List of Political organizations before the establishment of Congress

The establishment of the Indian National Congress (INC) in December 1885 was not an accidental event, but it was the peak of political awakening. This formation changes the perspective because it was dominated by the educated middle class—the lawyers, journalists, doctors, teachers, etc. and they had a wider perspective and a larger agenda.

Before the establishment of the Indian National Congress, the political association was dominated by wealthy and aristocratic elements, local or regional in character. They wanted to achieve administrative reforms, associations of Indian with the administration and spread of education through long petitions to the British Parliament. The political organisations before the establishment of the Congress are discussed below:

Political organizations before the establishment of Congress

1. Landholders Society

Founded in: 1836

Place: Kolkata (formerly named: Calcutta)

Founded by: Dwarkanath Tagore

2. British India Society

Founded in: 1839

Place: London

Founded by: William Adam

3. Bengal British India Society

Founded in: 1843

Place: Kolkata (formerly named: Calcutta)

Famous Revolutionaries leaders of India’s Freedom Movement

 4. British India Association

Founded in: 1852

Place: Kolkata (formerly named: Calcutta)

Founded by: Dwarkanath Tagore

5. Madras Native Association

Founded in: 1852

Place: Chennai (former name: Madras)

Founded by: Gazulu Lakshminarasu Chetty

6. Bombay Association

Founded in: 1852

Place: Mumbai (former name: Bombay)

Founded by: Jagannath Shankar Seth

Legislation of British Government to stop Revolutionaries Activities in India

 7. East India Association

Founded in: 1866

Place: London

Founded by: Dadabhai Naoroji

8. National Indian Association

Founded in: 1867

Place: London

Founded by: Mary Carpenter

9. Poona Sarvajanik Sabha

Founded in: 1876

Place: Pune

Founded by: Mahadev Govind Ranade, Ganesh Vasudeo Joshi, S. H. Chiplunkar 

10. Indian Society

Founded in: 1872

Place: London

Founded by: Anand Mohan Bose

Timeline of Indian Freedom Movement from 1885 to 1947

11. Indian Association

Founded in: 1876

Place: Kolkata (formerly named: Calcutta)

Founded by: Surendranath Banerjee and Ananda Mohan Bose

12. Madras Mahajan Sabha

Founded in: 1884

Place: Chennai (former name: Madras)

Founded by: M. Veeraraghavachariar, G. Subramania Iyer and P. Anandacharlu

13. Bombay Presidency Association

Founded in: 1885

Place: Mumbai (former name: Bombay)

Founded by: Phirozshah Mehta, K.T Telang and Badruddin Tyabji

It was marked as the beginning of an organised political activity and use of methods of constitutional agitation for the redressal of grievances with the establishment of the Congress. There were quite a few Political associations before Congress which worked to achieve Political rights.

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