Pre-congress Political Association [19th Century] | UPSC State PSC Notes

Early Political Awareness

The rise of political consciousness in India can be traced back to the late 18th and early 19th centuries. The advent of British colonialism brought with it new administrative, economic, and social changes that significantly impacted Indian society. Educated Indians, especially those influenced by Western education and ideas of liberty, equality, and justice, began to form associations to address their grievances and advocate for their rights.

List of Key Political Associations before 1885

The Landholders’ Society (1838)

• It was the first political association of modern India.
• It was founded in Calcutta in 1838.
• It is also known as the Zamindari Association.
• Zamindars like Raja Radhakant Dev, Dwarkanath Tagore, Prasanna Kumar Tagore, Rajkamal Sen, and Bhabani Charan Mitra were its leading members.
• They aimed to extend the permanent settlement of land all over India.
• The society failed to expand outside of the Bengal Presidency, where the Permanent Settlement was not in vogue.
• It primarily represented the interests of the landholding class, focusing on issues such as the protection of property rights and relief from excessive taxation.

The Bengal British India Society (1843)

• The Bengal British India Society was founded by William Adam and George Thompson (A British anti-slavery activist).
• The Society started publishing a newspaper named British Indian Advocate in 1841.
• It aimed to promote the interests of Indians and influence British policies in India. It was open to all Indians, regardless of their social or economic status.

The British Indian Association (1851)

• British Indian Association was founded in October 1851, at Calcutta.
• Raja Radhakanta Dev and Debendranath Tagore were its President and Secretary respectively.
• It propagated its ideology through the newspaper “Hindu Patriot”.
• The Association was mainly concerned with the interests of the landlords and the elite class.
• The Association ceased to operate after the abolition of the Zamindari system in West Bengal in 1954.

Bombay Association (1852)

• The Bombay Association was founded by Jagannath Shankarsheth on 26 August 1852.
  It was the first political organization in Mumbai.
• Other members associated with this organization were Sir Jamshedji Jejibhai, Naoroji Furdunji, Dr. Bhau Daji Lad, Dadabhai Naoroji, and Vinayak Shankarshet.
• Sir Jamshedji Jejibhai was the first president of the organization.

The Madras Native Association (1852)

• The Madras Native Association (MNA) was founded by Gajula Lakshminarasu Chetty in 1852 in present-day Chennai.
• It was the first Indian political association to be formed in the Madras presidency.

East India Association (1866)

• The East India Association was founded by Dadabhai Naoroji in 1866 in London.
• The first President of the Association was Lord Lyveden.

The Poona Sarvajanik Sabha (1870)

• Poona Sarvajanik Sabha (Also known as Sarvajanik Sabha), was formed in 1867 by Ganesh Vasudeo Joshi and Mahadev Govind Ranade.
• Due to his association with Sarvajanik Sabha, Ganesh Vasudeo Joshi became famous as Sarvajanik Kaka.
• Sarvajanik Sabha appealed to the British that the UK government should recognize Indians as their country’s citizens.
• The ruler of the Aundh State, Bhawanrao Shriniwasrao Pant Pratinidhi was the first President of the organisation.
• Many eminent personalities such as Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Gopal Hari Deshmukh, Maharshi Annasaheb Patwardhan, etc. served as the President of the organization.

The Indian Association (1876)

• The Indian Association was founded by Surendranath Banerjee and Ananda Mohan Bose in 1876.
• It was the first association that initiated the idea of holding an all-India conference with representatives from every province.
• It sponsored an All-Indian National Conference in 1883 and 1885 in Calcutta.
• It later merged with the Indian National Congress.

Madras Mahajana Sabha (1884)

• Madras Mahajana Sabha was founded in 1884 by M Veeraraghavachariar, G Subramania Iyer, and P Ananda Charlu in Madras District.
• The first president of this Sabha was P Rangaiah Naidu.

Bombay Presidency Association (1885)

• The Bombay Presidency Association was founded in January 1885 by Pherozeshah Mehta, K.T. Telang, and Badurddin Tyabji.
• Pherozeshah Mehta, K.T. Telang, and Badruddin Tyabji were known as ‘The Triumvirate’ or ‘The Three Stars’ of Bombay’s public life.

