ICSE Class 8 · Chapter 11

Rise of Indian Nationalism ICSE Class 8: From the Congress to the Lucknow Pact

Updated 15 October 2026 · Fact-checked

Indian nationalism grew in the late 19th century because of economic exploitation, Western education, the press and repressive policies such as Lord Lytton's. The Indian National Congress (1885) was led first by Moderates using petitions; the anti-partition movement of 1905, the Home Rule Movement and the Lucknow Pact (1916) made it stronger.

What Rise of Indian Nationalism is about

Nationalism is the feeling that people who share a land and a history form one nation and should govern themselves. In India this feeling grew strongly in the second half of the 19th century. British rule itself created conditions for it: economic hardship affected Indians across regions, English education gave them a common language and new ideas, railways and the press connected them, and policies like those of Lord Lytton made them angry.

The CISCE curriculum asks for the factors behind the rise of nationalism (covered briefly), the early political associations and the Indian National Congress, the Moderates, the anti-partition movement against the Partition of Bengal, the Home Rule Movement and the Lucknow Pact (1916) as a unity pact. Note the limits: for the partition of Bengal, study only the anti-partition movement, and understand the Lucknow Pact only briefly.

This chapter takes the story from 1885 to 1916. The next chapter picks it up with Mahatma Gandhi.

Weightage: CISCE publishes no question paper, marking scheme or chapter weightage for Class VIII History and Civics: your school sets and marks the exam. Rise of Indian Nationalism sits in the History: India's Struggle for Freedom section of the CISCE Curriculum for Upper Primary Classes (VI-VIII).Source: CISCE Curriculum for Upper Primary Classes (VI-VIII), RDCD 2016

Key concepts

Factors behind the rise of nationalism

1. Economic exploitation: the ruin of handicrafts, heavy land revenue, famines and the drain of wealth affected Indians of all regions and made them see British rule as the common cause of their poverty.
2. Spread of Western education: English gave educated Indians from different regions a common language; they read about liberty, democracy and nationalism, including the French and American revolutions.
3. Role of the press: newspapers in English and Indian languages spread political ideas and criticised government policies. Examples: Amrita Bazar Patrika, The Hindu, Kesari (edited by Bal Gangadhar Tilak).
4. Improved communication: railways, posts and the telegraph helped leaders from different parts of India to meet and organise.
5. Socio-religious reform movements gave Indians pride in their culture.
6. Racial discrimination: Indians were treated as inferior in jobs, courts and public places.
7. Repressive policies of Lord Lytton (Viceroy 1876-1880), explained below.

Worked example

(4 marks) Explain four factors that led to the rise of nationalism in India.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Economic exploitation affected all regions - 1 mark.
Western education gave a common language and ideas of liberty - 1 mark.
The press spread political awareness - 1 mark.
Repressive policies of Lord Lytton / railways and communication / racial discrimination - 1 mark.

Answer: (1) Economic exploitation, such as the ruin of crafts and the drain of wealth, made Indians everywhere see British rule as the cause of their poverty. (2) Western education gave them a common language and ideas of liberty and democracy. (3) Newspapers like Kesari and Amrita Bazar Patrika spread political awareness. (4) Lord Lytton's repressive policies angered educated Indians and united them in protest.

Repressive policies of Lord Lytton (brief)

1. Delhi Durbar (1877): a grand and costly ceremony to proclaim Queen Victoria Empress of India, held while a terrible famine was killing people in south and west India.
2. Vernacular Press Act (1878): allowed the government to act against newspapers in Indian languages that printed criticism of the government; English papers were not covered in the same way.
3. Arms Act (1878): Indians needed a licence to keep arms, while Europeans were exempted - a clear racial discrimination.
4. Indian Civil Service age limit: the maximum age for the ICS examination, held only in London, was lowered from 21 to 19 (1876), making it much harder for Indians to compete.
5. Removal of import duties on British cotton goods, which helped British manufacturers at the cost of Indian industry and revenue.
These measures angered educated Indians and showed the need for an organised political movement.

Worked example

(3 marks) How did Lord Lytton's policies help the growth of nationalism?

