British Indian Association
Encyclopedia
The British Indian Association was established on 31 October 1851. Its formation was a major event of 19th century India. Its establishment meant Indians had come together and could no longer be ignored. It developed enormous hopes amongst the Indians about their future.
The first committee of the association was composed of : Raja Radhakanta Deb – President, Raja Kalikrishna Deb – Vice-President, Debendranath Tagore
– secretary, Digambar Mitra
– Asst Secretary, members – Raja Staya Saran Ghosal, Harakumar Tagore, Prasanna Coomar Tagore
, Ramanath Tagore
, Jay Krishna Mukerjee, Asutosh Deb, Harimohan Sen, Ramgopal Ghosh
, Umesh Chandra Dutta (Rambagan), Krishna Kishore Ghosh, Jagadananda Mukhopadhyay, Peary Chand Mitra
, and Sambhunath Pandit
.
Most of the early leaders of the British Indian Association were conservatives by tradition and temperament, although there were some progressive like Ramgopal Ghosh and Peary Chand Mitra.
It was formed by the amalgamation of the Landholders’ Society and the Bengal British India Society.
and Bhabani Charan Mitra.
It has been described as “the first organisation of Bengal with distinct political object.” The society virtually became defunct after the death of Dwarkanath Tagore
.
. On his return to England he took up India’s cause. Others who were involved were George Thompson, William Ednis, and Major General Briggs. They organised meetings at various places and enlightened people about conditions in India. In 1841, it started publishing a newspaper named British Indian Advocate, edited by William Adam
In 1842, Dwarkanath Tagore, accompanied by Chandramohan Chatterjee and Paramananda Maitra, went to England. It was the second visit abroad by educated Indians and the first since that of Ram Mohan Roy. Dwarkanath Tagore returned from England with George Thomson. His oratory charmed everybody and drew in Young Bengal
members such as Ramgopal Ghosh, Tarachand Chakrabarti and Peary Chand Mitra.
As a result of the efforts of George Thompson the Bengal British India Society was founded on 20 April 1843. The object of the society was to secure the welfare, and advance the interests of all classes, but it would “adopt and recommend such measures only as are consistent with pure loyalty to the person and government of the reigning sovereign of the British dominions.”
Its first executive committee consisted of four Europeans and eleven Indians with George Thompson as President, GF Remfry and Ramgopal Ghosh as Vice-Presidents, Peary Chand Mitra as Secretary. The members on the committee were Tarachand Chakrabarti, Dakshinaranjan Mukherjee
, Brojonath Dhar, Krishna Mohan Banerjee
, Hari Mohan, Govind Chandra Sen, Chandra Sekhar Deb, Shyama Charan Sen and Satkari Datta. There were people like Ramtanu Lahiri
, also associated in some way.
In 1849, John Elliot Drinkwater Bethune
prepared drafts of certain legislative efforts aimed at bringing the British-born subjects of the crown under the jurisdiction of the British East India Company
, but the Europeans named these bills the Black Acts and opposed them tooth and nail. This opposition led Indians to think that their fortunes were not linked to those of the Europeans and that they needed associations of Indians to take care of their interests. Moreover, some changes were anticipated with the possible termination of the Company’s charter. Ramgopal Ghosh and Digamber Mitra played a particularly significant role in the formation of the British Indian Society.
During the early years the activities of the association consisted mainly of submissions of petitions to the Government and to the British Parliament on grievances There was an inherent trust in the good intentions of the rulers. The association sought to take up issues on behalf of all sections of society but occasionally it made conscious efforts to protect the right of the landed aristocracy. Despite its shortcomings, it was the only association of Indians which took up their causes and represented to the government.
From the very beginning, the British Indian Association had an all-India outlook. Associations were formed in different parts of the country and they maintained correspondence with each other. Its first annual report noted with satisfaction the formation at Poona, Madras and Bombay successively of associations of similar nature, “though they elected to carry on operations independently.” In Lucknow, Dakshinaranjan Mukherjee established the Awadh British Indian Association in 1871 and campaigned for the formation of a provincial government with equal number of nominated and elected legislators.
Bipin Chandra Pal
complained that it had failed to cover the country with a network of branches.
However, the British Indian Association played a catalytic role in building up political consciousness in India and more effective organisations followed. The The Indian Association was formed in 1876, and the Indian National Congress
in 1885.
The first committee of the association was composed of : Raja Radhakanta Deb – President, Raja Kalikrishna Deb – Vice-President, Debendranath Tagore
Debendranath Tagore
Debendranath Tagore was one of the founders in 1848 of the Brahmo Religion which today is synonymous with Brahmoism the youngest religion of India and Bangladesh....
