arms Act and the freedom of speech and expression.

The early Congress also raised a number of economic issues. It declared that British rule had led to poverty and famines: increase in the land revenue had impoverished peasants and zamindars, and exports of grains to Europe had created food shortages. The Congress demanded reduction of revenue, cut in military expenditure, and more funds for irrigation.

The Moderate leaders wanted to develop public awareness about the unjust nature of British rule. They published newspapers, wrote articles, and showed how British rule was leading to the economic ruin of the country. They criticized British rule in their speeches and sent representatives to different parts of the country to mobilize public opinion. They felt that the British had respect for the ideals of freedom and justice, and so they would accept the just demands of Indians.

Radical Approach

By the 1890s many Indians began to raise questions about the political style of the Congress. In Bengal, Maharashtra and Punjab, leaders such as Bepin Chandra Pal, Bal Gangadhar Tilak and Lala Lajpat Rai were beginning to explore more radical objectives and methods. They argued that people must rely on their own strength, not on the good intentions of the government and people must fight for swaraj.

Congress Split, 1907

The Congress split in 1907. The Moderates were opposed to the use of boycott. They felt that it involved the use of force. After the split the Congress came to be dominated by the Moderates with Tilak’s followers functioning from outside.

The two groups reunited in December 1915. Next year, the Congress and the Muslim League signed the Lucknow Pact and decided to work together for representative government in the country.