Consider the following pairs:
Contents12
Consider the following pairs:
| Person | Association | |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Radhakanta Deb | First President of the British Indian Association |
| 2. | Gazulu Lakshminarasu Chetty | Founder of the Madras Mahajana Sabha |
| 3. | Surendranath Banerjee | Founder of the Indian Association |
Which of the above pairs is/are correctly matched?
- A1 only
- B1 and 3 only
- C2 and 3 only
- D1, 2 and 3
Show answer
Answer: (B) 1 and 3 only
Pair 1 is correctly matched:
Raja Radhakanta Deb was indeed the first President of the British Indian Association, which was established on 31 October 1851 in Calcutta.
Other founding members included:
- Raja Kalikrishna Deb (Vice-President)
- Debendranath Tagore (Secretary)
- Digambar Mitra (Assistant Secretary).
The association was one of the earliest political organizations in British India.
Pair 2 is incorrectly matched:
Gazulu Lakshminarasu Chetty was an Indian merchant and political activist, but he founded the Madras NATIVE Association (in 1852), NOT the Madras Mahajana Sabha.
The Madras Mahajana Sabha was established much later in May 1884 by:
- M. Veeraraghavachariar
- G. Subramania Iyer
- P. Anandacharlu.
This is a classic UPSC trap — the names 'Madras Native Association' and 'Madras Mahajana Sabha' sound similar and both are Madras-based, which makes students confuse the two.
Pair 3 is correctly matched:
Surendranath Banerjee, along with Anand Mohan Bose, founded the Indian Association in 1876 in Calcutta.
It was the first declared nationalist organization in British India and played a key role in the early national movement.
So only Pairs 1 and 3 are correctly matched.
(Source: NCERT Class 8, The Making of the National Movement: 1870s-1947)
The British Indian Association (1851), Indian Association (1876), and Madras Mahajana Sabha (1884) were the three most important political organizations before the Indian National Congress was founded in 1885.
UPSC created a trap by using similar-sounding Madras organizations - Gazulu Lakshminarasu Chetty founded the Madras Native Association in 1852, not the Madras Mahajana Sabha which came 32 years later in 1884.
Students must memorize the exact founder-organization pairs for early political associations, as UPSC frequently tests these specific historical connections with deliberate name confusions.
British Indian Association (1851)
Modern Indian History Radhakanta Deb British Indian Association First President
British Indian Association (1851): First Major Political Body
Established on 31 October 1851 in Calcutta
Raja Radhakanta Deb was the first President
One of the earliest political organizations in British India
Merged British India Society and Bengal British India Society
The British Indian Association was formed by merging two existing organizations and became the first major political body in British India. It represented the interests of educated Indians and zamindars.
Key Office Bearers (1851)
Position | Name | Significance |
|---|---|---|
President | Raja Radhakanta Deb | First President, prominent zamindar |
Vice-President | Raja Kalikrishna Deb | Co-founder |
Secretary | Debendranath Tagore | Father of Rabindranath Tagore |
Assistant Secretary | Digambar Mitra | Legal expert |
Historical Significance
First organized political platform for Indian grievances
Represented both zamindars and educated middle class
Submitted petitions to British Parliament on Indian issues
Paved the way for later organizations like Indian Association
Don't confuse with Indian Association (1876) - different organization, different founder
Radhakanta Deb was President, not founder - the association was formed by merger
Established in 1851, not 1850 or 1852
Madras Political Organizations
Modern Indian History Gazulu Lakshminarasu Chetty Madras Mahajana Sabha Madras Native Association
Madras Native Association vs Madras Mahajana Sabha: UPSC's Favorite Trap
Gazulu Lakshminarasu Chetty founded Madras Native Association (1852)
Madras Mahajana Sabha founded in May 1884 by different people
Both are Madras-based but 32 years apart
UPSC frequently tests the confusion between these two Madras-based organizations. The similar names and same city make students mix them up, but they were founded decades apart by different people.
