UPSC Prelims 2016 · Question 17 of 98
UPSC Prelims 2016 question on Surat Split 1907
- ExamUPSC CSE
- Year2016
- PaperGeneral Studies Paper I
- SubjectModern History
- TopicIndian National Movement
- DifficultyEasy
- TypeDirect
What was the main reason for the split in the Indian National Congress at Surat in 1907?
Show answer
Answer: B. Extremists' lack of faith in the capacity of the moderates to negotiate with the British Government
Verdict
The answer is the extremists' lack of faith in the capacity of the moderates to negotiate with the British Government.
Analysis
The Surat session of 1907 split the Congress into moderates and extremists over strategy and leadership. The extremists, led by Tilak, Lajpat Rai and Aurobindo, wanted the Swadeshi and Boycott agitation extended and had lost confidence in constitutional petitioning; the moderates, led by Gokhale, Pherozeshah Mehta and Surendranath Banerjee, wanted to work within official channels. The introduction of communalism through separate electorates and the founding of the Muslim League in 1906 were parallel developments rather than the cause of this split. The fourth option describes a personal grievance that was not the issue.
Source
NCERT, Bipan Chandra and Spectrum.
How to crack it
The split is a question about method, not about personalities or communal politics, so discard options that describe events happening alongside it. Fix the chain 1905 partition, 1906 Calcutta session, 1907 Surat split, 1916 Lucknow reunion, and note that the same split has been asked from the other direction in an earlier paper. Repeat themes across years make old papers live preparation material rather than mere practice.