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Birth of Indian Nationalism
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Must Do·27/27 papers · 6 years
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By the end of this lesson, you'll solve:

"How did a group of educated Indians sitting in a Bombay hall in 1885 plant the seeds that would eventually overthrow the British Empire?"

The Indian National Congress (1885)

On 28 December 1885, 72 delegates met in Bombay to form the Indian National Congress (INC). Initially, they politely petitioned the British for reforms. But over time, the movement grew from polite requests to mass revolution.

Indian Freedom Movement Timeline (1857–1947)

186018801900192019401857Revolt of 18571885INC Founded1905Partition of Bengal1920Non-Cooperation1930Civil Disobedience1942Quit India1947Independence

Click or hover on an event to learn more

Key Points

  • 1
    Founded in 1885 by A.O. Hume — first president: W.C. Bonnerjee
  • 2
    Early phase (Moderates): Dadabhai Naoroji, Gopal Krishna Gokhale — petitions and prayers
  • 3
    Extremist phase: Bal Gangadhar Tilak ("Swaraj is my birthright"), Bipin Chandra Pal, Lala Lajpat Rai
  • 4
    Partition of Bengal (1905): United Hindus and Muslims against British divide-and-rule

Pro Tip

The Moderates-Extremists split is easy to remember: Moderates asked nicely, Extremists demanded loudly. Tilak said "Swaraj is my birthright and I shall have it!"

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