Indian National Congress | History, Ideology, & Facts

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border-right-sm border-left-sm open"> <div class="drawer d-flex flex-column open"> <div class="left-rail-section-content"> <div class="topic-left-rail-header text-truncate bg-gray-50 position-relative text-right d-flex align-items-center"> <div class="tlr-title px-20 py-15 text-left"> <em class="material-icons text-gray-400 d-lg-none" data-icon="toc"></em> <a class="font-serif font-weight-bold text-black link-blue" href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Indian-National-Congress">Indian National Congress</a> </div> <button aria-label="Close" class="js-sections-close-button btn-link btn-sm btn d-lg-none position-absolute top-0 p-10 right-0" > <em class="material-icons font-26" data-icon="close"></em> </button> </div> <div class="section-content pl-10 pr-20 pl-sm-50 pr-sm-60 pl-lg-5 pr-lg-10 pt-10 pt-lg-0 bg-gray-50 clear-catfish-ad"> <div class="toc mb-20"> <div class="font-serif font-14 font-weight-bold mx-15 mb-15 mt-20"> Table of Contents </div> <ul class="list-unstyled my-0" data-level="h1"><li data-target="#ref1"><div class="pl-25"><a class="link-gray-900 w-100" href="/topic/Indian-National-Congress">Introduction & Top Questions</a></div><div class="ml-40 toc-drawer sub-toc-drawer"></div></li><li data-target="#ref232138"><div class="d-flex align-items-center"><button class="h1-link-drawer-button btn btn-xs btn-circle d-flex rounded" type="button" aria-label="Toggle Heading"><em class="material-icons font-18" data-icon="keyboard_arrow_right"></em></button><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/topic/Indian-National-Congress#ref232138">History</a></div><div class="ml-40 toc-drawer sub-toc-drawer"><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref232139"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/topic/Indian-National-Congress#ref232139">The pre-independence period</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref232140"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/topic/Indian-National-Congress#ref232140">Postindependence dominance of the Nehru clan</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref332432"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/topic/Indian-National-Congress/The-party-since-1991">The party since 1991</a></li></ul><ul class="list-unstyled" data-level="h2"><li data-target="#ref332433"><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/topic/Indian-National-Congress/The-party-since-1991#ref332433">State politics</a></li></ul></div></li><li data-target="#ref232141"><div class="d-flex align-items-center"><div class="ml-25"></div><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="/topic/Indian-National-Congress/Policy-and-structure">Policy and structure</a></div><div class="ml-40 toc-drawer sub-toc-drawer"></div></li></ul> <a class="toc-extra-link link-gray-900" href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Indian-National-Congress/additional-info">References & Edit History</a> <a class="toc-extra-link link-gray-900" href="/facts/Indian-National-Congress">Quick Facts & Related Topics</a> </div> <div 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class="media-overlay-link d-inline-block mr-5"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/18/128318-004-680F50F9/Jawaharlal-Nehru-Indian-Pres-Indira-visit-start-October-1949.jpg" alt="Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi, and Harry S. Truman" height="50" /> </a> <a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/41/115041-050-DBE9AA63/Rajiv-Gandhi-1985.jpg" data-href="/media/1/285841/110746" class="media-overlay-link d-inline-block mr-5"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/41/115041-004-9605F883/Rajiv-Gandhi-1985.jpg" alt="Rajiv Gandhi" height="50" /> </a> <a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/35/138935-050-24CDE2F6/Sonia-Gandhi-New-Delhi-Hillary-Rodham-Clinton-2009.jpg" data-href="/media/1/285841/205245" class="media-overlay-link d-inline-block mr-5"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/35/138935-004-D59D1E91/Sonia-Gandhi-New-Delhi-Hillary-Rodham-Clinton-2009.jpg" alt="Gandhi, Sonia; Clinton, Hillary Rodham; Singh, Karan; Gandhi, Rahul" height="50" /> </a> <a href="" data-href="/media/1/285841/303222" class="media-overlay-link d-inline-block mr-5"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/39/255739-049-C627D566/india-lok-sabha-lower-house-of-india-parliment-election-results-by-political-party.jpg" alt="2014 and 2019 Lok Sabha election results" height="50" /> </a> </div> <button disabled class="prev-button