Who played a significant role in the formation of the Indian National Congress (INC)?

A.O. Hume, a retired British civil servant, played a significant role in the formation of the Indian National Congress in 1885.

What was the Indian National Congress’s primary goal when it was founded in 1885?

The primary goal of the INC at its founding was to create a platform for political dialogue and to represent the interests in the government.

What marked the shift between Moderates and Extremists in the INC?

The split between Moderates and Extremists occurred between 1905-1919.

Who was the first Indian woman to become President of the INC, and in which year?

Sarojini Naidu was the first Indian woman to become President of the INC in 1925, during the Kanpur session.

Indian National Congress- History, Session, President List

Table of Contents

The Indian National Congress (INC) is one of the oldest and most prominent political parties in India. The Indian National Congress is a prominent political parties, playing a central role in the country’s struggle for independence from British rule and shaping its post-independence political landscape.

Indian National Congress

The Indian National Congress was established in the year 1885. The INC played a pivotal role in the Indian independence movement against British colonial rule. The party was founded during a session of the Indian National Congress held in Bombay (now Mumbai), to obtain a greater share in government for educated Indians.

Indian National Congress History

The history of the Indian National Congress (INC) is deeply intertwined with India’s struggle for independence and the subsequent development of its political landscape. Here are the key milestones in the history of the Indian National Congress:

Formation (1885): The Indian National Congress was founded on December 28, 1885, during a session held in Bombay (now Mumbai). A.O. Hume, a retired British civil servant, played a crucial role in its formation. The early leaders, including Dadabhai Naoroji, Dinshaw Wacha, Womesh Chandra Bonnerjee
and others, aimed to create a platform for political dialogue and representation of Indian interests.
Early Years (1885-1905): In its initial years, the INC focused on constitutional reforms, advocating for Indian representation in government and addressing socio-economic issues. Dadabhai Naoroji served as the president in 1886, becoming the first Indian to hold this position.
Moderates and Extremists (1905-1919): The INC witnessed a shift in its approach with the emergence of two factions – the Moderates and the Extremists. While leaders like Gopal Krishna Gokhale advocated for constitutional methods, extremists like Bal Gangadhar Tilak and Bipin Chandra Pal favored more assertive measures.
Gandhi’s Entry and Non-Cooperation (1920s): Mahatma Gandhi’s entry into the Congress marked a turning point. His philosophy of non-violent civil disobedience and mass mobilization gained prominence. The Non-Cooperation Movement (1920-1922) was a major campaign led by Gandhi, urging Indians to withdraw support from British institutions.
Civil Disobedience and Quit India (1930s-1940s): The Civil Disobedience Movement (1930-1934) and the Quit India Movement (1942) were significant phases in the struggle for independence. The INC, led by leaders like Jawaharlal Nehru and Sardar Patel, played a crucial role in these movements.
Independence and Partition (1947): India gained independence on August 15, 1947, and the INC played a key role in the negotiations for independence. The country was partitioned into India and Pakistan. Jawaharlal Nehru became the first Prime Minister of independent India.
Post-Independence Period: The INC remained the dominant political force in India for several decades after independence. Leaders like Indira Gandhi, Nehru’s daughter, held significant positions. The party changed, splitting into different factions at times.
Political Challenges and Transformations (Late 20th Century): The INC faced challenges, including periods of opposition rule and internal divisions. It transformed, adapting to changing political dynamics, and participated in coalition governments.
21st Century: In the 21st century, the INC continued to be a major political player in India, participating in national and state elections. It faced competition from emerging political forces, and its performance varied across different electoral cycles.

The Indian National Congress has played a crucial role in shaping the political, social, and economic trajectory of modern India. Its history reflects the diversity of ideologies within the party and its central role in the struggle for India’s independence.

Indian National Congress President List

The list of Indian National Congress (INC) Presidents shows us the leaders who have guided the party since it started in 1885. From the beginning with Womesh Chandra Bonnerjee to later leaders like Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi, and Sonia Gandhi, each president has played an important role. This Congress Session list or The Congress Adhiveshan list helps us see how the INC has been part of India’s history, from the fight for independence to the present day, adapting to changes in the country’s politics. Each leader in the list has left their mark on the party and its role in India.

