During the Victorian Raj the Indian people didn't express a wish for Indian Independence, but educated Indians voiced certain complaints. When the Indian National Congress was set up in 1885, it did not seem to be a real threat. Some British men thought of it as just a place where people met and let off steam. When it was formed it became the chief organization representing the will of the common people and the stubble for freedom. It met only a few times a year in December at different parts of the country. Its main goal in the first few years was to establish Legislative power and to check the Drain of Wealth. This is a theory that stated by Dadabhai Nvroji. The main strategy was to petition, pray and protest. The freedom movement reaches out to the common man by launching the swadeshi movement by leaders such as Bal Gandhar Tilka and Aurbino Ghose.

The earliest nationalist were people of the middle class and the method of functioning was within the law that made it slow. The leaders became disillusioned with the British Government and the new leaders began to assert for the attainment of Swaraj. This could be gained only by working with the population and their participation, so the leaders used festivals to spread the new awakening. The also used political actions such as the boycott of foreign goods. The prominent leaders were Lala Laipat Tai, Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Bipin Chadra Pal. They formed the trio Lal-Bal-Pal and were eyed cautiously by the British.

In 1905 the province of Bengal was divided on the pretext of it being too big. The British divided it on the basis of Hindus and Muslims. This was to make the argument between the two groups greater and end the nationalist movement.

This idea failed and the methods of protests Swadeshi and Swaraj became the slogan of the common man. Swadeshi which meant "of ones own country." This meant that the people should only use goods produced by your country. Swaraj meant self-government. In 1915-1916 the Home Rule League was started which demanded self-government to India after the war. The Indian Nation Congress, in 1916 had two developments that showed the unity of the country in a common cause: the two winds of congress were reunited and the Muslim League put up a common political government. This left the future open for communalism in Indian politics.

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