Foundation of Indian National Congress (1885) Short one Liner Notes

At its foundation, the INC was an elite-led, moderate, constitutional platform, aimed at political education and unity, not revolution.

Background & Idea

• Idea of INC discussed earlier at Theosophical Society circles, specifically in Madras in 1884.
• The idea of INC developed during 1883–84.
• Early meetings were held at Simla before 1885.
• A.O. Hume sought support of Indian leaders and viceroy.
• INC was conceived as an all-India representative body
• Original Name: Initially proposed as the Indian National Union.

Indian National Congress (INC) founded in 1885.

• Founded during the Viceroyalty of Lord Dufferin.
• Founder: Allan Octavian (A.O.) Hume, a retired British civil servant(often called the "Father of INC").
• Founded as an all-India political organization.
• Original Venue Change: The first session was initially planned to be held in Poona (Pune), but a cholera outbreak forced the venue to be shifted to Bombay (Mumbai).
• First session held at Bombay (Mumbai).
• Date of first session: 28–31 December 1885.
• Venue: Gokuldas Tejpal Sanskrit College.
• First President: Womesh Chandra Bonnerjee.
• Founder: Allan Octavian (A.O.) Hume, a former ICS officer.
• Total delegates: 72.
• Majority of members belonged to educated middle class.
• First session had no mass participation.
• Delegates were mainly lawyers, teachers, journalists.
• Women participation was almost negligible.
• Sessions were conducted in English.
• Key Figures Present: Dadabhai Naoroji, Pherozeshah Mehta, Dinshaw Wacha, Kashinath Trimbak Telang, and G. Subramania Iyer.
• INC aimed to promote national unity.
• Provided a platform for political dialogue.
• Sought to present Indian grievances to British government.
• Demanded constitutional and administrative reforms.
• Supported civil liberties and freedom of speech.
• Followed moderate methods like petitions and resolutions.
• Early leaders called Moderates.
• Included leaders like Dadabhai Naoroji, Surendranath Banerjee, Gopal Krishna Gokhale.
• Early nationalism was elitist and urban-based.
• English education created a political intelligentsia.
• Kadambini Ganguly: The first woman graduate of Calcutta University to address the INC session (1890)

A.O. Hume –

• Hume was a retired ICS officer.
• He was influenced by Theosophical ideas.
• INC was initially planned as a political platform, not a party.
• Hume acted as a bridge between Indians and British government.

 

Indian National Congress(INC)-British View 

• INC was seen by British as a “safety valve”.
• The term “Safety Valve” was associated with Lord Dufferin (debated).
• Lord Dufferin initially opposed but later tolerated INC.
• Aim was to channel Indian discontent peacefully.
• No official British patronage, but toleration existed.
• "Lightning Conductor" theory proposed by Gopal Krishna Gokhale. It acts as a direct counter-theory to the "Safety Valve" theory (often supported by extremists like Lala Lajpat Rai), suggesting Indian leaders used Hume as a "lightning conductor" to avoid government suppression in the early stages.

Early Nature of INC

• INC was moderate, constitutional, and loyalist.
• Demands focused on reforms, not independence.
• Methods included petitions, resolutions, prayers.
• INC accepted British rule as temporary necessity.

 

Early National Leaders

• Dadabhai Naoroji → First Indian to become British MP.
• He wrote “Poverty and Un-British Rule in India”.
• Surendranath Banerjee founded Indian Association (1876).
• Indian Association was a precursor to INC.
• Gopal Krishna Gokhale was founder of Servants of India Society (1905).