The Early Nationalists

Introduction :-

The history of national movement was divided into three phases ,the first phase spanning
from 1885 to 1905 is known as the period of early nationalist. Some important leaders are
Dadabhai naoroji, Feroz Shah Mehta, Gopal Krishna Gokhale, Madan Mohan Malviya.

Why Early Nationalists are also called Moderates?

• There focus was on advocating for reforms using constitutional and nonviolent
approaches to achieve their goal.
• They always want to work under the Britishers but never demand the freedom.
• The admired Western institutions and culture.
• They were influenced by western thought ,education, history.
• They had strong faith in the British sense of justice ,fair play and honesty.
• They believe that the Britishers for sure full fill their given promises .
• They considered Britishers as a boon for the India as it bring positive change to
Indian society and culture.
• They used to remain relied on the solemn pledges given by British government.
Demands of the early nationalist

Constitutional reforms

• They want to have greater participation in running the Government of country.

• They want the expansion and reforms of legislative councils with increased
membership of Indian people.

Economic Reforms

• They held the British government responsible for the economic backwardness
of agriculture and industry of India.
• They demand reduction in the land revenue and development of modern
industry.
• They won't promotion of Indian goods and boycott of foreign goods.
• Be demand decrease in army expenditure and wanted to save the funds for
Indian welfare.
• They won't to change in the existing taxation pattern, abolishing salt tax and
economic drain.

Administrative Reforms
 • They wanted for a appointment of educated Indians to higher posts.
• They demanded simultaneous examination in India and England for the Indian Civil
services.
• They wanted push in the primary and the technical education as well as the
development of banking, irrigation medical and health facilities.
• They want complete separation of the judiciary and the executive to protect the
Indians from the act of discrimination.

Civil Reforms

• The early nationalist opposed the restriction on freedom of speech, press ,thought
and association.
• They wanted to release the Tilak from the imprisonment and to stop the attack on
civil liberties.

What were the methods adopted by early nationalist to claim their demands from
Britishers?

• They urged for patience rather than non violence to Indians.

• They focused on orderly progress using constitutional means to achieve their
goals.
• To educate and raise political awareness among people they organised annual
sessions ,meetings ,speeches and discussion on various social, economical and
political issues.
• Then they draft the petition and submit it to the government so that they can
understand their view and to gives support to their demand.
• To influence the British government they send their leaders to
England.Dadabhai Naoroji played significant role in promoting Indian political
issues in England
• The early nationalist used the press to criticize the government policies and to
aware people.

(They firmly opposed the use of force and violence using to wait patiently for their
demand to be full film rather than re storing to drastic measure.)

Achievements of Early nationalist:-

• They did not achieve the significant success and were treated disrespectfully by the
foreign rulers.
• There demands were often rejected by the Britishers.
 • But we cannot deny the fat that they had made the relentless efforts in promoting
the sense of national unity among Indians.
• They instill in them the feeling of collective identity as a part of one Nation the
Indian nation.
• They also started the ground work for the Indian nationalism which later taken the
part of revolution.
• Through education they awaken the political consciousness of people.

Dadabhai Naoroji

• He is also known as the Grand old man of India.

• He was one of the founding member of Indian National Congress.
• He made significant contribution in a national movement by acting as motivator.
• He was the President of Indian National Congress three times in 1886, 1893 and
,1906.
• He become the first Indian member to be the part of British parliament.
• During his presidency the Congress passed four demands self government,
boycott,Swadeshi and national education.
• He wrote the book poverty and unbritish rule in India, in which he mentioned how
the Britishers imposed a heavy drain of Indian resources and exploited the Indian
people.
• His qualities and selfless service ,earned him a lasting place in the heart of people.
• He was the founder of East Indian association with three branches in Kolkata
,Bombay and Madras.
• This association demanded the appointment of educated Indians to higher post ,to
prohibit the vernacular press act ,to abolish the zamindari system.
• He was the first Indian to demand the Swaraj (Self rule)in the congress session of
1906 in Kolkata.

Surender Nath Banerjee

• Surendranath Banerjee was a early nationalist, born in Bengal in 1848 and took
actively participation in Indian freedom struggle.
• In 1876 Banerjee founded the Indian association which main aim was to
oppose the unjust policies of the British government ,to educate the people, to
promote the political awareness among the people ,to unite the masses and to
involve them in public movement, licence act, arms act ,vernacular press act
and reduction of ICS examination age limit from 21 to 19 years.
 • He opposed the Morley Minto reforms 1909 which introduced to have separate
election for Hindus and Muslim.
• He opposed the partition of Bengal in 1905 by Lord Curzon.
• He believed that the sale of foreign goods harmed Indian industries leading to its
decline, does he advocate for the use of Indian made products and bycotting
foreign goods

Gopal Krishna Gokhale

• Gopal Krishna Gokhale is known as diamond of India and the jewel of Maharashtra.
• He was a dedicated patriot and believed in the constitutional methods to achieve
the goal and fearlessly criticize the exploiting British government policies.
• He opposed partition of Bengal, Morley Minto reform.
• He spoke against the toll tax as it burden the poor, he denounced the excessive
expenditure on English Army, racial discrimination in appointment of Indians to high
position and highlight the importance of elementary education.
• GK Gokhale was the mentor of Mahatma Gandhi.
• He Redirects Britishers to save the Indian funds for the Welfare of its people.