The Indian National Congress (INC) was established in December 1885 by A.O. Hume with the help of key intellectuals. This followed earlier sessions of the Indian National Conference in 1883 and 1885, led by figures like Surendranath Banerjea and Ananda Mohan Bose. The first INC session, held at Gokuldas Tejpal Sanskrit College in Bombay, was attended by 72 delegates and marked the beginning of an annual convention across different parts of India. Prominent early presidents included Dadabhai Naoroji, Badruddin Tyabji, and Pherozshah Mehta.
Establishment: In the later 1870s and early 1880s, the groundwork for an all-India organisation was laid. The idea was finalised by A.O. Hume, a retired English civil servant, who, with leading intellectuals, organised the first session of the Indian National Congress at Gokuldas Tejpal Sanskrit College in Bombay in December 1885.
Predecessors: Two sessions of the Indian National Conference were held in 1883 and 1885, featuring representatives from major towns of India. The main architects of the conference were Surendranath Banerjea and Ananda Mohan Bose.
First Session: The inaugural session of the Indian National Congress was attended by 72 delegates and presided over by Womesh Chandra Bonnerjee. The Congress began meeting annually in December, rotating locations across the country.
Notable Presidents: Early prominent presidents included Dadabhai Naoroji (three times), Badruddin Tyabji, Pherozshah Mehta, P. Anandacharlu, Surendranath Banerjea, Romesh Chandra Dutt, Ananda Mohan Bose, and Gopal Krishna Gokhale. Other key leaders were Mahadeo Govind Ranade, Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Sisir Kumar Ghosh, Motilal Ghosh, Madan Mohan Malaviya, G. Subramaniya Aiyar, C. Vijayaraghavachariar, and Dinshaw E. Wacha.
Women’s Involvement: In 1890, Kadambini Ganguly, the first woman graduate of Calcutta University, addressed a Congress session, symbolising the commitment to including women in the national struggle.
Nationalist Activity: Apart from the Indian National Congress, nationalist activity was also carried out through provincial conferences, associations, newspapers, and literature.
Theory: There is a theory that A.O. Hume formed the Congress to act as a ‘safety valve’ for the growing discontent among Indians. He reportedly convinced Lord Dufferin not to obstruct its formation.
Extreme Views: Some extremist leaders, such as Lala Lajpat Rai, and Marxist historians like R.P. Dutt, believed in the ‘safety valve’ theory. Dutt suggested that the Congress was a conspiracy to prevent a popular uprising and that bourgeois leaders were complicit.
Modern Historians: Modern Indian historians dispute the ‘safety valve’ idea. They argue that the Indian National Congress represented the genuine urge of politically conscious Indians to establish a national body to express political and economic demands. According to Bipan Chandra, early Congress leaders used Hume as a ‘lightning conductor’ to bring together nationalistic forces under the guise of a ‘safety valve’.
Democratic Foundation: To establish a democratic, nationalist movement.
Political Education: To politicise and politically educate the people.
Headquarters: To establish the headquarters for the movement.
Nationalist Unity: To promote friendly relations among nationalist political workers from different parts of the country.
Anti-Colonial Ideology: To develop and propagate an anti-colonial nationalist ideology.
Popular Demands: To formulate and present popular demands before the government with a view to unifying people over a common economic and political programme.
National Unity: To develop and consolidate a feeling of national unity among people irrespective of religion, caste, or province.
Nationhood: To carefully promote and nurture Indian nationhood.
We use cookies to improve your experience on our website. By continuing to browse, you agree to our use of cookies. Please review our
Privacy Policy and
Terms of Use for more information.
