Early Nationalism: Moderates and Extremists
Early nationalism for UPSC — pre-Congress associations, founding of the INC, Moderates and drain theory, Extremists, partition of Bengal, Swadeshi, Surat split and Morley-Minto reforms.
SyllabusGS I · The Freedom Struggle — its various stages and important contributors and contributions from different parts of the country
This chapter covers the first phase of organised nationalism, from the political associations of the 1830s–1880s to the founding of the Indian National Congress (1885), the Moderate phase (1885–1905), and the rise of the Extremists during the Swadeshi Movement against the partition of Bengal (1905). It ends with the Surat split (1907), the Morley-Minto Reforms (1909), the first wave of revolutionary activity and the annulment of the partition (1911).
What UPSC asks
- Prelims: founders and years of associations, INC sessions and presidents, provisions of the Indian Councils Acts of 1892 and 1909, Swadeshi-era institutions, newspapers and revolutionary episodes.
- Mains (GS I): the contribution and limits of the Moderates, the drain theory, Moderate vs Extremist methods, the significance of the Swadeshi Movement, the roots of communal politics.
Key sub-topics
| Phase | Highlights |
|---|---|
| Pre-Congress | Landholders’ Society (1838), Indian Association (1876), Lytton’s measures, Ilbert Bill |
| Moderates (1885–1905) | INC founded; Naoroji’s drain theory; Indian Councils Act 1892 |
| Extremists and Swadeshi (1905–11) | Partition of Bengal; boycott and national education; Surat split |
| Wider developments | Muslim League (1906); Morley-Minto Reforms (1909); first revolutionaries; annulment (1911) |
The chapter has two main pages: rise of nationalism and the Moderates, and the Extremists and the Swadeshi Movement.