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The first session of the Indian National Congress was held at Bombay from:
28–31 DECEMBER 1885.
The session was presided over by:
W.C. BONNERJEE.
One of its major achievements was the adoption of resolutions expressing the political, administrative and economic concerns of educated Indians.
The resolutions reflected the basic approach of the early Congress:
CONSTITUTIONAL REFORM + POLITICAL REPRESENTATION + ADMINISTRATIVE REFORM ↓ EARLY CONGRESS POLITICS.
The resolutions of the first Congress session were primarily concerned with:
• Administrative reforms. • Legislative reforms. • Greater Indian representation. • Reduction of financial burdens. • Reform of the civil services. • Improvement of the judicial system.
Thus:
COLONIAL ADMINISTRATION ↓ INDIAN GRIEVANCES ↓ CONGRESS RESOLUTIONS ↓ DEMAND FOR REFORM.
The resolutions did not demand independence.
They represented the Moderate phase of nationalism, which initially focused on constitutional and administrative reforms.
One important resolution demanded the appointment of a Royal Commission to examine the working of the Indian administration.
The demand reflected dissatisfaction with:
• Centralised administration. • Limited Indian participation. • Administrative expenditure. • Colonial policies.
The Congress also wanted adequate Indian representation in such an inquiry.
Thus:
COLONIAL ADMINISTRATION ↓ PUBLIC CRITICISM ↓ DEMAND FOR ROYAL COMMISSION ↓ ADMINISTRATIVE ACCOUNTABILITY.
The Congress demanded reforms relating to the India Council in Britain.
Early nationalists criticised the existing system because important decisions concerning India were taken in Britain without adequate Indian representation.
Thus:
INDIAN AFFAIRS ↓ DECISIONS TAKEN IN BRITAIN ↓ LIMITED INDIAN VOICE ↓ DEMAND FOR REFORM OF THE INDIA COUNCIL.
The broader objective was greater accountability in the administration of India.
A major demand of the first Congress was the expansion and reform of legislative councils.
The Congress demanded:
• Expansion of legislative councils. • Greater Indian representation. • Inclusion of elected elements.
The objective was to increase Indian participation in law-making and administration.
Thus:
LIMITED REPRESENTATION ↓ CONGRESS DEMAND ↓ EXPANDED LEGISLATIVE COUNCILS ↓ GREATER INDIAN PARTICIPATION.
This became one of the most important recurring demands of the early Congress.
The Congress believed that Indians should have a greater role in institutions responsible for legislation.
The underlying principle was:
INDIAN PROBLEMS ↓ REQUIRE ↓ INDIAN REPRESENTATION.
The demand reflected the emerging nationalist idea that government should become more representative.
The Congress demanded that the Indian Civil Service examination should be held simultaneously in:
INDIA AND BRITAIN.
At that time, the examination system created serious difficulties for Indian candidates because travelling and studying in Britain was expensive and difficult.
Thus:
ICS EXAMINATION MAINLY IN BRITAIN ↓ DISADVANTAGE TO INDIANS ↓ CONGRESS DEMAND ↓ SIMULTANEOUS EXAMINATION IN INDIA AND BRITAIN.
The demand was connected with the broader objective of increasing Indian participation in the higher administrative services.
The Congress demanded greater opportunities for Indians in the higher civil services.
The issue reflected an important nationalist argument:
INDIA ↓ SHOULD HAVE ↓ GREATER INDIAN PARTICIPATION ↓ IN ITS OWN ADMINISTRATION.
Thus:
FOREIGN-DOMINATED ADMINISTRATION ↓ INDIAN EXCLUSION ↓ DEMAND FOR INDIANISATION.
This demand became a recurring feature of Moderate nationalism.
The Congress criticised the heavy expenditure on the British Indian Army.
Early nationalists argued that excessive military expenditure created a burden on Indian revenues.
Thus:
INDIAN REVENUE ↓ HIGH MILITARY EXPENDITURE ↓ ECONOMIC BURDEN ↓ CONGRESS DEMAND FOR REDUCTION.
This was one of the early examples of the connection between economic criticism and political nationalism.
The Congress criticised the practice of placing heavy financial burdens on Indian revenues.
The underlying concern was that:
INDIAN RESOURCES ↓ USED FOR ↓ IMPERIAL AND MILITARY PURPOSES ↓ ECONOMIC BURDEN ON INDIA.
The Congress therefore demanded greater financial responsibility and reduction of unnecessary expenditure.
Another important demand was the separation of:
JUDICIARY FROM EXECUTIVE.
The Congress believed that separating these functions would contribute to:
• Judicial independence. • Fair administration. • Greater accountability.
Thus:
CONCENTRATION OF FUNCTIONS ↓ POSSIBILITY OF ADMINISTRATIVE INFLUENCE ↓ DEMAND FOR SEPARATION ↓ IMPROVED JUSTICE.
This reflected the influence of constitutional and liberal political ideas on early Congress leaders.
The resolutions collectively demonstrated the constitutional approach of the early Congress.
The method was:
GRIEVANCE ↓ DISCUSSION ↓ RESOLUTION ↓ PETITION / REPRESENTATION ↓ DEMAND FOR REFORM.