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Delhi Durbar held during a famine showed indifference to Indian suffering - 1 mark.
Vernacular Press Act and Arms Act discriminated against Indians - 1 mark.
Lowering the ICS age limit to 19 blocked Indians from high posts; Indians protested together - 1 mark.

Answer: Lytton held the costly Delhi Durbar in 1877 while famine raged; his Vernacular Press Act (1878) muzzled Indian-language newspapers and his Arms Act (1878) disarmed Indians but not Europeans; and he lowered the ICS age limit to 19, keeping Indians out of high posts. These measures angered Indians and united them in organised protest.

Early associations and the Indian National Congress

Early political associations:

British Indian Association (Calcutta, 1851).
Poona Sarvajanik Sabha (1870).
Indian Association (Calcutta, 1876), founded by Surendranath Banerjea and Anandamohan Bose.
Madras Mahajan Sabha (1884) and Bombay Presidency Association (1885).

These were regional bodies; the need was felt for an all-India organisation.

The Indian National Congress:

Founded in December 1885 at Bombay, with 72 delegates from different parts of India.
A.O. Hume, a retired British civil servant, helped to organise it.
First president: W.C. Bonnerjee.

Objectives:
1. To promote friendship among nationalist workers from different parts of the country.
2. To develop a feeling of national unity, irrespective of caste, religion or province.
3. To formulate the demands of the people and present them to the government.
4. To train and organise public opinion in the country.

Worked example

(3 marks) When and where was the Indian National Congress founded? State two of its objectives.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

December 1885, Bombay; first president W.C. Bonnerjee - 1 mark.
Objective: develop national unity irrespective of caste, religion or province - 1 mark.
Objective: formulate popular demands and present them to the government / train public opinion - 1 mark.

Answer: The Indian National Congress was founded in December 1885 at Bombay, with W.C. Bonnerjee as its first president. Its objectives included developing national unity among Indians irrespective of caste, religion or province, and formulating the people's demands and presenting them to the government.

The Moderates: leaders, methods and demands

The early Congress leaders (about 1885-1905) are called the Moderates.
Leaders: Dadabhai Naoroji, Pherozeshah Mehta, Surendranath Banerjea, Gopal Krishna Gokhale, W.C. Bonnerjee, Badruddin Tyabji and M.G. Ranade.

Methods (constitutional and peaceful):

Petitions, prayers and protests through speeches, resolutions and memoranda.
Sending delegations to England to put India's case before British public opinion.
Faith in British justice and the belief that the British would grant reforms if convinced.

Demands:
1. Expansion of legislative councils with more elected Indian members.
2. ICS examinations to be held in India as well as in England, and the age limit to be raised.
3. Reduction of land revenue and of military expenditure.
4. Separation of the judiciary from the executive.
5. Freedom of speech and of the press.
6. Spread of education and protection of Indian industries.

Achievements: they built political awareness, exposed the economic exploitation of India (drain theory), and won the Indian Councils Act of 1892, which slightly enlarged the councils.
Limitations: their methods brought limited results, and they had little contact with the masses.

Worked example

(4 marks) Describe the methods and two demands of the Moderates.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Methods: petitions, prayers, protests through resolutions and speeches - 1 mark.
Methods: delegations to England; faith in British justice - 1 mark.
Demand: expansion of legislative councils with elected Indians - 1 mark.
Demand: simultaneous ICS exams in India / reduced military expenditure / separation of judiciary - 1 mark.

Answer: The Moderates used peaceful, constitutional methods: petitions, speeches, resolutions and memoranda, and delegations to England, trusting in British justice. They demanded the expansion of legislative councils with more elected Indian members and the holding of the ICS examination in India as well as in England, along with lower military spending.

The anti-partition movement (1905)

The partition: Lord Curzon divided Bengal, which came into effect on 16 October 1905. The official reason was that Bengal was too large to govern. Nationalists saw it as an attempt to weaken Bengal, the centre of nationalism, and to divide Hindus and Muslims.

