Political organisations before Indian National Congress emerged as the British expanded their control over India and resentment against colonial policies grew. Unlike peasants, tribals and workers, the educated middle class adopted constitutional methods to express opposition. They wrote books, articles and newspapers to analyse British policies, spread political awareness and mobilise public opinion. They also established organisations, associations and societies to coordinate collective activities. Their primary methods included submitting petitions and resolutions, organising public meetings and issuing statements against unjust policies.
The Bengal, Bombay and Madras Presidencies became major centres of education, the emerging middle-class intelligentsia and political activity. Consequently, these presidencies naturally became the principal centres for political organisations before Indian National Congress.
Political Organisations Before Indian National Congress in Bengal
Bengal pioneered political awakening against colonial rule. The rise of the intellectual class, socio-religious movements, and Calcutta as the capital encouraged early political organisations before Indian National Congress. The Landholders' Society, established in 1837, marked the beginning of organised political activity in India. The following are some important political organisations before Indian National Congress in Bengal.
| Organisation | Description |
| Landholders’ Society |
- Year: 1837 - Founder: Dwarkanath Tagore - Place: Calcutta - Other members: Radhakant Deb, Prasanna Kumar Tagore, Rajkamal Sen and Bhabani Charan Mitra - Objectives: It was an association of landholders of Bengal, Bihar and Orissa, and its principal objective was to guard its class interests. - Membership: Also extended to non-official Britishers engaged in trade and commerce in Bengal. - It was the first to adopt the path of constitutional demonstration for the fulfilment of its objectives. - Spread: It failed to take root in areas outside the Bengal Presidency, where the Permanent Settlement was not in vogue. - Suppression: It became inactive around 1842, although it maintained a precarious existence till 1850. The Bengal British India Society took its place. |
| Bengal British India Society |
- Founded in 1843 - Place: Calcutta - Aims/objectives: To promote good citizenship qualities in the Indian people, raise public awareness about the state of governance, and work toward their realisation through peaceful and legal means consistent with loyalty to the person and government of the reigning sovereign in England. |
| British Indian Association |
- Founded in October 1851 - Place: Calcutta - Its President and Secretary are Raja Radhakant Deb and Debendranath Tagore, respectively. - Other members of the Association: Ramgopal Ghosh, Peary Chand Mitra and Krishnadas Pal. - Its membership was kept exclusive to Indians. - Objective: To secure improvements in the local administration of the country and in the system of government laid down by Parliament. |
| Indian League |
- Founded in 1875 - Founded by Sisir Kumar Ghose. - Aims: The League aspired to represent not only the middle class but the masses as well and to stimulate a sense of nationalism among the people. |
| Indian National Association |
- Founded in 1876 - Founder: Surendranath Banerjee and Ananda Mohan Bose. - Background: In 1875, Sisir Kumar Ghosh and Sambhu Charan Mukherjee founded 'The India League' to represent the middle class and foster a sense of nationalism among the people. - The Indian National Association was founded as the Bharat Sabha, and its first annual conference was held in Calcutta. In 1886, this organisation merged with the Indian National Congress. - Its main objectives were:
- It opposed the removal of the age limit for Indian Civil Service candidates in 1877. - The organisation advocated for concurrent civil service examinations in both England and India, as well as the Indianisation of higher administrative positions. - The Indian National Association spearheaded an effort to repeal the repressive Arms Act of 1878 and the Vernacular Press Act of 1878. |
Political Organisations Before Indian National Congress in Maharashtra
The involvement of the educated middle class in Maharashtra gave rise to several political organisations before Indian National Congress, both within Maharashtra and outside India. Some important organisations are mentioned below.