The Congress did not initially advocate violent resistance or immediate independence.
Instead, it sought to influence British policy through constitutional and peaceful methods.
The resolutions reflected the political philosophy of the early Moderates.
Their approach emphasised:
• Faith in constitutional methods. • Gradual reform. • Political representation. • Administrative accountability. • Public opinion.
Thus:
MODERATE POLITICS = DISCUSSION + RESOLUTION + PETITION + CONSTITUTIONAL REFORM.
This approach dominated Congress politics during the early phase of the national movement.
INDIAN ADMINISTRATION ↓ ROYAL COMMISSION / INQUIRY ↓ ADMINISTRATIVE ACCOUNTABILITY.
INDIA COUNCIL ↓ REFORM / ABOLITION ↓ GREATER ACCOUNTABILITY.
LEGISLATIVE COUNCILS ↓ EXPANSION AND REFORM ↓ GREATER REPRESENTATION.
ICS EXAMINATION ↓ SIMULTANEOUS EXAMINATION IN INDIA AND BRITAIN.
CIVIL SERVICES ↓ GREATER INDIAN PARTICIPATION.
MILITARY EXPENDITURE ↓ REDUCTION ↓ LOWER FINANCIAL BURDEN.
JUDICIARY AND EXECUTIVE ↓ SEPARATION ↓ JUDICIAL INDEPENDENCE.
The resolutions were important because they created a common political programme.
Before the Congress:
REGIONAL ASSOCIATIONS ↓ SEPARATE POLITICAL DEMANDS.
After the first Congress session:
REGIONAL GRIEVANCES ↓ NATIONAL DISCUSSION ↓ COMMON RESOLUTIONS ↓ ALL-INDIA POLITICAL PROGRAMME.
This contributed to the development of organised Indian nationalism.
The resolutions also demonstrated the developing connection between economic issues and political demands.
For example:
MILITARY EXPENDITURE ↓ USE OF INDIAN REVENUE ↓ ECONOMIC BURDEN ↓ POLITICAL DEMAND FOR REFORM.
Thus, early nationalism gradually connected:
ECONOMIC EXPLOITATION + POLITICAL SUBORDINATION ↓ NATIONALIST CRITICISM.
The demands of the first Congress were moderate in nature.
They generally sought:
REFORM NOT IMMEDIATE INDEPENDENCE.
Their limitations included:
• Reliance on British authorities. • Dependence on petitions and resolutions. • Limited mass participation. • Focus on constitutional reform.
However, these resolutions were historically important because they began the process of articulating Indian political demands at an all-India level.
The major resolutions of the first Congress session marked the beginning of a regular process of:
POLITICAL DISCUSSION ↓ COMMON DEMANDS ↓ RESOLUTIONS ↓ PRESSURE FOR REFORM.
The Congress thereby became an important platform for expressing Indian political opinion.
Thus:
REGIONAL POLITICAL DEMANDS ↓ NATIONAL RESOLUTIONS ↓ ORGANISED POLITICAL OPINION ↓ DEVELOPMENT OF INDIAN NATIONALISM.
IMPORTANT DEMANDS OF THE FIRST SESSION:
• Royal Commission on Indian administration.
• Reform / abolition of the India Council.
• Expansion and reform of legislative councils.
• Greater Indian representation.
• Simultaneous ICS examination in India and Britain.
• Greater Indian participation in civil services.
• Reduction of military expenditure.
• Separation of judiciary and executive.
IMPORTANT POINT:
THE FIRST CONGRESS SESSION DID NOT DEMAND:
• Complete independence. • Immediate self-rule. • Violent overthrow of British rule.
Its demands were primarily:
CONSTITUTIONAL + ADMINISTRATIVE + REPRESENTATIVE REFORMS.
TRAP 1:
The first Congress demanded complete independence.
→ INCORRECT.
The early Congress primarily demanded constitutional and administrative reforms.
TRAP 2:
The first Congress demanded simultaneous ICS examination only in Britain.
→ INCORRECT.
It demanded simultaneous examination in:
INDIA AND BRITAIN.
TRAP 3:
Military expenditure was not an issue for the early Congress.
→ INCORRECT.
Reduction of military expenditure was an important early nationalist concern.
TRAP 4:
The early Congress relied mainly on revolutionary methods.
→ INCORRECT.
The dominant approach was:
PETITIONS + RESOLUTIONS + REPRESENTATIONS + CONSTITUTIONAL METHODS.
QUESTION:
"Discuss the nature and significance of the resolutions passed at the first session of the Indian National Congress."
INTRODUCTION:
Mention the first session at Bombay in 1885 and its role in articulating common political demands.
BODY:
ANALYSIS:
• Reflected Moderate constitutional politics. • Developed common political demands. • Connected regional grievances with national politics. • Began organised criticism of colonial rule.
CONCLUSION:
The resolutions were moderate in their immediate demands but historically significant in creating an all-India political programme and institutionalising Indian political opinion.
The major resolutions of the first Congress session of 1885 focused on constitutional, administrative, legislative, judicial and civil service reforms and marked the beginning of the organised articulation of Indian political demands at an all-India level.
