Formation of Indian National Congress

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INC — At a Glance

Detail	Fact
Date of Formation	28 December 1885
Place	Gokuldas Tejpal Sanskrit College, Bombay (near Gowalia Tank)
Founder	Allan Octavian Hume (A.O. Hume) — British Civil Servant
First President	Womesh Chandra Bonnerjee (W.C. Bonnerjee)
Viceroy at time	Lord Dufferin
Delegates (1st session)	72 total — Bombay: 38 (max), Madras: 21, UP: 7, Bengal: 3, Punjab: 3

3 Theories of INC Formation

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Safety Valve Theory — A.O. Hume: Platform jo Indians ka gussa release kare, 1857 jaisa revolt na ho.

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Lightning Conductor Theory — Gopal Krishna Gokhale: Indians ne Hume ko use kiya taaki British sarkar Congress ko shuru mein crush na kare.

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Conspiracy Theory — Rajani Palme Dutt (R.P. Dutt): Yeh British ki ek saazish thi.

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Bengal Region — 6 Major Organizations

Bang Bhasha Prakashak Sabha

1836

Founders: Raja Ram Mohan Roy ke followers

Promote Bengali language + literature. Review government administration.

Landholders' Society

1838, Calcutta

Founder: Dwarkanath Tagore

⭐ India ka Pehla Organized Political Association. Protect zamindars' interests. Used constitutional methods.

Bengal British India Society

1843

Founders: George Thompson & Peary Chand Mitra

Indians + non-official British. "Constitutional Agitation" — badhana Indians ki participation in British administration.

British Indian Association

28 Oct 1851

Founders: Radhakanta Dev (President) + Debendranath Tagore (Secretary)

Merger of: Landholders' Society + Bengal British India Society. Petitions & memoranda to Parliament.

Indian League

Sep 1875

Founder: Shishir Kumar Ghosh (Editor, Amrit Bazar Patrika)

Temp President: Shambhu Chandra Mukherjee

Instill nationalism. Political education encourage karna.

Indian National Association

26 Jul 1876

Place: Albert Hall, Calcutta

Founders: Surendranath Banerjee + Anand Mohan Bose

⭐ Most Important Pre-Congress Org. First All-India political platform. 1886 mein INC mein merge hua. Surendranath = "Rashtra Guru" + "King without Crown."

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Bombay Region — 3 Organizations

Bombay Association

26 Aug 1852

Leaders: Dadabhai Naoroji + Jagannath Shankarseth

Govt ko time-to-time memorandums dena.

Poona Sarvajanik Sabha

1870

Founders: M.G. Ranade + Ganesh Vasudev Joshi

Constitutional agitation — petitions & resolutions. Moderate politics ka base.

Bombay Presidency Association

1885

Founders: Pherozeshah Mehta, Badruddin Tyabji, K.T. Telang

Same year as INC. Pherozeshah Mehta = "Uncrowned King of Bombay."

🌴

Madras Region — 2 Organizations

Madras Native Association

26 Feb 1852

Founder: Gajula Lakshmi Narasu Chetty

⭐ Madras ki Pehli Political Organisation.

Madras Mahajan Sabha

1884

Founders: M. Veeraraghavachari, G. Subramaniam Iyer, Ananda Charlu

Just 1 year before INC formed.

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London Region — 3 Organizations

London Indian Committee

1862, London

Founder: C. Purushottam Mudaliar

Represent Indian interests before British public opinion.

London India Society

1865, London

Founders: Dadabhai Naoroji + W.C. Bonnerjee

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East India Association

1 Dec 1866, London

Founder: Dadabhai Naoroji

⭐ Most Important London org. British public + Parliament ko Indian matters ke baare mein inform karna.

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Indian National Congress — Establishment

28 December 1885 | Bombay

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Date: 28th December 1885.

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Place: Gokuldas Tejpal Sanskrit College, Bombay (near Gowalia Tank).

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Founder: Allan Octavian Hume (A.O. Hume) — British Civil Servant.

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First President: Womesh Chandra Bonnerjee (W.C. Bonnerjee).

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Viceroy at that time: Lord Dufferin.

First Session Stats

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Total Delegates: 72. Secretary: A.O. Hume (Organising Secretary).

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Breakdown: Hindus (majority — 54), Muslims: 2, Others: Parsis, Jains, Christians.

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Region-wise: Bombay: 38 (max) → Madras: 21 → UP/Awadh: 7 → Bengal: 3 → Punjab: 3.