| Organisation | Description |
| Poona Sarvajanik Sabha |
- Founded in April 1870. - Place: Pune, Maharashtra - Founders: It resulted from the labour of many great men like G.V. Joshi, S.H. Sathe, S.H. Chiplonkar and Mahadev Govind Ranade (joined in 1871). - Aims/objectives: The Sabha was created to act as an intermediary between the government and the Indians. - In 1872, the Sabha established a sub-committee to investigate the state's peasant and agricultural conditions and protect them from exploitation. - In 1876, the Sabha organised famine relief in the Deccan region. - It set up arbitration courts (nyayn sabhas) for the private settlement of civil disputes to save people from the high costs of litigation. - In 1875, the Sabha petitioned the House of Commons for Indian representation in the British Parliament. |
| Bombay Presidency Association |
- Founded in 1885 - Founded by Pherozshah Mehta, K.T Telang, and Badruddin Tyabji. - It was founded in response to Lytton's reactionary policies and the Ilbert Bill controversy. - The association has always had cordial relations with the Poona Sarvajanik Sabha. - In September 1885, the Bombay Presidency Association, Poona Sarvajanik Sabha, Madras Mahajana Sabha, and Indian Association of Calcutta sent a joint deputation to England to present India's case to the British electorate. - The delegation was led by N. Chandavarkar of Bombay, Ramaswami Mudaliar of Madras, and Manmohan Ghosh of Calcutta. - The Triumvirate' or 'The Three Stars' of Bombay's public life were Badruddin Tyabji, Pherozeshah Mehta, and Kashinath Telang. |
Political Organisations Before Indian National Congress in Madras
On the lines of Bengal and Bombay, the middle-class intelligentsia of the Madras Presidency also actively participated in political activities, leading to the emergence of political organisations before Indian National Congress. These organisations sought to protest British policies and awaken the masses. Some significant organisations are described below.
| organisation | Description |
| Madras Native Organisation (MNA) |
- Established in 1852 - Place: Madras - Founded by Gajula Lakshminarasu Chetty. - It was the first Indian political association to be formed in the Madras Presidency. - It was the political centre of the presidency's landed gentry, who had grievances against Company rule. - Factors that led to the establishment of the organization: The impending discussion in the British Parliament regarding Company rule in India provided the impetus for MNA's formation. - Dissatisfied with the Company administration, the MNA petitioned the British Parliament to end the Company regime following the passage of the Charter Act of 1853.
- Dissolution of the organization: The MNA was dissolved in 1867. Despite the efforts to revive it in the 1870s, it ceased to exist by 1881. |
| Madras Mahajan Sabha |
- Founded in May 1884. - Place: Madras - Founded by M Veeraraghavachariar, G Subramania Iyer, and P Ananda Charlu. - First president: P. Rangaiah Naidu - Aim: As stated at the Adayar Theosophical Society conference, the goal is to free the country from British rule and to resolve national issues. - The Sabha has advocated for a variety of measures while remaining moderate, including
- The Madras Mahajana Sabha launched the Salt Satyagraha in George Town in April 1930. |
Political Organisations Before Indian National Congress in Britain
The political organisations before Indian National Congress also emerged among Indians living in Britain, providing platforms to discuss Indian issues and voice political grievances. Two important organisations were the London Indian Society and the East India Association, both associated with Dadabhai Naoroji.
| Organisation | Description |
| London Indian Society |
- Founded in 1865 - Place: London - Founded under the guidance of Dadabhai Naoroji. - The founding group of students included W. C. Bannerjea, Manmohan Ghose, Pherozeshah Mehta and Badruddin Tyabji. - It was founded by Indian students as a forum for airing political grievances. - Honorary membership was allowed for Europeans, but they could not vote or hold office. - The London Indian Society was taken over by the East India Association in 1866, though it continued to exist in some form for a few more years. |
| East India Association |
- Year: 1866 - Founded by Dadabhai Naoroji in collaboration with Indians and retired British officials. - Place: London - First President: Lord Lyveden - It superseded the London Indian Society. - It was a platform for discussing matters and ideas about India and to provide representation for Indians to the government. - From its inception, the East India Association published a journal (Journal of the East India Association). - Udham Singh assassinated the former Governor of Punjab at the time of the Amritsar Massacre in March 1940, following a lecture delivered by Michael O'Dwyer at Caxton Hall. - Merger: In 1949, the East India Association merged with the National Indian Association to form the Britain, India, and Pakistan Association.
|
| National Indian Association (NIA) |
- Founded in 1870 in Bristol - Founder: Mary Carpenter in Bristol, with the assistance of Keshub Chunder Sen. - The organisation's full name was originally ‘National Indian Association in Aid of Social Progress in India’. - The initial goal of this organisation was to promote female education in India.
- As the number of Indians in Britain grew, it became more important to facilitate social interaction between Indian visitors and British residents. |
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