The anti-partition movement:
1. Day of mourning: 16 October 1905 was observed as a day of mourning; people fasted, and hartals were held.
2. Raksha Bandhan: on Rabindranath Tagore's call, people tied rakhis on each other's wrists as a symbol of the unity of Bengal. Patriotic songs such as 'Amar Sonar Bangla' were sung.
3. Swadeshi: people were urged to use Indian-made goods. Swadeshi stores, textile mills and other enterprises were set up.
4. Boycott: foreign goods, especially British cloth, were boycotted and burnt in bonfires; boycott spread to British schools, courts and titles.
5. National education: national schools and colleges were started, such as the Bengal National College (1906), with Aurobindo Ghosh as principal.
6. Spread: the movement spread beyond Bengal, led by Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Lala Lajpat Rai and Bipin Chandra Pal (Lal-Bal-Pal) and Aurobindo Ghosh. 'Bande Mataram' became its rallying cry.
Result: the partition was annulled in 1911, and the capital of British India was shifted from Calcutta to Delhi.

Worked example

(3 marks) Explain the role of swadeshi and boycott in the anti-partition movement.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Swadeshi: use of Indian-made goods; swadeshi stores and industries set up - 1 mark.
Boycott: refusal of British goods; bonfires of foreign cloth - 1 mark.
Effect: hurt British trade, encouraged Indian industry and involved ordinary people - 1 mark.

Answer: Swadeshi meant using goods made in India, which led to swadeshi shops, mills and enterprises. Boycott meant refusing British goods, and foreign cloth was burnt in public bonfires. Together they hurt British trade, encouraged Indian industry and drew ordinary people into the national movement.

The Home Rule Movement and the Lucknow Pact (1916)

Home Rule Movement:

Leaders: Bal Gangadhar Tilak and Annie Besant set up two Home Rule Leagues in 1916. Tilak's league worked in Maharashtra (except Bombay city), Karnataka, the Central Provinces and Berar; Besant's covered the rest of India.
Objectives: to win self-government (Home Rule) for India within the British Empire, like that enjoyed by countries such as Canada and Australia; to spread political education and build a nationwide agitation.
Tilak's famous slogan: 'Swaraj is my birthright and I shall have it.'
The movement spread to small towns, brought in new young members and kept nationalism active during the First World War. When Besant was arrested in 1917, protests spread across the country.

The Lucknow Pact (1916) - a unity pact:

At the Lucknow session of 1916, the Congress and the All-India Muslim League (founded 1906) agreed on a common set of demands for self-government and larger elected councils.
The Congress accepted separate electorates for Muslims, which the League wanted.
At the same session, the Moderates and the Extremists, who had split at Surat in 1907, came together again.

Significance: it was a landmark of Hindu-Muslim political unity and showed a united front to the British. Its acceptance of separate electorates, however, was later criticised for keeping politics divided along religious lines.

Worked example

(3 marks) Why is the Lucknow Pact (1916) called a unity pact?

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

The Congress and the Muslim League agreed on common demands for self-government - 1 mark.
The Congress accepted separate electorates for Muslims, showing cooperation - 1 mark.
The Moderates and Extremists reunited at the same session - 1 mark.

Answer: It is called a unity pact because at Lucknow in 1916 the Congress and the Muslim League agreed on common demands for self-government, with the Congress accepting separate electorates for Muslims, and the Moderates and Extremists, divided since 1907, came together again.

Rise of Indian Nationalism in real life

Each concept, met in an everyday situation. Read the situation, answer the question in your own words, then compare with the model answer. The one-line hook is what to remember.

A common grievance unites

Suppose students from five different schools in a city discover through a shared online forum that a new exam rule harms all of them equally, and they start meeting to plan a joint appeal.

Which factors of Indian nationalism does this resemble?

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

A common grievance affects people across regions (like economic exploitation).
A shared communication platform connects them (like the press, railways and English).
They organise into a common body (like the Congress).

Answer: It resembles how economic exploitation affected Indians everywhere, while the press, railways and English education connected them, leading to an all-India organisation, the Indian National Congress.

Memory hook: Common pain plus common voice makes a nation.

