Indian National Congress in the years of the Curzon’s government (1899–1905): problems of development

Abstract

Aim. To study the influence of the Indian policy of Viceroy Curzon on the development of the Indian National Congress and the national movement in British India in the late 19th – early 20th centuries.Methodology. Based on the annual reports on the sessions of the Indian National Congress, the works of the Congress leaders (A. O. Hume, G. K. Gokhale) and Curzon, the author considers the problem of the relationship between the INC and the government, Curzon’s views on India’s place in the British Empire, the influence of the Viceroy’s administrative decisions on the processes of internal development of the Congress and the national movement.Results. It is concluded that the repressive measures of Curzon contributed to the intensification of contradictions within the Congress, which led to a revision of the organizational structure and tactics of the Congress. These included the adoption of the constitution of the Congress and its subsequent modification, strengthening of the democratic wing in the Congress, which advocated the use of more active methods of struggle for fulfillment of Congress’ demands.Research implications. The theoretical justification of the crisis of the Indian national movement at the beginning of the 20th century, which contributed to the gradual transition of the movement into a phase of active struggle against the British colonialists, is presented. The peculiarities of liberal and conservative political thought of Great Britain in relation to the question of the colonies place in the empire and the ways of their development are shown.