SURAT SPLIT

Background of the Surat Split

The years from 1885-1905 was known as the period of the moderates because
they dominated the Indian National Congress.
The Moderates used petition, prayers, meetings, leaflets, pamphlets,
memorandum and delegations to present their demands to the British
government.
Their only notable achievements were expansion of the legislative council by
the Indian Councils Act of 1892.
This created dissatisfaction among the people.
The 1907 INC meeting was to be held in Nagpur. The Extremists wanted
leaders were not released till that date. Some of the new extremists came into
being with the same policy of prior extremists. The Moderates supported Rash
Bihari Ghosh. Gopal Krishna Gokhale moved the meeting place from Nagpur
to Surat fearing that in Nagpur, Bal Gangadhar Tilak would win. The partition
of Bengal drove the rise of extremism in INC.
An INC meeting was shifted from Nagpur to Surat. Since Surat was in the
home province of Bal Gangadhar Tilak, he could not preside over the meeting.
But what outraged the extremists was that he was not even given permission
to speak. This led to conflict between the two factions and the meeting being
cancelled.
The Moderates and the Extremists patched up their differences for a year, but
in 1907 the two groups permanently split.

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Points regarding the Surat Split
The dream of a ‘Surat Split’ was already conceived by Curzon when he made
the statement ‘Congress was tottering to its fall and one of the biggest
ambitions in my life is to give it a peaceful demise’.

The Surat split was a big jolt to the Indian National Congress. In fact, the
difference between the moderates and the extremists presented an
opportunity to the British.
The moderates were quite reluctant to pass the motion on the demand for
Swaraj. The Arya-samajist notion of Swaraj and Swadeshi, was the hallmark of
the programme of the extremists.
In the initial days, there were many Congress leaders who opposed the
notion of Swaraj, the demand for Swaraj, and extremist politics, but in the
beginning of the 20th Century, some of the veteran Congress leaders like
Dadabhai Naoroji, and G.K. Gokhale, had the word, ‘Swaraj’ in their minds.
For Example,
In 1905 (Banaras Session of the INC): Gokhale was the President and for the
first time he had a discussion over ‘Swaraj’.
In 1906, Dadabhai Naoroji (who was the President of the INC session at
Calcutta), and in his Presidential address, used the word Swaraj. Thus, the
word, ‘Swaraj’ wasn’t untouchable to them, but they were reluctant to pass
the resolution over ‘Swaraj’.
In 1907, Surat Session: The two main objectives placed by the extremists were
that:
• Demand for the resolution of Swaraj
• Lala Lajpat Rai to be made the President of the INC

These two demands were not acceptable to the moderates.

Thus, instead of Lala Lajpat Rai , the moderates supported the idea of Rash
Behari Ghosh as the President.

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This was the first time that there was to be an election in the INC for
Presidentship. In between the election, the extremists were expelled from the
INC, and the moderates had complete command over the affairs of the INC.
Rash Behari Ghosh became the President of the Surat session.
The Surat split was a victory of the British policy of Divide and Rule, and after
a long time, the British believed that they were in control of the affairs of the
moderates over the INC.
In 1909: Separate electorates were granted to the Muslim community during
a time when the Congress was at its lowest ebb. The most critical and vocal
elements were not a part of the INC. Thus, the British had taken absolute
advantage over the INC.

However, there are some reservations over the split of the INC at Surat:
1. This was because the extremists did not form a separate organization at
first. They were merely indifferent from the activities of the Congress. And
when they were expelled from the INC, the British Government was looking for
an opportunity to settle scores with the extremists.
2. Thus Bal Gangadhar Tilak was imprisoned for 6 years (on the pretext that it
was an ‘offence to preach nationalism’). Lala Lajpat Rai was expelled from
Punjab, and Bipin Chandra Pal had overnight turned ‘moderate’.
Thus, the extremist views no longer remained active in the field of Indian
politics.
This again encouraged the British to pursue the aggressive policy of Divide and
Rule. Thus the ‘Surat split’ need not be called a ‘split’, as the extremists merely
remained indifferent to the INC, and did not form a separate organization.

In 1916, they reunited with the Congress in the Lucknow session, thus there
was only an ideological difference between the extremists and the moderates
and not a division as such. The extremists only remained outside the fold of the
INC and did not participate in its activities.