js-prev-button position-absolute btn btn-circle shadow btn-blue " aria-label="Previous"> <span class="material-icons md-24" data-icon="keyboard_arrow_left"></span> </button> <button disabled class="next-button js-next-button position-absolute btn btn-circle shadow btn-blue " aria-label="Next"> <span class="material-icons md-24" data-icon="keyboard_arrow_right"></span> </button> </div> </div> <div class="mb-30 tlr-student-links"> <div class="text-gray-900 p-5 font-serif font-14 font-weight-bold mx-10 mb-10"> For Students </div> <div class="imagelink-with-image-on-the-side card card-horizontal tlr-img-with-side-link ml-15 link-gray-900 mb-10" > <div class="position-relative card-media" style="flex: 0;"> <a class="ilf-image position-relative" href="/summary/Indian-National-Congress"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/mendel-resources/3-130/images/shared/default3.png?v=3.130.14" class="default " height="200" width="200"/> </a> </div> <div class="card-body ilf-content"> <a class="font-weight-semi-bold d-block mb-5 font-16 ilf-title" href="/summary/Indian-National-Congress" >Indian National Congress summary</a> </div> </div> </div> <div class="mb-30 tlr-related-questions"> <div class="text-gray-900 p-5 pb-0 font-serif font-14 font-weight-bold mx-10 mb-15"> Related Questions </div> <ul> <li class="link-gray-900 mb-15"><a class="" href="/question/What-role-did-the-Indian-National-Congress-play-in-the-Indian-independence-movement">What role did the Indian National Congress play in the Indian independence movement?</a> </li> <li class="link-gray-900 mb-15"><a class="" href="/question/What-policies-have-historically-been-supported-by-the-Indian-National-Congress">What policies have historically been supported by the Indian National Congress?</a> </li> <li class="link-gray-900 mb-15"><a class="" href="/question/Is-the-Indian-National-Congresss-Gandhi-family-related-to-Mahatma-Gandhi">Is the Indian National Congress’s Gandhi family related to Mahatma Gandhi?</a> </li> <li class="link-gray-900 mb-15"><a class="" href="/question/What-did-Mohammed-Ali-Jinnah-study">What did Mohammed Ali Jinnah study?</a> </li> <li class="link-gray-900 mb-15"><a class="" href="/question/What-is-Jawaharlal-Nehru-known-for">What is Jawaharlal Nehru known for?</a> </li> </ul> </div> <div class="mb-30 tlr-read-next"> <div class="text-gray-900 p-5 font-serif font-14 font-weight-bold mx-10 mb-10"> Read Next </div> <div class="imagelink-with-image-on-the-side card card-horizontal tlr-img-with-side-link ml-15 link-gray-900 mb-10" > <div class="position-relative card-media" style="flex: 0;"> <a class="ilf-image position-relative" href="/list/8-of-historys-most-famous-vegetarians"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/17/196817-131-D8307FFA/vegetables.jpg?w=200&h=200&c=crop" alt="Fresh vegetables, carrots, cabbage, broccoli, peppers, tomato, squash" width="200" height="200" /> </a> </div> <div class="card-body ilf-content"> <a class="font-weight-semi-bold d-block mb-5 font-16 ilf-title" href="/list/8-of-historys-most-famous-vegetarians" >8 of History’s Most Famous Vegetarians</a> </div> </div> <div class="imagelink-with-image-on-the-side card card-horizontal tlr-img-with-side-link ml-15 link-gray-900 mb-10" > <div class="position-relative card-media" style="flex: 0;"> <a class="ilf-image position-relative" href="/story/9-infamous-assassins-and-the-world-leaders-they-dispatched"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/38/114738-131-1EC2D535/assassination-Pres-John-Wilkes-Booth-Abraham-Lincoln-April-14-1865.jpg?w=200&h=200&c=crop" alt="The assassination of President Abraham Lincoln at Ford's Theatre, Washington, D.C., April 14th, 1865; 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Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). </div> <div class="type-menu"> <label for="feedback-type" class="label mb-10">Feedback Type</label> <select id="feedback-type" class="form-select mb-30" name="feedbackTypeId" required> <option value="" selected="selected">Select a type (Required)</option> <option value="1">Factual Correction</option> <option value="2">Spelling/Grammar Correction</option> <option value="3">Link Correction</option> <option value="4">Additional Information</option> <option value="5">Other</option> </select> </div> <label for="feedback" class="label mb-10">Your Feedback</label> <textarea id="feedback" class="form-control mb-30" name="feedback" maxlength="3000" rows="7" required></textarea> <button class="btn btn-blue" type="submit">Submit Feedback</button> </form> <div class="success-messaging d-none mt-30"> <div class="title">Thank you for your feedback</div> <p>Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.