Associations formed prior to Congress

 Political Associations Before the Indian National Congress

  • Early half of the nineteenth century, long petitions to British parliament
    • Administrative reforms,
    • Association of Indians with the administration, and
    • Spread of education.
  • Second half of the nineteenth century increasingly dominated by educated middle class.
Political Associations in Bengal
  • 1836 - Bangabhasha Prakasika Sabha by Raja Rammohan Roy
  • Zamindari Association or Landholders’ Society
    • To safeguard the interests of the landlords.
    • Beginning of an organised political activity and use of methods of constitutional agitation for the redressal of grievances.
  • 1843 - Bengal British India Society
    • "the collection and dissemination of information relating to the actual condition of the people of British India"
  • 1851 - British Indian Association
    • Landholders’ Society & Bengal British India Society merged in 1851 form British India Association.
    • Suggestions
      • Establishment of a separate legislature of a popular character;
      • Separation of executive from judicial functions
      • Reduction in salaries of higher officers
      • abolition of salt duty, abkari and stamp duties.
    • Charter Act of 1853, provide addition of six members to the governor-general’s council for legislative purposes.
  • 1866 - East India Association
    • Dadabhai Naoroji in 1866 in London.
    • Branches of the association were started in prominent Indian cities
  • 1875 - Indian League
    • Sisir Kumar Ghosh to "stimulating the sense of nationalism amongst the people"
  • 1876 - Indian Association of Calcutta or Indian National Association
    • Superseded the Indian League and was founded in 1876 by younger nationalists of Bengal led by Surendranath Banerjea and Ananda Mohan Bose.
    • "Promote by every legitimate means the political, intellectual and material advancement of the people"
      1. Create a strong public opinion on political questions.
      2. Unify Indian people in a common political programme.
    • Protested against the reduction of age limit in Indian Civil Service examination.
    • Campaign against the repressive arms act and the vernacular press act.
    • Branches open in cities of Bengal and even outside Bengal.
    • Membership fee was kept low to attract the poorer section.
    • Sponsored an All India conference which first took place in Calcutta on December 28 to 30, 1883.
    • Association was a forerunner of the Indian National Congress as an all-India nationalist organisation, later merged with the Indian National Congress in 1886.
Political Associations in Bombay
  • 1867 - Poona Sarvajanik Sabha
    • Founded by Mahadeo Govind Ranade and others.
    • Objective to bridge between the government and the people.
  • 1885 - Bombay Presidency Association by Badruddin Tyabji, Pherozshah Mehta and K.T. Telang in 1885.
Political Associations in Madras
  • 1884 - Madras Mahajan Sabha 1884 by M. Viraraghavachari, B.Subramaniya Aiyer and P. Ananda charlu.
Pre-Congress Campaigns
  1. Import duty on cotton (1875)
  2. Indianisation of government service (1878-79)
  3. Against Lytton’s Afghan adventure, Arms Act (1878) & Vernacular Press Act (1878).
  4. For right to join volunteer corps.
  5. Against plantation labour and against Inland Emigration Act.
  6. Support of Ilbert Bill.
  7. All India Fund for Political Agitation.
  8. Campaign in Britain to vote for pro-India party.
  9. Against reduction in maximum age for appearing in Indian Civil Service (Indian Civil Service agitation).

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