Formation of Indian National Congress (1885)

Key Pointers

Founded in December 1885 at the Gokuldas Tejpal Sanskrit College, Bombay, by A.O. Hume (retired ICS officer) with the support of Dufferin; the first session was originally planned at Poona but shifted to Bombay due to plague.
First president: W.C. Bonnerjee; 72 delegates attended.
Earlier organisations:
- British Indian Association (1851)
- East India Association (1866) – Dadabhai Naoroji, London
- Poona Sarvajanik Sabha (1870) – M.G. Ranade
- Indian Association (1876) – Surendranath Banerjea and Anand Mohan Bose
- Madras Mahajan Sabha (1884)
- Bombay Presidency Association (1885) – Pherozeshah Mehta, Badruddin Tyabji, K.T. Telang
- Indian National Conference (1883) at Calcutta
'Safety Valve' theory: Argued that Hume and Dufferin wanted an outlet for Indian discontent; later criticised by Lala Lajpat Rai and others as exaggerated, as Congress leaders sought to build a national platform.
Aims: Create a national platform, build political awareness, promote unity among Indians and present demands to the British.
Early demands: Expansion of legislative councils with Indian representation; simultaneous ICS exams in India and England; reduction in military expenditure; Indianisation of services; separation of judiciary and executive. Led to the Indian Councils Act, 1892.
Early methods: Prayers, petitions and protests (constitutional means).
Economic critique: Dadabhai Naoroji's Drain Theory (Poverty and Un-British Rule in India), R.C. Dutt (Economic History of India).
Notable early presidents: Dadabhai Naoroji (1886, 1893, 1906), Badruddin Tyabji (1887; first Muslim president), George Yule (1888; first English president), Annie Besant (1917; first woman), Sarojini Naidu (1925; first Indian woman).

MCQs

Q1. The first session of the Indian National Congress was presided over by: (a) A.O. Hume (b) W.C. Bonnerjee (c) Dadabhai Naoroji (d) Surendranath Banerjea Answer: (b). It was held in Bombay in 1885.

Q2. Who was the first Muslim president of the Indian National Congress? (a) Badruddin Tyabji (b) M.A. Jinnah (c) Sir Syed Ahmad Khan (d) Maulana Azad Answer: (a). Presided over the 1887 Madras session.

Q3. The Indian Association (1876) was founded by: (a) Dadabhai Naoroji (b) Pherozeshah Mehta (c) Surendranath Banerjea and Anand Mohan Bose (d) M.G. Ranade Answer: (c).