What is the Indian National Congress?

The Indian National Congress (INC) was founded on 28 December 1885 at the Gokuldas Tejpal Sanskrit College in Bombay. It was established by Allan Octavian Hume, a retired British civil servant, along with prominent Indian leaders, to create a platform for political dialogue among educated Indians. The first session was attended by 72 delegates, and Womesh Chandra Bonnerjee was elected as the first president.

The INC began as a moderate body using petitions and constitutional means to seek reforms, but gradually evolved through its Extremist phase (Tilak, Lajpat Rai, Bipin Chandra Pal), the Gandhian mass movements, and the socialist wing. Prominent founding delegates included Dadabhai Naoroji, Surendranath Banerjee, Badruddin Tyabji, Pherozeshah Mehta, and Romesh Chunder Dutt. The Congress led India's independence movement and went on to form the first government of independent India in 1947.

Key Features / Provisions

# Feature Details
1 Founded 28 December 1885, Bombay
2 Venue Gokuldas Tejpal Sanskrit College
3 Key founder Allan Octavian Hume (retired ICS officer)
4 First president Womesh Chandra Bonnerjee
5 Delegates 72 delegates at the first session
6 Early phase Moderate — petitions, prayers, and constitutional methods (1885–1905)
7 Extremist phase Tilak, Lajpat Rai, Bipin Chandra Pal — Swadeshi, boycott (1905–1919)
8 Gandhian era Mass movements — NCM, CDM, Quit India (1920–1947)
9 First Muslim president Badruddin Tyabji (1887, Madras session)
10 First woman president Annie Besant (1917, Calcutta session)

Historical Background

  • 1876 — Indian Association founded in Calcutta by Surendranath Banerjee — precursor to organised nationalism
  • 1883 — A.O. Hume wrote an open letter to Calcutta University graduates calling for a political organisation
  • 1884 — Hume convened the Indian National Union as a precursor to the INC
  • 28 December 1885 — First session of the INC at Gokuldas Tejpal Sanskrit College, Bombay; 72 delegates
  • 1887 — Badruddin Tyabji became the first Muslim president (Madras session)
  • 1905 — Partition of Bengal — radicalised Congress; birth of Extremist faction
  • 1907 — Surat Split — Congress divided into Moderates and Extremists
  • 1916 — Lucknow Pact — Congress reunified; alliance with Muslim League
  • 1917 — Annie Besant became first woman president (Calcutta session)
  • 1920 — Gandhi took over Congress leadership; Non-Cooperation Movement launched
  • 1929 — Lahore Congress — Purna Swaraj declared; Jawaharlal Nehru presided
  • 1942 — Quit India Movement — Congress's final mass agitation before independence
  • 1947 — Congress formed the first government of independent India under Jawaharlal Nehru

UPSC Exam Corner

Prelims: Key Facts

  • Founded: 28 December 1885 in Bombay
  • Founder: A.O. Hume; First President: W.C. Bonnerjee
  • 72 delegates at the first session
  • First Muslim president: Badruddin Tyabji (1887)
  • First woman president: Annie Besant (1917)
  • First Indian woman president: Sarojini Naidu (1925)
  • Safety Valve Theory: Hume founded Congress to channelise Indian discontent safely (debated)

Mains: Probable Themes

  1. "The Indian National Congress was the product of both Indian aspirations and British design." — Analyse the Safety Valve Theory
  2. "Trace the evolution of the INC from a moderate body to a mass nationalist movement." — Three phases of the Congress
  3. "Examine the role of the INC in articulating India's demand for self-governance." — Moderates to Purna Swaraj

Sources: Wikipedia — History of the INC | Britannica — Indian National Congress | Vajiram & Ravi | Testbook