Key Differences
Organization | Founded | Founder(s) | Significance |
|---|---|---|---|
Madras Native Association | 1852 | Gazulu Lakshminarasu Chetty | First political body in South India |
Madras Mahajana Sabha | May 1884 | M. Veeraraghavachariar, G. Subramania Iyer, P. Anandacharlu | Pre-Congress nationalist organization |
About Gazulu Lakshminarasu Chetty
Prominent Indian merchant and political activist
Established Madras Native Association to voice Indian grievances
One of the earliest political leaders in South India
His association preceded the Mahajana Sabha by over 3 decades
Trap Alert: Chetty founded Native Association (1852), NOT Mahajana Sabha (1884)
Don't fall for the Madras connection - both organizations are from same city but different eras
32-year gap between the two organizations - Native Association came first
Indian Association (1876)
Modern Indian History Surendranath Banerjee Indian Association Founder
Indian Association (1876): First Declared Nationalist Organization
Founded in 1876 by Surendranath Banerjee and Anand Mohan Bose
First declared nationalist organization in British India
Based in Calcutta, played key role in early national movement
Organized All India National Conference in 1883
The Indian Association marked a shift from earlier organizations by openly declaring nationalist goals. Unlike previous bodies that focused on specific grievances, it aimed at creating all-India political consciousness.
Key Activities & Achievements
Organized All India National Conference in 1883 and 1885
Campaigned against age limit reduction for ICS examination
Established branches across India to create pan-Indian network
Merged with Indian National Congress in 1886
Advocated for simultaneous ICS exams in India and England
Surendranath Banerjee's Role
Called 'Indian Burke' for his oratory skills
Founded the association after being dismissed from ICS
Later became President of Indian National Congress twice
His newspaper 'The Bengalee' spread nationalist ideas
Surendranath Banerjee was founder, not just member - often tested
Founded in 1876, not 1875 or 1877
Co-founder Anand Mohan Bose also important - don't ignore
First nationalist organization - distinguish from earlier reform-focused bodies
Early Political Associations Timeline
Modern Indian History
Chronology of Early Political Organizations (1838-1885)
1838-1885: Era of regional political associations before Congress
Evolved from petition politics to organized nationalism
Bengal led the way, followed by Bombay and Madras
The period before Indian National Congress saw emergence of regional political bodies that gradually developed nationalist consciousness. These organizations laid the foundation for the organized national movement.
Major Early Associations
Year | Organization | Place | Key Founder(s) | Significance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1838 | Landholders' Society | Calcutta | Dwarkanath Tagore | First political association |
1851 | British Indian Association | Calcutta | Radhakanta Deb | Merger of earlier societies |
1852 | Madras Native Association | Madras | Gazulu Lakshminarasu Chetty | First in South India |
1867 | East India Association | London | Dadabhai Naoroji | First Indian body in Britain |
1876 | Indian Association | Calcutta | Surendranath Banerjee | First nationalist organization |
1884 | Madras Mahajana Sabha | Madras | M. Veeraraghavachariar | Pre-Congress South Indian body |
Evolution of Political Consciousness
%%{init: {"flowchart": {"wrappingWidth": 460}}}%%
flowchart TD
s1["`****Petition Politics** (1838-1850)**
Individual petitions, loyal appeals to British`"]
s2["`****Organized Associations** (1851-1875)**
Collective representation, specific grievances`"]
s3["`****Nationalist Phase** (1876-1885)**
All-India consciousness, political rights demands`"]
s4["`****Congress Formation** (1885)**
Unified national platform established`"]
s1 --> s2
s2 --> s3
s3 --> s4Chronology traps: 1851 (BIA) → 1852 (Madras Native) → 1876 (Indian Association) → 1884 (Mahajana Sabha)
Don't mix Madras Native Association (1852) with Mahajana Sabha (1884)
East India Association was in London, not India