Hist 4538
Mar 2, 2004
The Indian National Congress and Early Indian Nationalism(s)
• Born in Calcutta to Brahmin family
• English education
• Passed ICS exam in 1869
• Disqualified for “lying” about age; reinstated
• After three years’ service in India, dismissed on minor infraction
• Disqualified from legal practice, turned to teaching and journalism
• Also became eloquent moderate nationalist: “Surrender-not”
• Late 19th century: wide spread and recurring famines
• 1885: founding of Indian National Congress (INC)
• Originally not much more than a safety-valve
• 1892 reforms: minor concessions on Indian representation
• Did not want immediate British departure, were ostentatiously loyal
• Engaged mostly in polite requests that Britain carry through on earlier promises
• Offered some sharper critiques, esp. “economic nationalism”
◦ “Drain” theory: Britain was damaging Indian economy by siphoning off wealth
• Banerji “courted” arrest to highlight British injustice
• Ranade criticized caste restrictions—but advocated slow and cautious reform
• Worked to improve social conditions for lowest castes
• Criticized British tax policies
• Reminded Indians shocked by South African bigotry of their own social problems
• Argued that lower castes could be a great asset to the nationalist cause
Romesh Chunder Dutt (1848-1909)
• Focused on economic history and analyzed causes of Indian poverty
• Especially critical of heavy tax burden
• Concerned with British contribution to famines that followed drought
Dadabhai Naoroji (1825-1917)
• Originated “drain” theory
• Built theory of economic nationalism, arguing that although Britain brought many socio-political benefits to India, it drained away its great wealth and harmed its people
• Believed that Britain also drained away political and administrative expertise
• Demanded that Indians be given access to governmental jobs
• Elected to British Parliament as first Indian Member of Parliament
• Remained always loyal to the British
• But warned that disaster would result if educated Indians given inadequate opportunities
The Extremists
• Did not share moderates’ faith in benefits of British rule
• Made effective use of religious symbols and traditions to build Hindu solidarity
• Turned to regional languages to broaden appeal
Bankim Chandra Chatterjee (1838-1894)
• Bengali writer
• His nationalist novels sought to unite Hindus, but also alienated Muslims
• His song Bande Mataram(“Hail to the Mother”) became India’s national anthem
Bal Gangadhar Tilak, “Father of Indian Unrest” (1856-1920)
• Western style education
• Social reformer, advocate of self-rule: “Swaraj is my birthright and I shall have it!”
• Use of religious symbolism to rally supporters
◦ Ganesh, Shivaji festivals
• 1897: jailed for inciting murder of Plague Commissioner
• 1908: imprisoned for 6 years
• Pooh-poohed Br concessions as meaningless
• Believed moderation was useless
• Advocated resistance, even violence
• Pointed to fragility of Raj’s collaborative base
• Widely mourned when he died in 1920
Major Themes
• Both moderates and extremists advanced Indian nationalism
◦ Moderate diplomacy, extremist popularity
• Moderates saw nation as something to be built for future . . .
• While extremists sought to resurrect past glories
• Both would influence later nationalists, especially Gandhi
Click here for images of moderates Dadabhai and Gokhale and extremist Tilak
