Formation of Indian National Congress

🇮🇳

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 delegates at the Bombay session

3 Theories of INC Formation

🛡️

Safety-valve interpretation: Hume’s initiative as an outlet for discontent; debated explanation, not a proven sole purpose.

⚡

Lightning-conductor interpretation: Indian nationalists used Hume’s standing as a British liberal to protect the new organisation.

🕵️

Conspiracy Theory — Rajani Palme Dutt (R.P. Dutt): It was a British conspiracy.

📍

Bengal Region — 6 Major Organizations

Bangabhasha Prakashika Sabha

1836

Founders: Raja Ram Mohan Roy's followers

Promote Bengali language + literature. Review government administration.

Landholders' Society

1838, Calcutta

Founder: Dwarkanath Tagore

Early organised political association in Bengal; represented landed interests and used constitutional methods.

Bengal British India Society

1843

Founders: George Thompson & Peary Chand Mitra

Indians + non-official British. "Constitutional Agitation" — increase Indians's 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 journal)

Temp President: Shambhu Chandra Mukherjee

Instill nationalism. Encourage political education.

Indian National Association

26 Jul 1876

Place: Albert Hall, Calcutta

Founders: Surendranath Banerjee + Anand Mohan Bose

Major pre-Congress organisation; its National Conference joined Congress in 1886, while the Association continued. Surendranath = Rashtra Guru and “King without Crown”.

🏙️

Bombay Region — 3 Organizations

Bombay Association

26 Aug 1852

Leaders: Dadabhai Naoroji + Jagannath Shankarseth

Submit memoranda to the government from time to time.

Poona Sarvajanik Sabha

1870

Founders: M.G. Ranade + Ganesh Vasudev Joshi

Constitutional agitation — petitions & resolutions. the foundation of Moderate politics.

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's First Political Organisation.

Madras Mahajan Sabha

1884

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

Just 1 year before INC formed.

🇬🇧

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

1866, London

Founder: Dadabhai Naoroji

⭐ Most Important London org. British public + Parliament inform them about Indian affairs.

🇮🇳

Indian National Congress — Establishment

28 December 1885 | Bombay

📅

Date: 28th 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 that time: Lord Dufferin.

First Session Stats

👥

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

🔢

Aim: promote national unity across religious and provincial divisions; 72 delegates attended.

📊

Venue: Bombay; planned Poona gathering moved because of cholera.

3 Theories of INC Formation

🛡️

Safety-valve interpretation: Hume’s initiative as an outlet for discontent; debated explanation, not a proven sole purpose.

⚡

Lightning-conductor interpretation: Indian nationalists used Hume’s standing as a British liberal to protect the new organisation.

🕵️

Conspiracy Theory — Rajani Palme Dutt (R.P. Dutt): It was a British conspiracy.

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; build coordination and national unity. W.C. Bonnerjee presided; Hume was General Secretary.

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" was formed.

4th Session 1888 Prayagraj (Allahabad)

President: George Yule

Key Fact: First English/British President. Lala Lajpat Rai participated for the first time in this session.

12th Session 1896 Calcutta

President: Rahimtulla Sayani

🎵 "Vande Mataram" was sung for the first time!Composer: Bankim Chandra Chatterjee (Anandamath, 1882). Singer: Rabindranath Tagore.

22nd Session 1906 Calcutta

President: Dadabhai Naoroji

Naoroji’s address declared Swaraj as Congress’s goal. Four positions: Swaraj, boycott, Swadeshi and national education; not the first historical use of the word.

23rd Session 1907 Surat

President: Rash Bihari Ghosh

💥 FIRST SPLIT OF THE CONGRESS — Surat Split! Moderates vs Extremists. Reason: The Extremists wanted the four resolutions of 1906 to be implemented throughout India, while the Moderates wanted to restrict them to Bengal.

26th Session 1911 Calcutta

President: Pandit Bishan Narayan Dhar

🎵 "Jana Gana Mana" (the National Anthem) was sung for the first time!Composer: Rabindranath Tagore.

31st Session 1916 Lucknow

President: Ambika Charan Majumdar

1. Reconciliation: Extremists and Moderates reunited. 2. Lucknow Pact: Agreement between the Congress and the Muslim League.