– secretary, Digambar Mitra
Digambar Mitra
Raja Digambar Mitra was one of the leading Derozians and first Bengali Sheriff of Kolkata.The son of Shib Chandra Mitra of Konnagar in Hooghly district, he was educated at Hare School and Hindu College and was one of the leading disciples of Henry Louis Vivian Derozio.He worked as teacher, clerk,...
– Asst Secretary, members – Raja Staya Saran Ghosal, Harakumar Tagore, Prasanna Coomar Tagore
Prasanna Coomar Tagore
See Tagore for disambiguationPrasanna Coomar Tagore was son of Gopi Mohan Tagore, one of the founders of Hindu College. He belonged to the Pathuriaghata branch of the Tagore family and was one of the leaders of the conservative branch of Hindu society...
, Ramanath Tagore
Ramanath Tagore
See Tagore for disambiguationRamanath Tagore was one of the leading social figures in 19th century Kolkata . The son of Rammani Tagore of the Jorasanko branch of the Tagore family, he was younger brother of Dwarkanath Tagore and a cousin of Prasanna Coomar Tagore...
, Jay Krishna Mukerjee, Asutosh Deb, Harimohan Sen, Ramgopal Ghosh
Ramgopal Ghosh
Ramgopal Ghosh was an Indian businessman, social reformer, orator and one of the leaders of the Young Bengal group. He was called the Indian Demosthenes. Ghosh was one of the persons who helped John Elliot Drinkwater Bethune to establish his girls school.-Early life:The family hailed from Bagati,...
, Umesh Chandra Dutta (Rambagan), Krishna Kishore Ghosh, Jagadananda Mukhopadhyay, Peary Chand Mitra
Peary Chand Mitra
Peary Chand Mitra , was an Indian writer, journalist and a member of Derozio’s Young Bengal group, who played a leading role in the Bengal renaissance with the introduction of simple Bengali prose...
, and Sambhunath Pandit
Sambhunath Pandit
Sambhunath Pandit was the first Indian to become judge of Calcutta High Court in 1863. He served in that position from 1863-1867. One of the leading personalities of Kolkata in his age, he had contributed in many ways to the development of legal systems and enrichment of social life. Son of...
.
Most of the early leaders of the British Indian Association were conservatives by tradition and temperament, although there were some progressive like Ramgopal Ghosh and Peary Chand Mitra.
It was formed by the amalgamation of the Landholders’ Society and the Bengal British India Society.
Landholders’ Society
The Zamindari Association, which was later renamed Landholders’ Society, was established in 1831 by Dwarkanath Tagore, Prasanna Kumar Tagore, Radhakanta Deb, Ramkamal SenRamkamal Sen
Ramkamal Sen was the Diwan of the Treasury, Treasurer of the Bank of Bengal and Secretary of the Asiatic Society, Calcutta.-Childhood:Born at Gariffa village on the banks of the Hooghly River, he proceeded to Kolkata in 1791 for his education...
and Bhabani Charan Mitra.
It has been described as “the first organisation of Bengal with distinct political object.” The society virtually became defunct after the death of Dwarkanath Tagore
Dwarkanath Tagore
Dwarkanath Tagore , was one of the first Indian industrialists and entrepreneurs, was the founder of the Jorasanko branch of the Tagore family, and is notable for making substantial contributions to the Bengal Renaissance.-Childhood:...
.
British India Society
The British India Society was set up in 1839 in England primarily as a result of the efforts of William Adam, who had come to India and befriended Ram Mohan RoyRam Mohan Roy
Raja Ram Mohan Roy was an Indian religious, social, and educational reformer who challenged traditional Hindu culture and indicated the lines of progress for Indian society under British rule. He is sometimes called the father of modern India...
. On his return to England he took up India’s cause. Others who were involved were George Thompson, William Ednis, and Major General Briggs. They organised meetings at various places and enlightened people about conditions in India. In 1841, it started publishing a newspaper named British Indian Advocate, edited by William Adam
In 1842, Dwarkanath Tagore, accompanied by Chandramohan Chatterjee and Paramananda Maitra, went to England. It was the second visit abroad by educated Indians and the first since that of Ram Mohan Roy. Dwarkanath Tagore returned from England with George Thomson. His oratory charmed everybody and drew in Young Bengal
Young Bengal
The Young Bengal movement was a group of radical Bengali free thinkers emerging from Hindu College, Calcutta in the early 19th century. They were also known as Derozians, after their firebrand teacher at Hindu College, Henry Louis Vivian Derozio....
members such as Ramgopal Ghosh, Tarachand Chakrabarti and Peary Chand Mitra.
