the Congress, The Muslim League and the Raj (1914-18)

The meaning of the terms, "Moderates" and "Extremists", were explained by Tiklak in 1907, " these words have a specific relation to time, and they, therefore, will change with them.The extremists of today will be moderates of tomorrow, just as the Moderates of today were extremists of yesterday... We are all extremists today and our sons will call themselves Extremists and us moderates."
When the War broke out Congress generally stood by the side of the Govt.  Surendranath Banerjea declared at the Lucknow Congess (1914)
"The object of the War is to vindicate the sanctity of treaty obligations -- to uphold the sacredness of scraps and bits of paper... In the same spirit the Royal proclamation and charters to india should be redeemed. The moral law does not workby latitudes and longtudes."
In the same spirit the Imperial Legislative Council unanimously passed Defence of India Act, despite its draconian clauses and voted large sums as grants to Britain.
Gandhi on his return from South Africa (1915) was unwilling to embarrass the Government in its hour of peril In 1918 he even campaigned for military recruitment and, with Tilak, tried to raise money for the British by village tours. Tilak had put it as " purchase war debentures, but look to them as the title deeds of Home Rule".

"The object of the War is to vinduicate the sanctity of  treaty obligaions -- to uphold the sacredness of scraps and bits of paper... The imperial Legislative Counil unanimously passed the Defence of India Act, despite its draconian clauses and voted large sums as grants to Britain.Gandhi,on his return from South Africa (1915) was unwilling to embarrass the Government in its hour of peril. In 1918 he even campaigned for  military recruitment and, with Tilak, tried to raise money for the British by village tours.As Tilak had put it, "Purchase War Debentures, and look to them as the title deeds of Home Rule." Tilak was prepared to patch up the difference with the Moderates. After the death of  Pheroz Shah Mehta in 1915, Tilak group reentered the Congress in Dec 1915.

Another important aspects at this moment was the improvement of the relation of Congress with Muslim League. The trend of cooperation was visible since 1911 when the League moved its headquarter from Aligarh to Lucknow. The Lucknow group headed by the Raja of Mahmudabad and assisted by Wazi Hassan and Salimullah Beg were Striving towards political cooperation with the congress. After the outbreak of the War, they wee joined by M.A.Jinnah of Bombay, Hassan Imam, Ali Immam, and Mazhar ul Haq of Bihar.In Dec 1917 the Ali Brothers' mother was accorded cordial treatment at the Congress platform in Calcutta.