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 presided over the Congress only once — at this session.

44th Session 1929 Lahore (Ravi river on the bank of)

President: Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru

⭐ "Purna Swaraj" resolution passed (Complete Independence). Decided: 26 January 1930 the first Independence Day would be observed.

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, Bombay (Mumbai); family roots in Navsari
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" (Drain of Wealth Theory)
Famous Book	"Poverty and Un-British Rule in India"
Economy	First Indian to calculate National Income
Magazine	"Rast Goftar" (Gujarati — "Truth Teller")
Swaraj	Declared Swaraj as Congress’s goal — Calcutta Session, 1906

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

💬

Reactions of Leaders — Match the Following

In exams direct questions are asked

Lord Dufferin (Viceroy)

"Congress represents only 'Microscopic Minority' (microscopic minority)."

Lord Curzon (Viceroy)

"The Congress is staggering towards its death, and my wish is to assist in its peaceful demise."

Nationalist Critics of Early Congress

Criticised excessive reliance on petitions and limited mass participation; avoid an unsupported exact attribution.

Bipin Chandra Pal (Extremist leader)

"Congress one 'Petitioning Institution of Moderates' (petitioning institution) is."(Moderates's 'Prayer & Petition' policy on 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 (eight years after Besant)
Gandhi only once president	Mahatma Gandhi	39th Session, Belgaum, 1924
1st Session in a Village	Jawaharlal Nehru (President)	Faizpur Session, December 1936
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

🧠

Memory Tricks

🔥 Surat Split 1907

"Surat in Congress's Surat broke down." (Split was completed).

🍀 Lucknow Pact 1916

Lucknow brought together the Moderates, Extremists and the Muslim League.

🌿 Gandhi 1924 Belgaum

Gandhi presided only once—at Belgaum in 1924. Remember: 1924 was his sole presidency.

👩 Females — 2 are, both different

1917: Annie Besant (Foreign — British). 1925: Sarojini Naidu (Indian — Indian). eight years's gap.

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

First Female President = Annie Besant (1917, British) — Foreign was.First Indian Female President = Sarojini Naidu (1925, Kanpur) — Indian. eight years's gap.

⚠️ Trap #2 — Vande Mataram composer vs singer

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

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

Vande Mataram = 12th Session, Calcutta, 1896 (presided over by Sayani). Jana Gana Mana = 26th Session, Calcutta, 1911 (presided over by Bishan Narayan Dhar). Both were held in Calcutta, but in different years.

⚠️ Trap #4 — Surat Split (1907)'s president

Surat Split 1907's President = Rash Bihari Ghosh. Tilak or Lal-Bal-Pal not — that leaders the, president not. only president remember.

⚠️ Trap #5 — Landholders’ Society

Landholders’ Society (1838) represented landed interests in Bengal; Dwarkanath Tagore was a prominent supporter. Distinguish it from the Indian Association (1876).

⚠️ Trap #6 — Naoroji and Congress’s Swaraj Goal

Dadabhai Naoroji declared Swaraj as Congress’s goal in his 1906 Calcutta presidential address; this does not mean he first coined the word.

⚠️ Trap #7 — Interpretations of Congress’s Origins

Safety-valve: Hume as an outlet for discontent.
Lightning-conductor: Hume as a protective intermediary for nationalists.
Conspiracy: R.P. Dutt’s interpretation. These are explanations, not established exclusive purposes.

⚠️ Trap #8 — Association vs National Conference

Indian Association (1876) — Surendranath Banerjea and Ananda Mohan Bose. Its National Conference joined Congress in 1886; the Association itself continued.

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

Muslim League (1906, Dhaka):Initiative: Nawab Salimullah of Dhaka.First President: Aga Khan.HQ: Lucknow. All three are different — do not mix them up.

⚠️ Trap #10 — Lucknow Session 1916 in 2 events

31st Session (1916, Lucknow) in 2 events: (1) Moderates + Extremists patch-up. (2) Lucknow Pact — Congress + Muslim League agreement. President: Ambika Charan Majumdar (Tilak not).