Question

Discuss the background of founding of Indian National Congress

Answer 1

1. The founding of Indian National Congress which eventually followed the 1857 Independence war, was the key event in the independence movement of India. It was the first organisation in India that pulled people from all quarters of India.
2. Dwarkanath Tagore established ‘Land Holders Association’ in 1837 to safeguard the interests of landlords.
3. In 1839, William Adams, a friend of Raja Ram Mohan Roy established ‘British India Society’ in London to acquaint the British citizens in England with the conditions in British India.
4. Later, George Thompson, a friend of Dwarkanath Tagore established ‘Bengal British India Society’.
5. In 1851, ‘The Land Holder’s Association’ and the ‘Bengal British India Society’ merged together and ‘British Indian Association’ was founded.
6. By the initiative of Harishchandra Mukherjee, this organisation dispatched a document presenting grievances of the Indian people to the British Parliament.
7. At about the same time, ‘Madras Native Association’ also began to work on similar lines.
8. In 1866, Dadabhai Nowrojee in collaboration with Vyomeshchandra Banerjee established ‘East India Association’ in London and began the work of creating awareness about Indian conditions.
9. The ‘India League’ was active in this regard from 1875.
10. Later, Surendranath Banerjee established ‘Indian Association’ and declared that this association would work for uniting Indians of various racial origin and caste, with the help of common political interests and aspirations.
11. Indian Association called a conference of the representatives of various Indian provinces, in 1883 at Kolkata.
12. The ‘Madras Mahajan Sabha’ founded in 1884 was an important nationalist organisation.
13. At about the same time English education and urge for social reforms resulted in the formation of ‘Bombay Presidency Association’ in January 1885 by Justice Kashinath Trimbak Telang, Pherozeshah Mehta and their associates.