Swadeshi and boycott

Imagine a town where shoppers decide to stop buying from a big outside company that treated the town unfairly, and to buy only from local shops, even if it costs a little more.

Which method of the anti-partition movement does this resemble, and what effect would it have?

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Refusing the outsider's goods is boycott.
Buying local goods is swadeshi.
The outside company loses money while local businesses grow.

Answer: It resembles swadeshi and boycott in 1905: refusing British goods hurt British trade, while buying Indian goods encouraged Indian industry and involved ordinary people in the struggle.

Memory hook: Refuse theirs, choose ours.

Petitions versus pressure

Suppose your class writes polite letters every term asking the school for a new library, and each time receives a kind reply but no library.

What would some students suggest next? How does this relate to criticism of the Moderates?

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Polite requests show reason but bring slow results.
Some students would suggest stronger action, such as a public campaign.
Critics of the Moderates felt petitions achieved little and wanted mass agitation.

Answer: Some would call for a stronger, public campaign. Similarly, the Moderates' petitions built awareness but won few reforms, so younger leaders like Tilak demanded more active methods such as swadeshi, boycott and Home Rule agitation.

Memory hook: Polite letters, slow results.

Topics in this chapter

Rise of Nationalism: Congress, Moderates, Anti-Partition and Home Rule

Rise of Indian Nationalism: key facts

Lytton's measures: ICS age lowered to 19 (1876); Delhi Durbar 1877; Vernacular Press Act 1878; Arms Act 1878; Viceroy 1876-1880.
Associations and Congress: British Indian Association 1851; Poona Sarvajanik Sabha 1870; Indian Association 1876; Congress December 1885, Bombay, 72 delegates, W.C. Bonnerjee; A.O. Hume helped found it.
Bengal: Partition in effect 16 October 1905 (Curzon); Bengal National College 1906; partition annulled 1911; capital to Delhi; Only the anti-partition movement is in the curriculum.
1906-1916: Muslim League 1906; Surat split 1907; Home Rule Leagues 1916 (Tilak, Besant); Lucknow Pact 1916

How the school exam asks Rise of Indian Nationalism

The question patterns to expect, and the method that works for each.

Question type	How it is asked	Method
Factors (4 marks)	Explain the factors that led to the rise of nationalism.	Four separate factors; for the press give a newspaper; for Lytton give a measure.
Congress and Moderates (3-4 marks)	Objectives of the Congress; methods and demands of the Moderates.	Founding facts, then objectives; methods (3 Ps, delegations) and three demands.
Anti-partition movement (3-4 marks)	How did people protest against the partition of Bengal?	Day of mourning, Raksha Bandhan, swadeshi, boycott, national education, annulment 1911.
Picture or source-based (3 marks)	A picture of a bonfire of foreign cloth, or Tilak's slogan, is given.	Identify the movement and leader, then explain the method and its aim.

Tricks to remember Rise of Indian Nationalism

Short memory aids. Say each one aloud once, then use it on a question the same day.

Lytton's four blows: D-V-A-I
Durbar, Vernacular Press Act, Arms Act, ICS age.
Use it when: Repressive policies of Lytton.
Moderates' 3 Ps
Prayers, Petitions, Protests (peaceful).
Use it when: Methods of the Moderates.
Lal-Bal-Pal
Lala Lajpat Rai (Punjab), Bal Gangadhar Tilak (Maharashtra), Bipin Chandra Pal (Bengal).
Use it when: Leaders who spread the swadeshi movement.

Rise of Indian Nationalism: exam-level solved questions

Ordered from exam level to HOTS. Cover the solution, write your own, then compare step by step.

Example 1: First Congress president · 1 mark · MCQExam level

Who presided over the first session of the Indian National Congress?
(a) Dadabhai Naoroji
(b) W.C. Bonnerjee
(c) A.O. Hume
(d) Surendranath Banerjea

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Hume helped organise the Congress but was not its first president.
W.C. Bonnerjee presided over the first session (Bombay, 1885).

Answer: (b) W.C. Bonnerjee.

