Indian nationalist movement underwent various phases. All these phases showed variations as per the intensity of the movement, agitation method and the people involved in it. In India, the first modern association was established in 1837. Named the Landholders’ Society, it was an association of the landlords of the Bengal Presidency.
This organisation was mainly interested in protecting the class interests of the landlords in Bengal, Bihar and Orissa. In 1843, an association named Bengal British India Society came into existence. Its interests had a rather generalised nature and its members were from among the educated classes. These two associations united in 1851 to form the British India Association.
Associations were formed on similar pattern in Bombay and Madras presidencies in 1852. They represented the interests of the landed gentry and sent petitions seeking changes in the charter of the East India Company when it was to be renewed in 1853.
Image Source : upload.wikimedia.org
ADVERTISEMENTS:
Numerous, other associations which were nationalist in character and sought to represent the interests of the Indian people as a whole were established subsequently. In 1866, for instance, East India Association was founded in London by Dadabhai Naoroji, Pherozeshah Mehta, Badruddin Tyabji and Manmohan Ghosh.
The major purpose of this organisation was to orient the policies of the colonial government towards the welfare of the Indian people by appealing to the British citizens. In 1870, Poona Sarvajanik Sabha was formed by M.G. Ranade, S.H. Chiplunkar and others in Bombay Presidency.
In 1876, the Indian Association was formed by the young nationalists in Bengal who were disenchanted by the policies and activities of the British India Association. Surendranath Banerjea and Anand Mohan Bose were their leaders. It sought to unite the Indian people and carried agitations against government policies harmful to the Indians.
ADVERTISEMENTS:
There were some other political associations that came into existence during this period. These included the Madras Mahajan Sabha in 1881, Bombay Presidency Association in 1885 and the Allahabad People’s Association. These associations gave rise to a political atmosphere which was suitable for the formation of an all-India nationalist political organisation.