Associations	Details
Landholder’s Society	1. It was the first political association of modern India. 2. It was founded in Calcutta in 1838. 3. It is also known as the Zamindari Association. 4. Zamindars like Raja Radhakant Dev, Dwarkanath Tagore, Prasanna Kumar Tagore, Rajkamal Sen, and Bhabani Charan Mitra were its leading members. 5. They aimed to extend the permanent settlement of land all over India. 6. The society failed to expand outside of the Bengal Presidency, where the Permanent Settlement was not in vogue.
British India Society	1. It was founded by William Adam and George Thompson (A British anti-slavery activist). 2. The Society started publishing a newspaper named British Indian Advocate in 1841.
British Indian Association	British Indian Association was founded in October 1851, at Calcutta. Raja Radhakanta Dev and Debendranath Tagore were its President and Secretary respectively. It propagated its ideology through the newspaper “Hindu Patriot”. The Association was mainly concerned with the interests of the landlords and the elite class. The Association ceased to operate after the abolition of the Zamindari system in West Bengal in 1954.
East India Association	The East India Association was founded by Dadabhai Naoroji in 1866 in London. The first President of the Association was Lord Lyveden.
Indian Association	The Indian Association was founded by Surendranath Banerjee and Ananda Mohan Bose in 1876. It was the first association that initiated the idea of holding an all-India conference with representatives from every province. It sponsored an All-Indian National Conference in 1883 and 1885 in Calcutta. It later merged with the Indian National Congress.
Bombay Association	The Bombay Association was founded by Jagannath Shankarsheth on 26 August 1852. It was the first political organization in Mumbai. Other members associated with this organization were Sir Jamshedji Jejibhai, Naoroji Furdunji, Dr. Bhau Daji Lad, Dadabhai Naoroji, and Vinayak Shankarshet. Sir Jamshedji Jejibhai was the first president of the organization.
Poona Sarvajanik Sabha	Poona Sarvajanik Sabha (Also known as Sarvajanik Sabha), was formed in 1867 by Ganesh Vasudeo Joshi and Mahadev Govind Ranade. Due to his association with Sarvajanik Sabha, Ganesh Vasudeo Joshi became famous as Sarvajanik Kaka. Sarvajanik Sabha appealed to the British that the UK government should recognize Indians as their country’s citizens. The ruler of the Aundh State, Bhawanrao Shriniwasrao Pant Pratinidhi was the first President of the organisation. Many eminent personalities such as Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Gopal Hari Deshmukh, Maharshi Annasaheb Patwardhan, etc. served as the President of the organization.
Bombay Presidency Association	The Bombay Presidency Association was founded in January 1885 by Pherozeshah Mehta, K.T. Telang, and Badurddin Tyabji. Pherozeshah Mehta, K.T. Telang, and Badruddin Tyabji were known as ‘The Triumvirate’ or ‘The Three Stars’ of Bombay’s public life.
Madras Native Association	The Madras Native Association (MNA) was founded by Gajula Lakshminarasu Chetty in 1852 in present-day Chennai. It was the first Indian political association to be formed in the Madras presidency.
Madras Mahajana Sabha	Madras Mahajana Sabha was founded in 1884 by M Veeraraghavachariar, G Subramania Iyer, and P Ananda Charlu in Madras District. The first president of this Sabha was P Rangaiah Naidu.

Contributions to the Indian National Congress

The formation of the Indian National Congress in 1885 was a significant milestone in the Indian independence movement. The pre-congress political associations prepared the ground for the emergence of a national organization. Key contributions include:

• Political Awareness: These associations helped raise political awareness among Indians, educating them about their rights and the need for collective action.
• Organizational Skills: The experience gained through organizing meetings, petitions, and protests was invaluable in the formation and functioning of the INC.
• Leadership: Many leaders of the pre-congress associations, such as Surendranath Banerjee and Dadabhai Naoroji, became prominent figures in the INC, bringing with them valuable experience.
• Unity and Nationalism: The associations helped foster a sense of unity and nationalism among Indians, transcending regional, linguistic, and cultural differences.

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