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- Superseded the Indian League and was founded in 1876 by younger nationalists of Bengal led by Surendranath Banerjea and Ananda Mohan Bose.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"
- Create a strong public opinion on political questions.
- 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
- Import duty on cotton (1875)
- Indianisation of government service (1878-79)
- Against Lytton’s Afghan adventure, Arms Act (1878) & Vernacular Press Act (1878).
- For right to join volunteer corps.
- Against plantation labour and against Inland Emigration Act.
- Support of Ilbert Bill.
- All India Fund for Political Agitation.
- Campaign in Britain to vote for pro-India party.
- Against reduction in maximum age for appearing in Indian Civil Service (Indian Civil Service agitation).
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