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 Difference between Moderates and Extremists
Moderates Extremists

Social base—zamindars and upper middle Social base educated middle classes in
classes in towns. towns and lower middle class

Ideological inspiration—Indian history,

Ideological inspiration— western liberal thought
cultural heritage and Hindu traditional
and European history.
symbols.

Believed in England's providential mission in Rejected 'providential mission theory' as an

India. illusion.

Believed political connections with Britain to be Had immense faith in the capacity of masses
in India's social, political and cultural interests. to participate and to make sacrifices.

Believed that political connections with Britain

Professed loyalty to the British Crown
would perpetuate British exploitation of India.

Believed that the movement should be limited

Believed that the British Crown was unworthy
to middle class intelligentsia; masses not yet
of claiming Indian loyalty.
ready for participation in political work.

Did not hesitate to use extraconstitutional

Demanded constitutional reforms and share for
methods like boycott and passive resistance
Indians in services.
to achieve their objectives.

Insisted on the use of constitutional methods Had immense faith in the capacity of masses
only. to participate and to make sacrifices.

They were patriots and did not play the role of Demanded swaraj as panacea for Indian ills.
a comprador (person who acts as an agent for They were patriots who made sacrifices for
foreign organizations) class. the sake of the country.

Q. The `Swadeshi’ and ‘Boycott’ were adopted as methods of struggle for the
first time during the (UPSC CSAT 2016)
A. agitation against the Partition of Bengal
B. Home Rule Movement
C. Non-Cooperation Movement
D. visit of the Simon Commission to India

Ans. A
Swadeshi and Boycott started against Partition of Bengal in 1905

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Q.Satya Shodhak Samaj organized (UPSC CSAT 2016)
A. a movement for upliftment of tribals in Bihar
B. a temple-entry movement in Gujarat
C. an anti-caste movement in Maharashtra
D. a peasant movement in Punjab
Ans. C
Jyotiba Phule had setup this organization to begin anti-caste movement in
Maharashtra.

Q. The Montague-Chelmsford Proposals were related to (UPSC CSAT 2016)

A. social reforms
B. educational reforms
C. reforms in police administration
D. constitutional reforms
Ans. D
They’re related to Constitutional reforms.

Q. Consider the following :

1. Calcutta Unitarian Committee
2. Tabernacle of New Dispensation
3. Indian Reform Association
Keshab Chandra Sen is associated with the establishment of which of the
above? (UPSC CSAT 2016)
A. 1 and 3 only
B. 2 and 3 only
C. 3 only
D. 1, 2 and 3

Ans. B
In 1881, Keshab Chandra Sen established Naba Bidhan ( New Dispensation)
meaning new universalist religion after having differences within Brahmo
Samaj. He was also part of Indian reform association to legalize Brahmo
marriage and to fix minimum age of marriage.

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Q. What was the main reason for the split in the Indian National Congress at
Surat in 1907? (UPSC CSAT 2016)
A.
Introduction of communalism into Indian politics by Lord Minto
B. Extremists’ lack of faith in the capacity of the moderates to negotiate with
the British Government
C. Foundation of Muslim League
D. Aurobindo Ghosh’s inability to be elected as the President of the Indian
National Congress
Ans. B
In 1907, the extremists wanted either Tilak or Lajpat Rai to be president, so
when Rasbehari Ghose was announced as president, the extremist resorted to
violence. Hence Surat Split happened.

Q. Which one of the following movements has contributed to a split in the Indian
National Congress resulting in emergence of ‘moderates’ and
‘extremists? (UPSC CSAT 2015)
A. Swadeshi Movement
B. Quit India Movement
C. Non-Cooperation Movement
D. Civil Disobedient Movement

Ans. A Surat split was due to disagreements between Moderates and

extremists regarding the methods for protest against the partition of Bengal (in
the Swadeshi Movement).

Q. The Government of India Act of 1919 clearly defined (UPSC CSAT 2015)
A. the separation of power between the judiciary and the legislature
B. the jurisdiction of the central and provincial governments
C. the powers of the Secretary of State for India and the Viceroy
D. None of the above

Ans. B

It relaxed the central control over the provinces by demarcating and separating
the central and provincial subjects. The central and provincial legislatures were
authorised to make laws on their respective list of subjects. However, the
structure of government continued to be centralised and unitary.It further

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divided the provincial subjects into two parts—transferred and reserved which
is what we know as diarchy.

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