Question

Who were the moderates? What were their main demands?

Answer

Moderates were the leaders of the earlier phase of congress (the first 20 years). The important leaders were Gopal Krishna Gokhale, Dadabhai Naoroji, Surendra Nath Banerjee and others.

Their main demands were:

create Provincial Legislative Councils in all provinces.
recruit Indians for higher positions in the administration.
hold Civil Services Examination in India.
ensure the growth of Indian industries and handicrafts.
stop the drain of wealth to Britain.
end the exploitation of Indian resources and people.
have representative institutions in the whole country for the welfare of the people.