3 Theories of INC Formation

🛡️

Safety Valve Theory — A.O. Hume: Ek platform jo Indians ka gussa release kare taaki 1857 jaisa revolt na ho.

⚡

Lightning Conductor Theory — Gopal Krishna Gokhale: Indians ne Hume ko use kiya taaki British Congress ko shuru mein crush na kare.

🕵️

Conspiracy Theory — Rajani Palme Dutt (R.P. Dutt): Yeh British ki ek saazish thi.

28 Dec 1885 = INC founded A.O. Hume = Founder (British) W.C. Bonnerjee = 1st President Lord Dufferin = Viceroy

1st Session 1885 Bombay

President: Womesh Chandra Bonnerjee | Secretary: A.O. Hume

72 delegates. Coordination banana + National Unity. Bombay se max 38 delegates.

2nd Session 1886 Calcutta

President: Dadabhai Naoroji

Key Fact: First Parsi President. Members: 434 (grew from 72).

3rd Session 1887 Madras

President: Syed Badruddin Tyabji

Key Fact: First Muslim President of Congress. "Subject Determination Committee" banayi gayi.

4th Session 1888 Prayagraj (Allahabad)

President: George Yule

Key Fact: First English/British President. Lala Lajpat Rai ne pehli baar isi session mein participate kiya.

12th Session 1896 Calcutta

President: Rahimtulla Sayani

🎵 Pehli baar "Vande Mataram" gaya gaya!
Composer: Bankim Chandra Chatterjee (Anandamath, 1882). Singer: Rabindranath Tagore.

22nd Session 1906 Calcutta

President: Dadabhai Naoroji

Pehli baar "Swaraj" shabd use hua. 4 Resolutions passed:
1. Swaraj (Self-rule) as goal. 2. Boycott Movement. 3. Swadeshi. 4. National Education.

23rd Session 1907 Surat

President: Rash Bihari Ghosh

💥 FIRST SPLIT OF CONGRESS — Surat Split!
Moderates (Naram Dal) vs Extremists (Garam Dal). Reason: 1906 ke 4 resolutions — Extremists chahte the poore India mein failayein, Moderates sirf Bengal tak seemit rakhna chahte the.

26th Session 1911 Calcutta

President: Pandit Bishan Narayan Dhar

🎵 Pehli baar "Jana Gana Mana" (National Anthem) gaya gaya!
Composer: Rabindranath Tagore.

31st Session 1916 Lucknow

President: Ambika Charan Majumdar

1. Patch-up: Extremists + Moderates wapas mile.
2. Lucknow Pact: Congress + Muslim League agreement. (Luck khul gaya!)

32nd Session 1917 Calcutta

President: Annie Besant

⭐ First Female President of Congress (videshi / foreign). Note: First Indian Female = Sarojini Naidu (1925).

39th Session 1924 Belgaum (Karnataka)

President: Mahatma Gandhi

⭐ Gandhi ji ne sirf ek baar Congress ki adhyakshta ki — yahi session.

44th Session 1929 Lahore (Ravi river ke tat par)

President: Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru

⭐ "Purna Swaraj" resolution passed (Complete Independence). Decided: 26 January 1930 ko pehla Independence Day manaya jayega.

45th Session 1931 Karachi

President: Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel

Resolution: "Fundamental Rights" + "National Economic Programme" passed.

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Dadabhai Naoroji — Grand Old Man of India

Category	Details
Birth / Place	4 September 1825, Navsari, Gujarat
Title	"Grand Old Man of India"
INC Role	Earliest economic critic of British rule. Laid ideological foundation of early nationalism.
Famous Theory	"Drain of Wealth Theory" (Dhan Nishkasan ka siddhant)
Famous Book	"Poverty and Un-British Rule in India"
Economy	First Indian to calculate National Income
Magazine	"Rast Goftar" (Gujarati — "Truth Teller")
Swaraj	First user of word "Swaraj" — Calcutta Session, 1906 (as INC President)

Grand Old Man of India Drain of Wealth Theory 1st to calculate National Income 2nd INC President (1886) = 1st Parsi East India Association 1866 = Dadabhai

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Reactions of Leaders — Match the Following

Exam mein direct questions aate hain

Lord Dufferin (Viceroy)

"Congress sirf 'Microscopic Minority' (sookshma alpasankhyak) ko represent karti hai."

Lord Curzon (Viceroy)

"Congress apni maut ki taraf ladkhada rahi hai aur meri ichha hai ki main iski peaceful demise (shanti-purna maut) mein madad kar sakun."

Bankim Chandra Chatterjee (Writer)

"Congress ke log padon ke bhookhe (hungry for positions) hain."

