3. FORMATION OF INDIAN NATIONAL CONGRESS & THE MODERATE PHASE (1885–1905)

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Landholders' Society (1838), British India Society (1843), British Indian Association (1851), East India Association (1866, London, by Dadabhai Naoroji), Poona Sarvajanik Sabha (1870, by M.G. Ranade), Indian Association (1876, Calcutta, by Surendranath Banerjee and Anand Mohan Bose), Madras Mahajan Sabha (1884), Bombay Presidency Association (1885).
Surendranath Banerjee organised the Indian National Conference (1883, 1885) — precursor merged into INC.

Founded by Allan Octavian Hume (a retired British civil servant), with support of Lord Dufferin (then Viceroy) — the "safety valve theory" suggests Hume wanted to provide a controlled outlet for growing discontent (this theory is debated by historians).
First session: December 1885, Gokuldas Tejpal Sanskrit College, Bombay.
First President: Womesh Chandra Bonnerjee.
72 delegates attended the first session.
(Detailed session-wise data covered in the separate Congress Sessions notes file.)

Key leaders: Dadabhai Naoroji, Pherozeshah Mehta, Surendranath Banerjee, Gopal Krishna Gokhale, W.C. Bonnerjee, M.G. Ranade, Badruddin Tyabji.
Methods: Constitutional agitation — petitions, memorials, resolutions, speeches, delegations to England; firm belief in British sense of justice and fair play; "prayer, petition, protest" approach — often called the "Three P's."
Demands:
- Expansion of legislative councils and Indian representation in them.
- Indianisation of civil services (simultaneous ICS exams in India and England).
- Reduction of military expenditure.
- Separation of judiciary from executive.
- Freedom of press and speech.
- Reduction in land revenue.
- Repeal of the Arms Act (1878).

Dadabhai Naoroji — called "Grand Old Man of India" and "Father of Indian Nationalism."
His book "Poverty and Un-British Rule in India" (1901) propounded the "Drain of Wealth" theory — argued that Britain was systematically draining India's wealth through: home charges, salaries/pensions of British officials remitted to England, interest on India's foreign debt, profits of British capitalists repatriated, unfair trade practices.
First Indian to become a Member of the British House of Commons (1892, from Finsbury Central, as a Liberal Party candidate).
President of INC thrice: 1886 (Calcutta), 1893 (Lahore), 1906 (Calcutta) — at the 1906 Calcutta session, he first publicly declared "Swaraj" as the goal of the Congress.
Founded East India Association (London, 1866) and Bombay Association.

Moderate leader, mentor of Mahatma Gandhi (Gandhi called him his political guru).
Founded the Servants of India Society (1905) in Pune to train national workers/dedicated political missionaries.
Member of the Imperial Legislative Council; worked for education, self-government, and economic reforms.
President of INC session at Benaras, 1905.
Gandhi described him as his "political guru" and modelled his early public life on Gokhale's ideals of service.

M.G. Ranade — founded Poona Sarvajanik Sabha, Deccan Education Society; social and economic reformer; a judge of Bombay High Court.
Pherozeshah Mehta — "Lion of Bombay," Bombay Presidency Association.
W.C. Bonnerjee — first INC President; leading Calcutta barrister.

INC founded 28 December 1885, Bombay; founder A.O. Hume; first President W.C. Bonnerjee.
Dadabhai Naoroji — "Drain of Wealth" theory, book Poverty and Un-British Rule in India (1901); "Grand Old Man of India."
Gokhale — Servants of India Society (1905); Gandhi's political guru.
Moderates' method: constitutional, "prayer-petition-protest," believed in British justice.
Moderates dominant roughly 1885–1905 (sometimes called "Early Nationalists").

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