Example 2: Assertion and reason: Arms Act · 1 mark · Assertion-reasonHarder exam level

Assertion (A): The Arms Act of 1878 was resented by educated Indians.
Reason (R): It required Indians to have a licence to keep arms, while Europeans were exempted.
(a) Both A and R are true and R explains A
(b) Both A and R are true but R does not explain A
(c) A is true but R is false
(d) A is false but R is true

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

The Act was resented: A is true.
Its racial discrimination between Indians and Europeans was the reason: R explains A.

Answer: (a) Both A and R are true and R explains A.

Example 3: Why Curzon partitioned Bengal · 2 marks · Short answerHarder exam level

Give the official reason and the real motive of the partition of Bengal as seen by nationalists.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Official reason: Bengal was too large to administer efficiently.
Nationalists' view: to weaken Bengal, the centre of nationalism, and divide Hindus and Muslims.

Answer: Officially, Bengal was said to be too large to govern well. Nationalists believed the real aim was to weaken Bengal, the centre of the national movement, by dividing it and setting Hindus and Muslims against each other.

Example 4: Achievements of the Moderates · 4 marks · Long answerHOTS / competency

'The Moderates achieved little.' Do you agree? Give reasons.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Limited direct gains: only the Indian Councils Act of 1892; most demands unmet.
But they created political awareness among educated Indians.
They exposed economic exploitation through the drain theory.
They built a national platform (the Congress) and trained a generation in politics; conclusion: they laid the foundation.

Answer: Partly. Their direct gains were small: apart from the Indian Councils Act of 1892, most demands were not met. But they spread political awareness, exposed economic exploitation through the drain theory, and built the Congress as an all-India platform that trained Indians in public life. They laid the foundation on which later movements were built.

Example 5: Results of the anti-partition movement · 3 marks · Short answerExam level

State three results of the anti-partition movement.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

The partition was annulled in 1911.
Swadeshi industries and national education grew.
Nationalism spread to the masses and beyond Bengal; new leaders emerged.

Answer: (1) The partition was annulled in 1911 and the capital moved to Delhi. (2) Swadeshi industries and national schools and colleges were started. (3) The movement brought ordinary people, including students and women, into the national struggle and spread it beyond Bengal.

Example 6: Home Rule Movement · 3 marks · Short answerHarder exam level

State the objectives of the Home Rule Movement and name its two leaders.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Leaders: Bal Gangadhar Tilak and Annie Besant (1916).
Objective: self-government for India within the British Empire.
Objective: political education and a nationwide agitation.

Answer: The Home Rule Leagues were set up in 1916 by Bal Gangadhar Tilak and Annie Besant. They aimed to win self-government for India within the British Empire and to spread political education and build a nationwide agitation for it.

Example 7: Lucknow Pact evaluated · 4 marks · Long answerHOTS / competency

Evaluate the Lucknow Pact of 1916.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Congress and League agreed on joint demands: unity against British rule.
Moderates and Extremists reunited, strengthening the Congress.
It strengthened the demand for self-government during the war.
Limitation: acceptance of separate electorates kept politics divided on religious lines.

Answer: The Lucknow Pact brought the Congress and the Muslim League together on common demands for self-government, and the reunion of Moderates and Extremists strengthened the Congress, presenting a united front to the British. However, by accepting separate electorates for Muslims, it recognised politics along religious lines, which later critics said deepened divisions. So it was a major step towards unity, with a significant limitation.

Case-study practice (Section B style)

Read the situation, then answer every part. In a school exam set on the board pattern this is a 7-mark question split into 2 + 2 + 3 marks.

Picture-based: a bonfire in 1905

Study the description of a picture and answer the questions.

A large crowd stands around a blazing fire in a city square. People are throwing bundles of cloth into the flames. A banner reads 'Bande Mataram'. The year is 1905.

