Indian National Congress — Formation, Moderates, Extremists, Key Sessions, Presidents

The Indian National Congress (INC) was the principal organisation leading India’s freedom struggle. Its formation, evolution, and key sessions are heavily tested in Kerala PSC exams.

Formation of INC

Aspect	Details
Founded	28 December 1885
Place	Gokuldas Tejpal Sanskrit College, Bombay
Founder	A.O. Hume (Allan Octavian Hume) — a retired British ICS officer
First President	W.C. Bonnerjee (Womesh Chunder Bonnerjee)
First session delegates	72 delegates attended
Purpose	To provide a platform for political dialogue between educated Indians and the British Government
Safety valve theory	Some historians suggest Hume founded INC as a “safety valve” to channel Indian discontent and prevent revolution

Phases of the National Movement

Phase	Period	Approach	Key Leaders
Moderate Phase	1885–1905	Petitions, prayers, protests within constitutional limits	Dadabhai Naoroji, Gopal Krishna Gokhale, Surendranath Banerjee, Pherozeshah Mehta
Extremist Phase	1905–1919	Swaraj, swadeshi, boycott, national education	Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Bipin Chandra Pal, Lala Lajpat Rai (Lal-Bal-Pal), Aurobindo Ghosh
Gandhian Phase	1919–1947	Non-cooperation, civil disobedience, mass participation, ahimsa	Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Sardar Patel, Rajendra Prasad, Maulana Azad

Moderates (1885–1905)

Feature	Details
Method	Constitutional agitation — petitions, memoranda, delegations to England
Belief	British rule could be reformed from within; faith in British sense of justice
Drain Theory	Dadabhai Naoroji — argued wealth was being drained from India to England (book: “Poverty and Un-British Rule in India”)
Economic criticism	R.C. Dutt wrote “Economic History of India” exposing British exploitation
Key demand	Greater Indian representation in councils; civil service reform; reduction of military expenditure

Important Moderates

Leader	Key Contribution
Dadabhai Naoroji	”Grand Old Man of India”; Drain Theory; first Indian elected to British Parliament (1892, Liberal Party)
Gopal Krishna Gokhale	Gandhi’s political guru; founded Servants of India Society (1905); moderate par excellence
Surendranath Banerjee	”Indian Burke”; founded Indian Association (1876); edited “The Bengalee”
Pherozeshah Mehta	”Lion of Bombay”; key Bombay Presidency leader
W.C. Bonnerjee	First INC President
Badruddin Tyabji	First Muslim President of INC (1887, Madras session)

Extremists (1905–1919)

Feature	Details
Method	Passive resistance, boycott, swadeshi, national education; some supported armed resistance
Belief	Self-governance (Swaraj) is a birthright; British will not grant rights through petitions
Trigger	Partition of Bengal (1905) by Lord Curzon — united extremists
Slogan	”Swaraj is my birthright and I shall have it” — Bal Gangadhar Tilak

Important Extremists

Leader	Key Contribution
Bal Gangadhar Tilak	”Father of Indian Unrest” (per British); started Ganapati and Shivaji festivals; newspapers: Kesari (Marathi), Mahratta (English)
Bipin Chandra Pal	Bengal leader; fiery orator; advocated swadeshi
Lala Lajpat Rai	”Punjab Kesari” (Lion of Punjab); died from injuries during Simon Commission protest (1928)
Aurobindo Ghosh	Initially extremist leader; later withdrew to Pondicherry for spiritual pursuits

Surat Split (1907)

Aspect	Details
Session	INC annual session at Surat (1907)
Cause	Disagreement between Moderates and Extremists over INC presidency and methods
Moderate candidate	Rash Behari Ghosh (supported by Moderates)
Extremist candidate	Lala Lajpat Rai (favoured by Extremists, but not formally nominated)
Outcome	Congress split; Moderates retained control of INC; Extremists expelled
Reunification	Lucknow Pact (1916) — INC reunited; also reached agreement with Muslim League (Tilak and Jinnah key negotiators)

Important INC Sessions

Year	Session City	President	Significance
1885	Bombay	W.C. Bonnerjee	First session; 72 delegates
1886	Calcutta	Dadabhai Naoroji	Second session
1887	Madras	Badruddin Tyabji	First Muslim President
1888	Allahabad	George Yule	First English President
1896	Calcutta	Rahimtulla Sayani	—
1905	Benares	Gopal Krishna Gokhale	Swadeshi movement gaining momentum
1906	Calcutta	Dadabhai Naoroji	Adopted Swaraj, Swadeshi, Boycott, National Education as goals for the first time
1907	Surat	Rash Behari Ghosh	Surat Split between Moderates and Extremists
1916	Lucknow	A.C. Mazumdar	Lucknow Pact — reunification + Congress-League agreement
1917	Calcutta	Annie Besant	First woman President of INC
1920	Nagpur (Special)	C. Vijayaraghavachariar	Adopted Non-Cooperation Resolution; new INC constitution
1924	Belgaum	Mahatma Gandhi	Gandhi’s only session as INC President
1927	Madras	M.A. Ansari	Demanded complete independence
1929	Lahore	Jawaharlal Nehru	Purna Swaraj (Complete Independence) resolution; 26 January 1930 declared as Independence Day
1931	Karachi	Sardar Patel	Fundamental Rights and Economic Programme resolution; endorsed Gandhi-Irwin Pact
1936	Faizpur	Jawaharlal Nehru	First village session
1938	Haripura	Subhas Chandra Bose	—
1939	Tripuri	Subhas Chandra Bose	Re-elected defeating Pattabhi Sitaramayya (Gandhi’s candidate); later resigned due to Working Committee conflict
1940	Ramgarh	Maulana Abul Kalam Azad	Longest-serving President (1940–46)
1946	Meerut	Acharya J.B. Kripalani	Last session before independence

Key Facts about INC Presidents

Fact	Details
First President	W.C. Bonnerjee (1885)
First Muslim President	Badruddin Tyabji (1887)
First English President	George Yule (1888)
First woman President	Annie Besant (1917)
First Indian woman President	Sarojini Naidu (1925, Kanpur session)
Youngest President	Maulana Abul Kalam Azad (age 35 in 1923)
Longest-serving President	Maulana Abul Kalam Azad (1940–46, 6 years)
Only session Gandhi presided	Belgaum (1924)
President during Quit India	Maulana Azad (but the resolution was moved by Nehru and Gandhi led the movement)

Congress Ministries and Organizational Structure

Aspect	Details
Congress Working Committee (CWC)	Highest decision-making body; “High Command”
AICC (All India Congress Committee)	Larger body; meets periodically
Pradesh Congress Committees (PCC)	State-level units
Congress ministries formed	After 1937 elections (Government of India Act, 1935); Congress won 8 of 11 provinces
Resigned	1939 — Congress ministries resigned protesting India’s entry into WWII without consultation

PSC-Focused Quick Recall

Question Pattern	Answer
INC founded year	1885
Founder of INC	A.O. Hume
First INC President	W.C. Bonnerjee
Surat Split year	1907
Lucknow Pact year	1916
First woman INC President	Annie Besant (1917)
Purna Swaraj session	Lahore (1929) under Nehru
”Swaraj is my birthright”	Tilak
Drain Theory by	Dadabhai Naoroji
Gandhi’s political guru	Gokhale
Gandhi’s only INC presidency	Belgaum (1924)
Lal-Bal-Pal refers to	Lala Lajpat Rai, Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Bipin Chandra Pal
First village session	Faizpur (1936)
Tripuri crisis (1939)	Bose defeated Sitaramayya but resigned later
Congress ministries resigned in	1939 (over WWII issue)