President	Term
Womesh Chunder Bonnerjee	1885
Dadabhai Naoroji	1886
Badruddin Tyabji	1887
George Yule	1888
William Wedderburn	1889
Dadabhai Naoroji	1890
Alfred Webb	1894
Dadabhai Naoroji	1895
Rahimtulla M. Sayani	1896
Sir C. Sankaran Nair	1897
Ananda Charlu	1898
Womesh Chunder Bonnerjee	1899
Sir T. Prakasam	1900
Dinshaw Wacha	1901
Nawab Syed Muhammad Bahadur	1902
Lalmohan Ghosh	1903
Gopal Krishna Gokhale	1905
Dadabhai Naoroji	1906
Rashbihari Ghosh	1907
Annie Besant	1917
Motilal Nehru	1919
Lala Lajpat Rai	1920
C. Vijayaraghavachari	1921
Maulana Abul Kalam Azad	1923
Sarojini Naidu	1925
Jawaharlal Nehru	1929, 1936-37, 1951-54
Sardar Patel	1931
Rajendra Prasad	1934, 1939-40
Maulana Abul Kalam Azad	1940-46
J.B. Kripalani	1947-48
Pattabhi Sitaramayya	1948-49
Jawaharlal Nehru	1955-56

Founder of Indian National Congress

The Indian National Congress (INC) was founded by A.O. Hume, Dadabhai Naoroji, Dinshaw Wacha, Womesh Chunder Bonnerjee, Monomohun Ghose, William Wedderburn, Dadabhai Naoroji, Dinshaw Wacha, Monomohun Ghose, Dadabhai Naoroji, William Wedderburn, and others. Womesh Chunder Bonnerjee served as the first President of the Indian National Congress during its inaugural session in 1885 held in Bombay (now Mumbai). The party was formed to obtain a greater share of government for educated Indians and advocate for political representation

Indian National Congress President List

The Indian National Congress was started by Allan Octavian Hume, Dadabhai Naoroji, and Dinshaw Edulji Wacha on 28 December 1885. This information is important for the UPSC Mains exam. The table below shows the different meetings of the Indian National Congress and who led each one, which is useful for the civil services exam. The Indian National Congress President List is given below.

