Indian National Congress: Origin, Aims and Objectives (1884-1914)

The study on Indian National Congress : Origin, Aims and Objectives, 1884-1914, covers the socio political and constitutional developments in the annals of our sub-continent. The year 1885 is indeed historic in the sense that the foundation of a prominent political party, the Indian National Congress, became a glaring phenomenon. With moderate political demands at is commencement, it began to ask for constitutional demands with the passage of time. In fact the forum was the Congress session, an annual feature, convened after every year in a major town with attendance of prominent leaders including advocates, doctors, educationists and others. This period thus witnessed the historic resolutions of the Congress which became a prominent base for it with the emergence of Mahatma Gandhi in the second year of the First Global War. This period is also significant on account of the Viceroyalty of Lord Curzon, 1899-1905 and the Minto-Morley reforms. Besides the foundation of the Muslim League was laid during this period. The volume covers sixteen chapters with a comprehensive index at its end. A meaningful historical background forms the commencement of the volume. It covers several significant aspects of the period, viz., Congress and its political ideology at the time of its foundation, the role of Muslim League and the speeches of prominent Muslim leaders of the time, Muslim thought and politics, the Act of 1892 and its implications, Curzon’s policy, the partition of Bengal and the reaction of eminent leaders and the people, the analysis of Morley-Minto reforms, 1909 and its aftermath, the role of Surendranath Banerjee and the social objectives in the long-drawn struggle initiate by prominent leaders, role of Lal Lajpat Rai, as an orator, public leader and parliamentarian. The whole theme has been well-weaved by narrating the historic events of the period which has witnessed the administration of half-a-dozen of Viceroys for thirty years in Indian sub-continent.