Pre-Congress Organizations

Landholders’ Society

1837

Dwarkanath Tagore, Radhakanta Deb, Prasanna Kumar Tagore

Protection of landlords’ interests

• Beginning of organized political activity in India
• First use of constitutional methods (petitions, delegations)
• Limited to Bengal, Bihar, Odisha
• Became inactive by 1842

Bengal British India Society

1843

Not clearly defined (Group of Bengali intellectuals)

• Develop civic virtues among Indians
• Spread awareness about governance

• Advocated reforms while remaining loyal to British Government
• Merged with British Indian Association in 1851

British Indian Association

1851

Raja Radhakanta Deb (President), Debendranath Tagore (Secretary), Ramgopal Ghosh

Reform in country’s administration and governmental system

• Only Indian members
• Suggested reforms in Charter Act of 1853
• Demanded separate legislative council and separation of judiciary from executive

Bengal Association

1852

Unknown (Leaders from Calcutta)

• Establishment of purely Indian legislative council
• Appointment of Indians to high posts

• Criticized excessive expenditure on European officers
• Opposed exclusion of Indians from civil services

National Indian Association (NIA)

1870

Mary Carpenter (Bristol), Keshab Chandra Sen

• Promote female education in India
• Raise awareness on Indian issues in Britain

• Facilitated social contact between Indians and British residents
• Original name: National Indian Association for Social Progress in India

Indian League

1875

Shishir Kumar Ghosh, Shambhu Charan Mukherjee

Arouse a sense of nationalism among the masses

• Represented both middle class and common people
• Paved the way for merger into Indian National Association

Indian National Association

1876

Surendranath Banerjee, Anand Mohan Bose

• Build public opinion on political issues
• Unite Indians on a common political agenda

• Led civil service movement (demanded removal of age bar)
• Opposed Vernacular Press Act and Arms Act
• Merged with Indian National Congress in 1886

London Indian Society

1865

Dadabhai Naoroji (Guide), W.C. Bonnerjee, Manmohan Ghosh, Pherozeshah Mehta, Badruddin Tyabji

London

• Platform for Indian students to express political grievances
• Honorary membership for Europeans (no voting rights or office)

• Acquired by East India Association in 1866, but continued for a few years

East India Association

1866

Dadabhai Naoroji (with help of Indians and retired British officers), First President: Lord Lyveden

London

• Discussion on India-related matters
• Representation of Indians in government
• Published 'Journal of the East India Association'

• Replaced London Indian Society
• Merged into National Indian Association in 1949, eventually became part of Royal Society for India, Pakistan, and Ceylon in 1966

Poona Sarvajanik Sabha

April 1870

G.V. Joshi, S.H. Sathe, S.H. Chiplunkar, Mahadev Govind Ranade (joined in 1871)

Pune

• Acted as mediator between government and Indians
• Investigated farmers' and agricultural conditions (sub-committee in 1872)
• Organized Deccan famine relief in 1876
• Established arbitration courts (Nyay Sabhas)
• Petitioned British Parliament for Indian representation in 1875

• Active socio-political organization in Maharashtra
• Cordial relations with Bombay Presidency Association

Bombay Presidency Association

1885

Pherozeshah Mehta, K.T. Telang, Badruddin Tyabji

Bombay

• Formed in opposition to Lord Lytton’s reactionary policies and Ilbert Bill controversy
• Sent joint delegation with other organizations (Poona Sarvajanik Sabha, Madras Mahajan Sabha, Calcutta Indian Association) to British Parliament in September 1885

• The ‘Three Stars of Bombay’: Badruddin Tyabji, Pherozeshah Mehta, Kashinath Telang

Madras Association

1852

Gazula Lakshminarasulu Chetty

Protection of landlords’ interests

• First political organization of Madras
• Petitioned British Parliament against Charter Act of 1853
• Presented grievances of ryots in 1852
• Played role in formation of Torture Commission (1854)
• Dissolved in 1867, completely defunct by 1881

Madras Mahajan Sabha

1884

M. Veeraraghavachariar, G. Subramania Iyer, P. Ananda Charlu

• Liberation from British rule
• Resolve national issues

• First President: P. Rangaiah Naidu
• Linked with Theosophical Society (Adyar)
• Moderate demands: tax reduction, military expenditure cut, dissolution of Indian Council in London
• Civil service reform: simultaneous exam in India and England
• Active participation in Salt Satyagraha (1930)