As a result of the efforts of George Thompson the Bengal British India Society was founded on 20 April 1843. The object of the society was to secure the welfare, and advance the interests of all classes, but it would “adopt and recommend such measures only as are consistent with pure loyalty to the person and government of the reigning sovereign of the British dominions.”
Its first executive committee consisted of four Europeans and eleven Indians with George Thompson as President, GF Remfry and Ramgopal Ghosh as Vice-Presidents, Peary Chand Mitra as Secretary. The members on the committee were Tarachand Chakrabarti, Dakshinaranjan Mukherjee
Dakshinaranjan Mukherjee
Raja Dakshinaranjan Mukherjee Taluqdar of the formerly confiscated taluq of Shankarpur in the United Provinces was one of the leaders of the Young Bengal group in 19th-century India...
, Brojonath Dhar, Krishna Mohan Banerjee
Krishna Mohan Banerjee
Krishna Mohan Banerjee was a prominent member of Henry Louis Vivian Derozio’s Young Bengal group, educationist, linguist and Christian missionary.-Early life:...
, Hari Mohan, Govind Chandra Sen, Chandra Sekhar Deb, Shyama Charan Sen and Satkari Datta. There were people like Ramtanu Lahiri
Ramtanu Lahiri
Ramtanu Lahiri was a Young Bengal leader, a renowned teacher and a social reformer. Peary Chand Mitra wrote about him, “There are few persons in whom the milk of kindness flows so abundantly...
, also associated in some way.
In 1849, John Elliot Drinkwater Bethune
John Elliot Drinkwater Bethune
John Elliot Drinkwater Bethune , previously John Elliot Drinkwater, a barrister and law member of the Governor-General's Council, was an Anglo-Indian lawyer and a pioneer in promoting women's education in 19th-century India....
prepared drafts of certain legislative efforts aimed at bringing the British-born subjects of the crown under the jurisdiction of the British East India Company
British East India Company
The East India Company was an early English joint-stock company that was formed initially for pursuing trade with the East Indies, but that ended up trading mainly with the Indian subcontinent and China...
, but the Europeans named these bills the Black Acts and opposed them tooth and nail. This opposition led Indians to think that their fortunes were not linked to those of the Europeans and that they needed associations of Indians to take care of their interests. Moreover, some changes were anticipated with the possible termination of the Company’s charter. Ramgopal Ghosh and Digamber Mitra played a particularly significant role in the formation of the British Indian Society.
Objectives and extent of British Indian Association
The object of the Association was ‘to secure improvements in the local administration of the country and in the system of government laid down by Parliament’.During the early years the activities of the association consisted mainly of submissions of petitions to the Government and to the British Parliament on grievances There was an inherent trust in the good intentions of the rulers. The association sought to take up issues on behalf of all sections of society but occasionally it made conscious efforts to protect the right of the landed aristocracy. Despite its shortcomings, it was the only association of Indians which took up their causes and represented to the government.
From the very beginning, the British Indian Association had an all-India outlook. Associations were formed in different parts of the country and they maintained correspondence with each other. Its first annual report noted with satisfaction the formation at Poona, Madras and Bombay successively of associations of similar nature, “though they elected to carry on operations independently.” In Lucknow, Dakshinaranjan Mukherjee established the Awadh British Indian Association in 1871 and campaigned for the formation of a provincial government with equal number of nominated and elected legislators.
Criticism
The British Indian Association has been roundly criticised by subsequent political stalwarts. Ambika Charan Mazumdar, a Congress President, wrote: “Constructive policy they had none and seldom, if ever, they laid down any programme of systematic action for the political advancement of the country.”Bipin Chandra Pal
Bipin Chandra Pal
Bipin Chandra Pal was an Indian nationalist. He was among the triumvirate of Lal Bal Pal.-Early life and background:...
complained that it had failed to cover the country with a network of branches.
However, the British Indian Association played a catalytic role in building up political consciousness in India and more effective organisations followed. The The Indian Association was formed in 1876, and the Indian National Congress
Indian National Congress
The Indian National Congress is one of the two major political parties in India, the other being the Bharatiya Janata Party. It is the largest and one of the oldest democratic political parties in the world. The party's modern liberal platform is largely considered center-left in the Indian...
in 1885.