Bipin Chandra Pal (Extremist leader)

"Congress ek 'Petitioning Institution of Moderates' (Yachana Sanstha) hai."
(Moderates ki 'Prayer & Petition' policy par taunt)

⭐

Special One-Liner Facts

Category	Person	Session / Year
1st President	W.C. Bonnerjee	1st Session, Bombay, 1885
1st Parsi President	Dadabhai Naoroji	2nd Session, Calcutta, 1886
1st Muslim President	Syed Badruddin Tyabji	3rd Session, Madras, 1887
1st British/English President	George Yule	4th Session, Prayagraj, 1888
Youngest President	Abul Kalam Azad	1923, Delhi Special Session
1st Female President (videshi)	Annie Besant	32nd Session, Calcutta, 1917
1st Indian Female President	Sarojini Naidu	1925, Kanpur (8 saal baad Besant)
Gandhi only once president	Mahatma Gandhi	39th Session, Belgaum, 1924
1st Session in a Village	Jawaharlal Nehru (President)	Faizapur Session, 1937
President at Independence	Acharya J.B. Kripalani	Elected 1946, Meerut Session
Muslim League Established	Nawab Salimullah of Dhaka	1906, Dhaka. 1st President: Aga Khan. HQ: Lucknow

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Memory Tricks

🔥 Surat Split 1907

"Surat mein Congress ki Surat bigad gayi." (Split ho gaya).

🍀 Lucknow Pact 1916

"Lucknow mein Luck khul gaya." (Sab mil gaye — Moderates + Extremists + Muslim League).

🌿 Gandhi 1924 Belgaum

Gandhi ji sirf ek baar — 1924 Belgaum mein. Yaad rakho: 1924 = Ek baar hi.

👩 Females — 2 hain, dono alag

1917: Annie Besant (Videshi — British). 1925: Sarojini Naidu (Desi — Indian). 8 saal ka gap.

⚠️ Trap #1 — 1st Female vs 1st Indian Female President

First Female President = Annie Besant (1917, British) — Videshi thi.
First Indian Female President = Sarojini Naidu (1925, Kanpur) — Desi. 8 saal ka gap.

⚠️ Trap #2 — Vande Mataram composer vs singer

Composer (Writer): Bankim Chandra Chatterjee (in novel Anandamath, 1882).
First Singer (1896 INC session): Rabindranath Tagore. Dono alag roles!

⚠️ Trap #3 — Jana Gana Mana vs Vande Mataram sessions

Vande Mataram = 12th Session, 1896 Calcutta (Sayani presided).
Jana Gana Mana = 26th Session, 1911 Calcutta (Bishan Narayan Dhar presided). Dono Calcutta mein! Par alag saal.

⚠️ Trap #4 — Surat Split (1907) ka president

Surat Split 1907 ka President = Rash Bihari Ghosh. Tilak ya Lal-Bal-Pal nahi — woh leaders the, president nahi. Sirf president yaad rakho.

⚠️ Trap #5 — Pehla Organized Political Association

India ka Pehla Organized Political Association = Landholders' Society (1838), founder: Dwarkanath Tagore. Indian National Association (1876) ko confuse mat karo.

⚠️ Trap #6 — Dadabhai Naoroji = "Swaraj" first use

Word "Swaraj" pehli baar Dadabhai Naoroji ne use kiya — 22nd Session (1906) Calcutta mein, jab woh President the. Gokhale ya Tilak ne nahi.

⚠️ Trap #7 — Lightning Conductor = Gokhale, Safety Valve = Hume

Safety Valve Theory = A.O. Hume ne diya.
Lightning Conductor Theory = Gopal Krishna Gokhale ne diya.
Conspiracy Theory = R.P. Dutt ne diya. Teeno alag hain!

⚠️ Trap #8 — Indian National Association merge hua INC mein

Indian National Association (1876, Surendranath Banerjee) — Most Important Pre-Congress org — 1886 mein INC mein merge ho gayi. Yeh pehli All-India political platform thi.

⚠️ Trap #9 — Muslim League founder vs 1st President

Muslim League (1906, Dhaka):
Initiative: Nawab Salimullah of Dhaka.
First President: Aga Khan.
HQ: Lucknow. Teeno alag hain — mix mat karna.

⚠️ Trap #10 — Lucknow Session 1916 mein 2 events

31st Session (1916, Lucknow) mein 2 events: (1) Moderates + Extremists patch-up. (2) Lucknow Pact — Congress + Muslim League agreement. President: Ambika Charan Majumdar (Tilak nahi).