(i) · 2 marks
Which movement does the picture show? Name the method being used.
Answer
Answer: The anti-partition (Swadeshi) movement in Bengal. The method is boycott: burning of foreign (British) cloth.
1 mark each.
(ii) · 2 marks
Who was responsible for the partition of Bengal and when did it come into effect?
Answer
Answer: Lord Curzon; it came into effect on 16 October 1905.
1 mark each.
(iii) · 3 marks
Mention two other methods used in this movement and its final result.
Answer
Answer: Use of swadeshi goods and national education (also Raksha Bandhan and the day of mourning). Result: the partition was annulled in 1911.
1 mark each for two methods, 1 for the result.

Where the marks are

How a typical answer is split into step marks. Show every step: a right final answer alone rarely earns full marks.

State two objectives of the Indian National Congress. (2 marks) (2 marks)

Step	Marks
National unity irrespective of caste, religion, province.	1
Formulate and present popular demands / train public opinion.	1

Describe three methods used in the anti-partition movement. (3 marks) (3 marks)

Step	Marks
Swadeshi: use of Indian goods.	1
Boycott: bonfires of foreign cloth.	1
National education / Raksha Bandhan / day of mourning.	1

Explain four repressive measures of Lord Lytton. (4 marks) (4 marks)

Step	Marks
Delhi Durbar during famine.	1
Vernacular Press Act.	1
Arms Act.	1
ICS age lowered to 19.	1

Where students lose marks in Rise of Indian Nationalism

The slips examiners see most often, and what to write instead.

Mistake: Writing the full history of the partition of Bengal
Students explain administrative details at length.
Do this: The curriculum asks only for the anti-partition movement: methods and result.
Usually costs: Time and marks elsewhere.
Mistake: Calling A.O. Hume the first president of the Congress
He helped found it.
Do this: First president: W.C. Bonnerjee.
Usually costs: 1 mark.
Mistake: Saying the Home Rule Movement demanded complete independence
Confusing it with later aims.
Do this: It demanded self-government within the British Empire.
Usually costs: 1 mark.
Mistake: Describing the Lucknow Pact only as a Hindu-Muslim pact
Missing the second unity.
Do this: Also mention the reunion of Moderates and Extremists.
Usually costs: 1 mark.

Practice questions on Rise of Indian Nationalism

Write each answer on paper first. Open the hint only if you are stuck, and the answer only when you have finished.

Q1 · 1 mark · MCQExam level
The Vernacular Press Act was passed during the viceroyalty of:
(a) Lord Ripon
(b) Lord Lytton
(c) Lord Curzon
(d) Lord Canning
Hint
1878.
Answer
(b) Lord Lytton.
Q2 · 1 mark · MCQHarder exam level
Which national college was started in 1906 with Aurobindo Ghosh as principal?
(a) Fergusson College
(b) Bengal National College
(c) Central Hindu College
(d) Presidency College
Hint
Part of national education.
Answer
(b) Bengal National College.
Q3 · 1 mark · Very short answerExam level
Who gave the slogan 'Swaraj is my birthright and I shall have it'?
Hint
Editor of Kesari.
Answer
Bal Gangadhar Tilak.
Q4 · 2 marks · Very short answerHarder exam level
Name the founders of the Indian Association (1876).
Hint
Calcutta.
Answer
Surendranath Banerjea and Anandamohan Bose.
Q5 · 2 marks · Very short answerHarder exam level
Why did Rabindranath Tagore call for Raksha Bandhan in 1905?
Hint
Unity.
Answer
To show that the people of the two parts of Bengal remained brothers and sisters, united in spite of the partition; people tied rakhis on one another's wrists.
Q6 · 1 mark · Very short answerHarder exam level
In which year did the Congress split into Moderates and Extremists, and where?
Hint
Gujarat.
Answer
1907, at Surat.
Q7 · 2 marks · Very short answerExam level
Why did the Moderates demand that the ICS examination be held in India too?
Hint
Cost and distance.
Answer
Because holding it only in London made it very costly and difficult for Indians to compete, keeping them out of high administrative posts.
Q8 · 3 marks · Short answerExam level
How did the press help the growth of nationalism?
Hint
Information and criticism.
Answer
Newspapers such as Kesari, The Hindu and Amrita Bazar Patrika reported government policies and their effects, criticised injustices, spread ideas of self-government and connected readers across India, building a shared political awareness.
Q9 · 3 marks · Short answerHOTS / competency
Distinguish between the methods of the Moderates and those used in the anti-partition movement.
Hint
Petitions versus mass action.
Answer
The Moderates used petitions, speeches, resolutions and delegations, appealing to British justice and involving mainly educated Indians. The anti-partition movement used mass action: swadeshi, boycott of foreign goods, bonfires, national education and public demonstrations involving students, women and ordinary people.
Q10 · 4 marks · Long answerHOTS / competency
Suppose the British had held the ICS examination in India from the start. Would nationalism have grown more slowly? Give a reasoned answer.
Hint
One grievance among many.
Answer
It might have removed one grievance of educated Indians, but nationalism would probably still have grown. Its main causes were wider: economic exploitation and the drain of wealth, famines, racial discrimination, repressive laws like the Vernacular Press Act, and the spread of ideas of liberty through education and the press. So the pace might have changed slightly, but the movement had deeper roots.
Q11 · 2 marks · Very short answerHarder exam level
When was the All-India Muslim League founded, and how did it come to cooperate with the Congress in 1916?
Hint
Dacca; Lucknow.
Answer
It was founded in 1906 at Dacca. In 1916, at Lucknow, it agreed with the Congress on common demands for self-government in the Lucknow Pact.