Year	Location	President	Importance
1885	Bombay	W C Bonnerjee	1st session attended by 72 delegates
1886	Calcutta	Dadabhai Naoroji	National Congress and National Conference
1887	Madras	Syed Badruddin Tyabji	Appeal made to Muslims to join hands with other national leaders
1888	Allahabad	George Yule	First English president
1889	Bombay	Sir William Wedderburn	–
1890	Calcutta	Feroz Shah Mehta	–
1891	Nagpur	P. Ananda Charlu	–
1892	Allahabad	W C Bonnerjee	–
1893	Lahore	Dadabhai Naoroji	–
1894	Madras	Alfred Webb	–
1895	Poona	Surendranath Banerjee	–
1896	Calcutta	Rahimtullah M. Sayani	National song ‘Vande Mataram’ sung for the first time
1897	Amravati	C. Sankaran Nair	–
1898	Madras	Ananda Mohan Bose	–
1899	Lucknow	Romesh Chandra Dutt	–
1900	Lahore	N G Chandavarkar	–
1901	Calcutta	Dinshaw E. Wacha	–
1902	Ahmedabad	Surendranath Banerjee	–
1903	Madras	Lal Mohan Ghosh	–
1904	Bombay	Sir Henry Cotton	–
1905	Benares	Gopal Krishna Gokhale	Expressed resentment against the partition of Bengal
1906	Calcutta	Dadabhai Naoroji	The word ‘Swaraj’ was mentioned for the first time
1907	Surat	Rash Behari Ghosh	Party splits into extremists and moderates
1908	Madras	Rash Behari Ghosh	Previous session continued
1909	Lahore	Madan Mohan Malaviya	Indian Councils Act, 1909
1910	Allahabad	Sir William Wedderburn	–
1911	Calcutta	Bishan Narayan Dhar	‘Jana Gana Mana’ sung for the first time
1912	Bankipore (Patna)	Raghunath Narasinha Mudholkar	–
1913	Karachi	Syed Mohammed	–
1914	Madras	Bhupendra Nath Basu	–
1915	Bombay	Satyendra Prasanna Sinha	–
1916	Lucknow	Ambica Charan Mazumdar	Lucknow Pact – joint session with the Muslim League
1917	Calcutta	Annie Besant (1847 – 1933)	First woman president of the INC
1918	Bombay And Delhi	Syed Hasan Imam (Bombay) And Madan Mohan Malaviya (Delhi)	Two sessions were held. First in Bombay in August/September Second in Delhi in December
1919	Amritsar	Motilal Nehru	Jallianwala Bagh massacre strongly condemned
1920	Nagpur	C Vijayaraghavachariar	–
1921	Ahmedabad	Hakim Ajmal Khan (acting President For C R Das)	–
1922	Gaya	C R Das	–
1923	Kakinada	Maulana Mohammad Ali,	–
1924	Belgaum	M K Gandhi	–
1925	Kanpur	Sarojini Naidu (1879 – 1949)	First Indian woman president
1926	Guwahati	S Srinivasa Iyengar	–
1927	Madras	M A Ansari	–
1928	Calcutta	Motilal Nehru	All India Youth Congress formed
1929	Lahore	Jawaharlal Nehru	Resolution for ‘Poorna Swaraj.’ Civil Disobedience movement for complete independence to be launched, 26 January to be observed as ‘Independence Day’.
1930	No Session	–	–
1931	Karachi	Vallabhbhai Patel	Resolution on fundamental rights and national economic progress. Gandhi-Irwin pact endorsed. Gandhi nominated to represent INC in the second round table conference
1932	Delhi	Amrit Ranchhorddas Seth	–
1933	Calcutta	Malaviya Was Elected But Mrs Nellie Sengupta Presided	–
1934	Bombay	Rajendra Prasad	–
1937	Lucknow	Jawaharlal Nehru	–
1936	Faizpur	Jawaharlal Nehru	First rural session/first session to be held in a village
1938	Haripura	Subhas Chandra Bose	National planning committee set up under Nehru
1939	Tripuri	Subhas Chandra Bose	Bose was elected but had to resign since Gandhi supported Pattabhi Sitaramayya. Instead, Rajendra Prasad was appointed
1940	Ramgarh	Abul Kalam Azad	–
1941-45	–	–	No session because of arrest
1946	Meerut	Acharya Kripalani	The last session before the independence
1948	Jaipur	Pattabhi Sitaramayya	First session after independence
1950	Nashik	Purushottam Das Tandon	Resigned in 1951; Nehru became President
1951	Delhi	Jawaharlal Nehru	–
1953	Hyderabad	Jawaharlal Nehru	–
1954	Kalyani	Jawaharlal Nehru	–
1955	Avadi(madras)	U. N. Dhebar	–
1956	Amritsar	U. N. Dhebar	–
1958	Gauhati	U. N. Dhebar	–
1959	Nagpur	Indira Gandhi	–
1960	Bangalore	Neelam Sanjeeva Reddy	–
1961	Bhavnagar	Neelam Sanjeeva Reddy	–
1962	Bhubaneshwar	Damodaran Sanjvayya	–
1963	Patna	Damodaran Sanjvayya	–
1964	Bhubaneshwar	K. Kamaraj	–
1965	Durgapur	K. Kamaraj	–

First President of Indian National Congress

Womesh Chunder Bonnerjee was the first President of the Indian National Congress, serving during its inaugural session in 1885 in Bombay. A distinguished barrister, he laid the foundation for the INC as a platform for political expression and representation of Indian interests. Bonnerjee advocated constitutional methods for Indian participation in governance, setting the tone for subsequent leaders in the party. His presidency marked a crucial step in India’s political awakening and its journey toward self-governance. Along with the INC president in 1905 was Gopal Krishn Gokhle and the INC Session was held in Banaras.

Indian National Congress: 1920 Calcutta Session on Map

In 1920, the Indian National Congress session was held in two places. First was Nagpur and 2nd was Calcutta. In the Nagpur Session (1920), The Congress president was C. Vijayaraghavachariar and the Calcutta Session (1920) was Lala Lajpat Rai.