Early Nationalism & INC Formation
National Movement · प्रारंभिक राष्ट्रवाद और INC
📋Quick Overview
The Indian National Congress (INC) was founded on December 28, 1885 at Bombay by Allan Octavian Hume, a retired British civil servant, along with Dadabhai Naoroji and Dinshaw Wacha. The first session was held at Gokuldas Tejpal Sanskrit College, Bombay with 72 delegates. W.C. Bonnerjee became its first president. The early Congress represented educated Indians seeking moderate constitutional reforms, not independence.
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Dadabhai Naoroji is called 'Grand Old Man of India'. He presented the 'Drain of Wealth' theory — showing how British rule drained India's economic resources. He was also the first Indian elected to British Parliament (1892, Central Finsbury constituency).
📖Formation of INC — Key Facts
| Aspect | Detail |
|---|---|
| Date of Founding | December 28, 1885 (first session December 28-31, 1885) |
| Venue | Gokuldas Tejpal Sanskrit College, Bombay (Pune was original venue; shifted due to cholera epidemic) |
| Founder | A.O. Hume (Allan Octavian Hume) — British civil servant; 'Safety Valve Theory' (Lala Lajpat Rai, Bipan Chandra) |
| First President | W.C. Bonnerjee (Womesh Chandra Bonnerjee) — a Calcutta barrister |
| Total Delegates | 72 delegates at first session |
| Safety Valve Theory | British wanted INC to act as safety valve to release Indian discontent safely; prevent revolution |
| Early Demands | Expansion of Legislative Councils, Indianisation of civil services, reduction of military expenditure, separation of judicial and executive functions |
📖Precursor Organisations to INC
| Organisation | Year | Founder | Place |
|---|---|---|---|
| Landholders' Society | 1838 | Dwarkanath Tagore + others | Calcutta — first political organisation in India |
| British India Association | 1851 | Radhakanta Deb + Debendranath Tagore | Calcutta |
| Poona Sarvajanik Sabha | 1870 | Mahadev Govind Ranade | Pune — petitioned for Indian interests |
| Indian Association | 1876 | Surendranath Banerjea + Anand Mohan Bose | Calcutta — agitated for ICS age expansion; merged into INC later |
| Madras Mahajana Sabha | 1884 | M. Viraraghavachariar + B. Subramania Aiyer | Madras — one year before INC; similar objectives |
| Bombay Presidency Association | 1885 | Pherozeshah Mehta + K.T. Telang + Badruddin Tyabji | Bombay — same year as INC; merged its activities |