In December 1885, seventy-two delegates from across British India assembled at Gokuldas Tejpal Sanskrit College in Bombay. This meeting marked the founding of the Indian National Congress (INC)—the first modern, pan-Indian political organization in South Asia.
During its initial decades (1885–1918), the INC served as an umbrella platform that transformed regional grievances into a unified national consciousness. Bridging regional, linguistic, and religious divides, the Congress established the political, constitutional, and economic frameworks that governed the Indian freedom struggle until independence in 1947.
1. Formation and Origins: The “Safety Valve” Controversy
The creation of the Congress was spearheaded by Allan Octavian Hume, a retired British civil servant, alongside prominent Indian intellectuals including Womesh Chandra Bonnerjee (who served as the INC’s first president), Dadabhai Naoroji, Dinshaw Wacha, and Justice Badruddin Tyabji.
FOUNDING PERSPECTIVES OF THE INC
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| THE "SAFETY VALVE" HYPOTHESIS |
| Colonial authorities (e.g., Viceroy Lord Dufferin) initially |
| encouraged the INC to act as a peaceful conduit for political |
| discontent, preventing a repeat of the 1857 armed rebellion. |
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| THE NATIONALIST EXPRESSION |
| Indian leaders utilized the organization as a deliberate platform |
| to build a pan-Indian political consciousness, circumventing |
| regional and communal isolation. |
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2. The Moderate Phase (1885–1905): Constitutional Agitation
The early years of the INC were dominated by leaders known as the Moderates—including Dadabhai Naoroji, Gopal Krishna Gokhale, Surendranath Banerjee, and Pherozeshah Mehta. Believing in British sense of justice, fair play, and gradual constitutional reform, they pursued a methodology summarized as the “3 Ps”: Petition, Prayer, and Protest.
Core Achievements of the Moderates
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Economic Critique of Imperialism: Through works like Dadabhai Naoroji’s Economic Drain Theory and R.C. Dutt’s economic histories, the Moderates exposed how British colonial policies systematically impoverished India.
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Constitutional Reforms: Pressure from the INC led directly to the passage of the Indian Councils Act of 1892, which expanded non-official membership in imperial and provincial legislative councils.
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Administrative Demands: They campaigned for the Indianization of civil services, simultaneous holding of ICS examinations in India and England, separation of the judiciary from executive powers, and the reduction of military spending.
3. The Extremist Surge (1905–1918): Direct Action and Swaraj
By the turn of the 20th century, a younger generation of nationalist leaders grew disillusioned with the Moderate strategy, which they criticized as “political mendicancy” (begging). The 1905 Partition of Bengal by Lord Curzon brought these ideological tensions to a head, propelling the Extremists to the forefront of the INC.
MODERATES VS. EXTREMISTS
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IDEOLOGICAL RIFT WITHIN INC
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[ THE MODERATES ] [ THE EXTREMISTS ]
Leaders: Gokhale, Naoroji, Banerjee Leaders: Lal-Bal-Pal, Aurobindo
Goal: Self-government within empire Goal: Complete *Swaraj* (Self-rule)
Method: Petitions, legal councils Method: Boycott, Swadeshi, Mass strikes
Led by the famous trio Lal-Bal-Pal—Lala Lajpat Rai, Bal Gangadhar Tilak, and Bipin Chandra Pal—alongside Aurobindo Ghose, the Extremists re-defined the national goal. Tilak popularized the iconic slogan: “Swaraj is my birthright and I shall have it!”
The Surat Split (1907)
Disagreements over extending the Swadeshi boycott movement nationwide led to a fierce clash at the Surat Session of 1907, resulting in a formal split. The British government seized the opportunity to suppress the Extremists, arresting Tilak and exiling him to Mandalay for six years.
4. Re-unification and the Lucknow Pact (1916)
The onset of World War I created new geopolitical dynamics. Realizing that division weakened anti-colonial leverage, nationalist leaders worked toward political reconciliation.
THE LUCKNOW SESSION (1916)
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| INC RE-UNIFICATION |
| Moderates and Extremists reunite within the Congress fold, led |
| by Annie Besant and Bal Gangadhar Tilak. |
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| THE LUCKNOW PACT |
| A historic alliance signed between the INC and the All India |
| Muslim League, presenting a joint demand for constitutional reforms|
| to the British Crown. |
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The Lucknow Pact of 1916 represented a rare moment of joint political consensus between the INC and the Muslim League. Concurrently, the launch of the Home Rule League Movement by Bal Gangadhar Tilak and Annie Besant energized mass political participation across Southern, Western, and Northern India.
5. Overview of the Early INC Evolution
| Phase | Years | Dominant Ideology | Key Leaders | Major Milestone |
| Foundational | 1885–1892 | Elite Networking & Reform | A.O. Hume, W.C. Bonnerjee, Badruddin Tyabji | First Session in Bombay; Indian Councils Act 1892. |
| Moderate | 1892–1905 | Constitutional Agitation | Dadabhai Naoroji, G.K. Gokhale, S.N. Banerjee | Exposure of Economic Drain; Opposition to Bengal Partition. |
| Extremist | 1905–1916 | Direct Action & Swadeshi | Tilak, Lajpat Rai, B.C. Pal, Aurobindo Ghose | Swadeshi Movement; Surat Split (1907); Home Rule Leagues. |
| Consolidation | 1916–1918 | Pan-Indian Alliance | Tilak, Annie Besant, M.A. Jinnah (then INC) | Lucknow Pact (1916); Declaration of August 1917. |
6. Historical Significance
In its early phase, the Indian National Congress accomplished what no previous political movement in South Asia had achieved: it forged a unified national identity out of diverse regional interests.
By training a generation of political workers, articulating an economic critique of empire, and experimenting with constitutional and mass-protest strategies, the early INC built the institutional structure that enabled Mahatma Gandhi to transform the national movement into a mass anti-colonial struggle starting in 1919.
Category: History of India