Test your recall

Answer in your head or on paper first, then open the card. Pulling an answer out of memory makes it stick far better than re-reading.

1.When was the Arms Act passed?Show answer
1878.
2.How many delegates attended the first Congress session?Show answer
72.
3.Name two Moderate leaders.Show answer
Dadabhai Naoroji and Gopal Krishna Gokhale.
4.When did the partition of Bengal come into effect?Show answer
16 October 1905.
5.When was the partition annulled?Show answer
1911.
6.Who set up the two Home Rule Leagues?Show answer
Bal Gangadhar Tilak and Annie Besant (1916).

Best order to study it

Learn the factors of nationalism briefly.
Learn Lytton's repressive measures.
Learn the early associations and the founding and objectives of the Congress.
Learn the Moderates: leaders, methods, demands.
Learn the anti-partition movement.
Learn the Home Rule Movement and the Lucknow Pact.

Quick revision checklist

The night before the exam: can you do each of these without looking?

Factors: economic exploitation, Western education, press (Kesari, The Hindu, Amrita Bazar Patrika), communication, reform movements, racial discrimination, Lytton's policies.
Lytton: ICS age to 19 (1876), Delhi Durbar during famine (1877), Vernacular Press Act and Arms Act (1878), cotton duties removed.
Congress: December 1885, Bombay, 72 delegates, W.C. Bonnerjee president, A.O. Hume organiser; objectives: unity, demands, public opinion.
Moderates: Naoroji, Mehta, Banerjea, Gokhale; petitions, prayers, protests, delegations; demands: councils, ICS in India, less military spending, separate judiciary.
Anti-partition: partition 16 October 1905 (Curzon); mourning, Raksha Bandhan, swadeshi, boycott, national education, Lal-Bal-Pal; annulled 1911.
Home Rule 1916 (Tilak, Besant): self-government within the Empire. Lucknow Pact 1916: Congress-League unity, separate electorates accepted, Moderates and Extremists reunited.

Rise of Indian Nationalism: frequently asked questions

Do I need to know the Extremists in detail?

The curriculum focuses on the Moderates, the anti-partition movement and Home Rule. Know that leaders like Tilak and Lal-Bal-Pal led more active methods and that the Congress split at Surat in 1907 and reunited at Lucknow in 1916.

How detailed should my answer on the Lucknow Pact be?

Only a brief understanding is required: who agreed, the main points (common demands, separate electorates accepted) and why it is called a unity pact.

Why is Lord Lytton singled out?

The curriculum mentions his repressive policies as one factor. His measures, especially the Vernacular Press Act and Arms Act, are clear examples of policies that united educated Indians in protest.

Based on: CISCE Curriculum for Upper Primary Classes (VI-VIII), History and Civics (Class VIII); CISCE RDCD: Curriculum Pre-School to Class VIII