Formation of the Indian National Congress
1885: The emergence of an all-India political organisation and a new phase of Indian nationalism.
Why was the INC formed?
The Indian National Congress was founded in December 1885 as an all-India political organisation. Its formation marked an important stage in the development of modern Indian nationalism.
Before 1885, political associations operated in different parts of India. Educated Indians increasingly recognised the need for a common platform through which they could discuss public issues and present political demands to the colonial government.
Political awareness
Education, newspapers and public debate helped spread political ideas among the emerging educated middle class.
Regional associations
Political organisations in different parts of India created experience in petitions, public meetings and political campaigning.
All-India coordination
Leaders increasingly sought a common forum that could connect political activities across regional boundaries.
National consciousness
The Congress helped different groups discuss shared political concerns and develop a wider national political outlook.
The growth of political associations
The Congress was preceded by political organisations that developed public debate and trained Indians in organised political activity.
British Indian Association — 1851
Established in Bengal, it represented the interests of sections of the landed and educated elite and submitted petitions on public matters.
Bombay Association — 1852
Helped articulate political and administrative demands in western India.
Madras Native Association — 1852
Provided an early platform for political representation in the Madras Presidency.
Poona Sarvajanik Sabha — 1870
Connected public concerns in western India with organised political advocacy.
Indian Association — 1876
Founded by Surendranath Banerjea and Ananda Mohan Bose, it worked towards broader political organisation and public mobilisation.
Why was an all-India platform needed?
Common administrative grievances
Indians from different regions raised concerns about colonial administration, expenditure, public employment and unequal treatment.
Economic criticism
Indian publicists increasingly examined poverty, economic extraction and the consequences of British economic policies.
Limited representation
Educated Indians wanted a greater role in legislative institutions and the administration of the country.
Communication and public debate
Newspapers, railways, education and political meetings made it easier for ideas and demands to circulate between regions.
Shared political methods
Petitions, public meetings, resolutions and appeals to British public opinion were increasingly used to advance political demands.
The role of Allan Octavian Hume
A. O. Hume was a retired British civil servant who played a key organisational role in establishing the Indian National Congress.
Organising initiative
Hume mobilised leading Indian intellectuals and helped organise the first Congress session in 1885.
Indian collaboration
The organisation depended on the cooperation and participation of Indian political leaders, not Hume alone.
Political context
By the late 1870s and early 1880s, conditions for an all-India organisation had developed through earlier political activity.
Historical interpretation
Historians have debated whether Hume’s role was primarily to facilitate political organisation, channel discontent, or both.
The immediate precursor: Indian National Conference
Before the first INC session, two sessions of the Indian National Conference had been held, in 1883 and 1885.
Surendranath Banerjea
A prominent nationalist leader who worked towards wider political organisation and public mobilisation.
Ananda Mohan Bose
A key collaborator in the Indian National Conference and the effort to build an all-India political platform.
Why is the Conference important?
- It brought representatives from major towns together.
- It demonstrated the feasibility of political coordination beyond individual provinces.
- It formed part of the background to the development of the INC.
In 1886, the second session of the INC in Calcutta witnessed the merger of the National Congress and the National Conference, bringing these related efforts into a more unified organisation.
The first session of the INC, 1885
Date
28–31 December 1885
Venue
Gokuldas Tejpal Sanskrit College, Bombay
President
Womesh Chandra Bonnerjee (W. C. Bonnerjee)
Delegates
72 delegates attended the first session.
What did the meeting achieve?
- It established a regular all-India political forum.
- It brought leaders from different regions into one organisation.
- It set a precedent for annual sessions, held in different parts of India.
- It provided a platform to formulate and discuss political demands.
What did the founders seek?
The early Congress aimed to establish an organised political platform and advance Indian demands primarily through constitutional methods.
Political coordination
Promote closer contact and cooperation among political workers across different regions.
Formulate public demands
Discuss common grievances and present resolutions on political and administrative issues.
Political education
Develop public awareness of political questions and encourage discussion of governance.
Administrative reform
Seek changes to legislative councils, civil services and the administration through petitions and representation.
Public opinion in Britain
Campaign for Indian demands in Britain as well as in India, seeking support among British politicians and the public.
Why was the Congress founded?
Different interpretations have been offered to explain the circumstances and motives behind Congress formation.
Safety Valve Theory
Associated with the argument that Hume helped provide a constitutional outlet for growing Indian discontent, thereby reducing the danger of violent rebellion. Lala Lajpat Rai is associated with a critical discussion of this theory.
Conspiracy Theory
Associated with the interpretation that the organisation’s formation was part of a calculated colonial strategy. R. P. Dutt is linked to this interpretation in Spectrum’s summary.
Lightning Conductor Theory
Associated with G. K. Gokhale’s interpretation: the Congress helped channel political discontent into organised political activity.
Nationalist interpretation
Emphasises the growth of Indian political awareness, the work of Indian leaders and the need for an all-India platform.
Important leaders of the early Congress
W. C. Bonnerjee
Presided over the first session of the INC in Bombay in 1885.
A. O. Hume
Retired British civil servant and key organiser associated with the Congress’s establishment.
Dadabhai Naoroji
Prominent early nationalist and economic critic of British rule; presided over the 1886 session in Calcutta.
Surendranath Banerjea
Important organiser of the Indian Association and a leading figure in early political mobilisation.
Ananda Mohan Bose
Associated with the Indian National Conference and the development of all-India political cooperation.
Badruddin Tyabji
Presided over the Madras session in 1887 and appealed for Muslim participation alongside other national leaders.
What the early Congress could—and could not—do
Its significance
- Created a regular all-India political forum.
- Encouraged cooperation among regional leaders.
- Helped articulate common political and economic demands.
- Developed methods of organised political campaigning.
Its limitations
- Membership and participation were concentrated among educated and politically active groups.
- It had limited mass participation in its earliest phase.
- Its methods relied heavily on petitions and constitutional agitation.
- Its demands did not initially centre on immediate complete independence.
These limitations changed as political consciousness broadened and new forms of mobilisation developed. The later national movement would include wider participation, stronger mass campaigns and more radical demands.
Formation of the INC at a glance
| Topic | Key fact | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Foundation | December 1885 | Beginning of a regular all-India political organisation. |
| Organiser | A. O. Hume | Retired civil servant who helped organise the first session. |
| First session | Bombay, 28 December 1885 | First formal meeting of the INC. |
| Venue | Gokuldas Tejpal Sanskrit College | Important factual detail for prelims. |
| First president | W. C. Bonnerjee | Presided over the inaugural session. |
| Delegates | 72 | Number attending the first session. |
| Precursor | Indian National Conference, 1883 and 1885 | Associated with Surendranath Banerjea and Ananda Mohan Bose. |
| 1886 session | Calcutta; Dadabhai Naoroji | National Conference and Congress efforts came together. |
| 1887 session | Madras; Badruddin Tyabji | Appeal for Muslim participation alongside other national leaders. |
| Early methods | Petitions, resolutions, constitutional agitation | Characteristic of the early Moderate phase. |
Bombay, Hume helped organise, 72 delegates. Remember separately: W. C. Bonnerjee was the first president.
UPSC practice: test your understanding
Select one option. Read the explanation before moving to the next question.
