Allan Octavian Hume, a retired civil servant in the British Government took the initiative to form an all-India organization. Thus, the Indian National Congress was founded and its first session was held at Bombay in 1885. W.C. Banerjee was its first president. It was attended by 72 delegates from all over India.
The second session was held in Calcutta in 1886 and the third in Madras in 1887.Between 1885 and 1905, the Congress leaders were moderates. The Moderates had faith in the British justice and goodwill. They were called moderates because they adopted peaceful and constitutional means to achieve their demands.
In 1905, Gopal Krishna Gokhale founded the Servants of India Society to train Indians to dedicate their lives to the cause of the country.
PARTITION OF BENGAL (1905)
By Lord Curzon on 16th October, 1905 through a royal proclamation, reducing the old province of Bengal in size by creating East Bengal and Assam out of the rest of Bengal.
The partition of Bengal in 1905 provided a spark for the rise of extremism in the Indian National Movement.
Curzon's real motives behind this partition were:
To break the growing strength of Bengali nationalism since Bengal was the base of Indian Nationalism.
To divide the Hindus and Muslims in Bengal.
To show the enormous power of the British Government in doing whatever it liked.
SWADESHI MOVEMENT (1905)
The Swadeshi Movement involved programmes like the boycott of government service, courts, schools and collages and of foreign goods. It was both a political and economic movement.
Lal, Bal, Pal and Aurobindo Ghosh played an important role.
MUSLIM LEAGUE (1906)
In December 1906, Muslim delegates from all over India met at Dacca for the Muslim Educational Conference.
Taking advantage of this occasion, Nawab Salim Ullah of Dacca proposed the setting up of an organization to look after the Muslim interests. The proposal was accepted.
The All-India Muslim league was finally set up on December 30, 1906.
MINTO MORLEY REFORMS (1909)
Minto, the Viceroy and Morley, the Secretary of State for India jointly proposed reforms to the Indian Councils. An Act, called the Indian Council Act or the Minto-Morley Reforms Act was passed in 1909.
A separate communal electorate was introduced for the Muslims.
THE LUCKNOW PACT (1916)
During the 1916 Congress session at Lucknow two major events occurred. The divided Congress became united. An understanding for joint action against the British was reached between the Congress and the Muslim League and it was called the Lucknow Pact.
The signing of the Lucknow Pact by the Congress and the Muslim League in 1916 marked an important step in the Hindu-Muslim unity.
THE HOME RULE MOVEMENT (1916)
Two Home Rule Leagues were established, one by B.G Tilak at Poona in April 1916 and the other by Mrs. Annie besant at Madras in September 1916.
While Tilak's Movement concentrated on Maharashtra, Annie Besant's Movement covered the rest of the country.
AUGUST DECLARATION
On 20 August, 1917, Montague, the Secretary of State in England, promised the gradual development of self-governing institutions in India.
This August Declaration led to the end of the Home Rule Movement.
ROWLATT ACT (1919)
In 1917, a committee was set up under the presidentship of Sir Sydney Rowlatt to look into the militant Nationalist activities. On the basis of its report the Rowlatt Act was passed in March 1919 by the Central Legislative Council. As per this act, any person could be arrested on the basis of suspicion. No appeal or petition could be filed against such arrests.
This Act was called the Black Act and it was widely opposed. An all-India hartal (strike) was organized on 6 April, 1919.
JALLIANWALA BAGH MASSACRE (13 APRIL, 1919)
On 13th April, the Baisakhi day (harvest festival), a public meeting was organized at the Jallianwala Bagh (garden). General Dyer marched in and without any warning opened fire on the crowd. The firing continued for about 10 to 15 minutes and it stopped only after the ammunition exhausted.
According to official report 379 people were killed and 1137 wounded in the incident. There was a nationwide protest against this massacre and Rabindranath Tagore renounced his knighthood as a protest.
KHILAFAT MOVEMENT (1920)
The chief cause of the Khilafat Movement was the defeat of Turkey in the First World War.
The Muslims in India were upset over the British attitude against Turkey and launched the Khilafat Movement.
Ali brothers, Muhammad Ali and Shaukat Ali started this movement. It was jointly led by the Khilafat leaders and the Congress.
