Moderate Methods of Political Struggle

The Moderate phase of the Indian National Movement spans from 1885 to 1905, beginning with the foundation of the Indian National Congress in Bombay. Early nationalist leaders believed in British justice, fair play, and providence. They belonged mainly to the educated urban middle class, including lawyers, journalists, academics, and civil servants. Their core strategy focused on constitutional agitation within the legal framework to secure gradual administrative and political reforms.

The Core Philosophy and Strategy: The 3P Formula

Moderate leaders adopted a peaceful strategy based on three key components, popularly termed as the 3P formula:

• Prayer: Formal requests sent to British administrators appealing to their sense of justice.
• Petition: Written statements outlining popular grievances submitted to higher legislative and administrative bodies.
• Protest: Public meetings, resolutions, and articles in newspapers criticizing specific government policies.

Key Methods of Political Struggle

Constitutional Agitation

Moderates limited their activities strictly to lawful and constitutional methods. They avoided violent resistance, mass civil disobedience, or unlawful acts. They believed direct confrontation would provoke immediate state suppression.

Public Meetings and Passed Resolutions

Annual sessions of the Indian National Congress served as the primary forum for political discussions. Leaders gathered delegates from across India, debated administrative policies, passed resolutions, and forwarded these documents to colonial authorities in India and Britain.

Usage of the Press and Literature

Moderates extensively used newspapers, journals, and political booklets to educate the public and build national consciousness. They used print media to criticize government policies, expose economic exploitation, and articulate demands for self-governance.

Delegations to Britain

To influence British public opinion and Parliament, Moderates sent political deputations to London. They established the British Committee of the Indian National Congress in London in 1889. This committee published a weekly paper titled ‘India’ to present Indian viewpoints directly to the British electorate.

Economic Critique of British Colonialism

The lasting contribution of the Moderates was their scientific analysis of British economic exploitation in India.

• Drain of Wealth Theory: Dadabhai Naoroji propounded the Drain of Wealth theory in his book Poverty and Un-British Rule in India. He argued that British rule drained India’s national wealth to England without adequate economic returns.
• Critique of Colonial Financial Policies: Romesh Chunder Dutt wrote The Economic History of India, highlighting the destruction of traditional Indian handicrafts, high land revenue assessments, and heavy military expenditures.
• Tariff and Trade Policies: Moderates demanded protection for indigenous industries, abolition of salt tax, reduction of land revenue, and lower military expenditure.

Major Demands of the Moderate Leaders

The Moderates put forward demands across legislative, administrative, and civil rights spheres:

• Expansion of Legislative Councils: Inclusion of more elected Indian representatives and greater control over the budget.
• Indianisation of Civil Services: Conducting simultaneous Indian Civil Service (ICS) examinations in Britain and India, alongside raising the maximum age limit for candidates.
• Separation of Powers: Separation of executive and judicial functions to prevent administrative tyranny.
• Protection of Civil Rights: Defense of the freedom of speech, expression, press, and the right to form associations.
• Military Expenditure Reduction: Lowering military spending to allocate more resources to public welfare, primary education, and irrigation projects.

Key Moderate Leaders and Their Contributions

Limitations of Moderate Methods

The Moderate approach faced several fundamental limitations:

• Narrow Social Base: Participation remained largely restricted to Western-educated urban professionals, failing to involve peasants, workers, and rural masses.
• Over-reliance on British Fairness: Their deep trust in British benevolence delayed the demand for complete independence (Purna Swaraj).
• Ineffective Results: Small political concessions, such as the Indian Councils Act of 1892, failed to grant real power or satisfy growing political aspirations.
• Inability to Stop Repressive Policies: Moderate methods could not prevent harsh administrative measures, culminating in the Partition of Bengal in 1905.

Key Historical Facts and Trivia

The Indian National Congress was founded in December 1885 at Gokuldas Tejpal Sanskrit College in Bombay, attended by 72 delegates. Allan Octavian Hume, a retired British civil servant, played a central role in organizing the initial gathering. The Indian Councils Act of 1892 was a direct outcome of Moderate petitions. It expanded the legislative councils and granted members the right to discuss the annual budget, though they could not vote on it or ask supplementary questions. In 1886, the colonial government appointed the Aitchison Commission on Public Services in response to Moderate demands for the Indianisation of administrative services. The Welby Commission on Indian Expenditure was appointed in 1895 to inquire into waste and financial administration in India. Dadabhai Naoroji became the first Indian to give evidence before this royal commission in London. The Moderate phase ended following the Partition of Bengal in 1905, which led to the rise of Extremist politics and the launch of the Swadeshi and Boycott movements.