The inaugural session of the Indian National Congress (INC) in 1885 marked a defining turning point in modern Indian history, transitioning sporadic regional political assertions into a structured, pan-Indian nationalist movement. Initiated by retired British Civil Servant Allan Octavian Hume, the session laid the institutional foundation for organized anti-colonial resistance and early constitutional agitations.
Core Organizational Facts
Background and Venue Realignment
The initial plan structured the inaugural meeting under the banner of the “Indian National Union” to take place in Poona (now Pune). However, a severe outbreak of cholera in Poona forced the organizers to shift the venue to Bombay (now Mumbai) at the last moment.
Foundational Timeline and Session Logistics
- Date of Event: December 28 to December 31, 1885.
- Exact Location: Hall of Gokuldas Tejpal Sanskrit College, Bombay.
- President: Womesh Chunder (W.C.) Bonnerjee, a prominent standing lawyer from Calcutta.
- General Secretary: Allan Octavian Hume (who subsequently retained control over organizational coordination).
- Viceroy of India: Lord Dufferin (governing from 1884 to 1888).
Delegate Demographics and Participation Profiling
The session brought together exactly 72 political workers, social reformers, journalists, and legal professionals from across the British Indian provinces.
Regional Distribution of the 72 Delegates
- Bombay Presidency: 38 delegates
- Madras Presidency: 21 delegates
- Bengal Presidency: 3 delegates
- North-West Provinces and Awadh: 7 delegates
- Punjab Province: 3 delegates
Socio-Professional Composition and Exclusions
- Dominant Professions: Legal experts (lawyers), journalists, and Western-educated intelligentsia dominated the assembly.
- Notable Leaders Present: Dadabhai Naoroji, Pherozeshah Mehta, Badruddin Tyabji, K.T. Telang, Dinshaw Edulji Wacha, G. Subramania Aiyar, P. Ananda Charlu, and Mahadev Govind Ranade.
- Key Absences: Surendranath Banerjee and Ananda Mohan Bose missed this historic meet because they were simultaneously leading the Second National Conference of the Indian Association at Calcutta.
- Gender Demographics: No women participated in the inaugural 1885 session.
Primary Aims and Objectives Outlined
President W.C. Bonnerjee structured the primary organizational mandates during his inaugural speech, defining the Moderate phase’s early objectives:
National Consolidation and Inclusivity
- Promoting personal intimacy and brotherly relations among all individuals working for the national cause.
- Eradicating all possible provincial, racial, and creed-based prejudices to foster a unified sentiment of national unity.
Documentation of Grievances
- Recording and consolidating the mature opinions of educated Indians on top-priority administrative and socio-political issues.
- Outlining the methods and directions through which political associations in India should work for the public interest.
Official Resolutions Passed during the Session
The 72 delegates debated and successfully adopted nine core resolutions, laying down the fundamental political and economic demands of the early nationalists.
| Resolution Core Domain | Specific Demand Formulated by the Congress |
| Administrative Inquiry | Appointment of a Royal Commission to investigate the working of the Indian Administration. |
| Imperial Governance | Total abolition of the Indian Council of the Secretary of State for India in London. |
| Legislative Expansion | Reform and expansion of the Central and Provincial Legislative Councils; introduction of elected members. |
| Civil Services Reform | Simultaneous conduction of the Indian Civil Services (ICS) exams in England and India; raising the maximum age limit. |
| Fiscal / Defense Expenditure | Drastic reduction in military expenditure; allocation of saved revenue to development and education. |
| Taxation Policy | Strong opposition to the imposition of license taxes and the proposed annexation of Upper Burma. |
Historiographical Debates: The “Safety Valve” Theory
The origin of the Congress remains tied to a famous ideological debate within Modern Indian Historiography regarding A.O. Hume’s exact motivations.
The Traditional Safety Valve Propoundment
Early nationalist leaders like Lala Lajpat Rai (in his work Young India, 1916) and Marxist historians like Rajani Palme Dutt asserted that Lord Dufferin and A.O. Hume created the INC to act as a “safety valve.” The intended goal was to provide a safe, constitutional outlet for accumulating political discontent among educated Indians, thereby preventing another mass uprising like the Revolt of 1857.
The Modern “Lightning Conductor” Counter-Argument
Modern historians, notably Bipan Chandra, rejected the safety valve theory. They argued that early nationalist leaders utilized A.O. Hume as a “lightning conductor.” By putting a retired British official at the forefront, the early organizers sought to isolate the nascent national movement from immediate, heavy-handed official suppression by the colonial state.
Core Institutional Trivia for Prelims
- Original Nomenclature: The political body was initially conceptualized as the “Indian National Union.” At the suggestion of Dadabhai Naoroji, the name was permanently changed to the “Indian National Congress,” adopting the American term ‘Congress’ to signify an assembly of the people.
- The First Voice: G. Subramania Aiyar, the editor of The Hindu newspaper, had the distinction of moving the very first formal resolution passed by the Indian National Congress.
- Microscopic Minority: Lord Dufferin initially tolerated the formation but quickly grew hostile, eventually dismissing the organization as representing merely a “microscopic minority” of the Indian population.