The Moderate Phase (1885 to 1905)

The early Congress leaders, called Moderates, believed in constitutional methods and faith in British justice, and worked mainly through petitions, speeches and resolutions.

Leaders

Dadabhai Naoroji, W.C. Bonnerjee, Pherozeshah Mehta, Surendranath Banerjea, Gopal Krishna Gokhale, M.G. Ranade, R.C. Dutt, Badruddin Tyabji, G. Subramania Iyer, Dinshaw Wacha and A.O. Hume.

Methods

• "Prayers, petitions and protests." Faith that the British would respond to reason and justice.
• Constitutional agitation within the law; publicity through the press; sending delegations to Britain.

Demands

• Political: expansion and reform of the legislative councils (the Indian Councils Act 1892 was the result), simultaneous ICS exams in England and India (a House of Commons resolution in 1893 by Herbert Paul passed but was not carried out), separation of judiciary from the executive, repeal of the Arms Act.
• Economic: a cut in military expenditure, end of the drain, lower land revenue and salt tax, protection for Indian industry, welfare of the poor.
• Administrative: Indianisation of services and civil rights (freedom of speech and press).
• The Moderates asked for self-government within the Empire only gradually.

Achievements

• Exposed the true nature of British rule through the drain theory and economic critique.
• Created political awareness and trained leaders. The Welby Commission (1895) on Indian expenditure included Naoroji.
• The Indian Councils Act 1892 (limited gains).
• Laid the base for the later mass movement.

Limitations

• The social base was narrow (lawyers, teachers, journalists, landlords).
• Belief in British justice did not bring real results. Protest was mild.
• The government's attitude: Dufferin called the Congress a "microscopic minority" (1888) and Curzon said it was "tottering to its fall" (1900).