</p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="md-websites-modal size-lg d-none"> <div class="md-modal-body"> <div class="h2 font-serif pb-15 border-bottom font-weight-bold"> External Websites </div> <div class="pb-20"> <ul class="list-unstyled mt-20 lh-lg"> <li><a class="external" href="https://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/india/congress.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener ">GlobalSecurity.org - The Congress Party</a></li> <li><a class="external" href="https://www.mapsofindia.com/on-this-day/28th-december-1885-the-indian-national-congress-was-founded" target="_blank" rel="noopener ">MapsofIndia.com - 28th December 1885: The Indian National Congress was founded</a></li> <li><a class="external" href="https://www.indianetzone.com/20/indian_national_congress.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow">IndiaNetzone - Indian National Congress</a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="toc-header-marker"></div> <button class="ai-ask-button btn border-2 js-header-ai-ask-button d-none btn-sm btn-outline-red-400 border-red-400 mr-0 mr-lg-10 ml-5 ml-sm-10 ml-lg-0 p-10"> Ask the Chatbot a Question </button> <div class="caption alternate-titles">Also known as: All-India Congress Party, Congress (I) Party, Congress Party, Indian National Congress-Indira</div> <div class="md-byline module-spacing "> <div class="font-serif font-12"> <span class="written-by text-gray-700"> Written and fact-checked by </span> <div class="editor-popover popover p-0"> <a class="d-block p-20 gtm-byline font-12 byline-contributor" href="/editor/The-Editors-of-Encyclopaedia-Britannica/4419" > <div class="editor-title font-16 font-weight-bold">The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica</div> <div class="editor-description font-12 font-serif mt-5 text-black">Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors.</div> </a> <div data-popper-arrow></div> </div> <span class="btn btn-link editor-link p-0 qa-byline-link gtm-byline font-12 byline-contributor text-decoration-underline"> The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica</span></div> <div class="last-updated font-12 font-serif"> <span class="text-gray-700"> Last Updated: <time datetime="2024-11-23T00:00:00CST" >Nov 23, 2024</time> •</span> <a class="byline-edit-history" href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Indian-National-Congress/additional-info#history" rel="nofollow">Article History</a> </div></div> </div> <button class="d-flex d-lg-none btn btn-outline-blue border rounded-sm shadow-sm mobile-toc-button gtm-mobile-toc-inline-button d-none d-sm-block js-sections-inline-button module-spacing btn d-lg-none"> <em class="material-icons mr-5 ml-n10 my-n5 md-icon" data-icon="toc"></em> Table of Contents </button> <div class="d-flex d-sm-none flex-row"> <button class="d-flex d-lg-none btn btn-outline-blue border rounded-sm shadow-sm mobile-toc-button gtm-mobile-toc-inline-button js-sections-inline-button module-spacing"> <em class="material-icons mr-5 ml-n10 my-n5 md-icon" data-icon="toc"></em> Table of Contents </button> <button class="ai-ask-button btn border-2 ai-ask-button btn border-2 module-spacing btn-sm js-inline-ai-ask-button btn-outline-red-400 border-red-400 p-10 ml-5"> Ask the Chatbot a Question </button> </div> <div class="js-qf-module qf-module px-40 px-sm-20 py-15 mx-auto module-spacing font-14 bg-gray-50 rounded"> <div class="qf-title font-weight-bold font-14 mb-10 text-center"> Quick Facts</div> <div class="facts-list mt-10"> <div class=""> <div class="js-fact mb-10 line-clamp clamp-3"> <dl> <dt>Byname: </dt> <dd>Congress Party</dd> </dl> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-gray-50" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <em class="js-content link-blue">(Show more)</em> </button> </div> </div> <div class=""> <div class="js-fact mb-10 line-clamp clamp-3"> <dl> <dt>Date: </dt> <dd>1885 - present</dd> </dl> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-gray-50" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <em class="js-content link-blue">(Show more)</em> </button> </div> </div> <div class=""> <div class="js-fact mb-10 line-clamp clamp-3"> <dl> <dt>Areas Of Involvement: </dt> <dd><a href="/topic/national-liberation-movement">national liberation movement</a></dd> </dl> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-gray-50" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <em class="js-content link-blue">(Show more)</em> </button> </div> </div> <div class=""> <div class="js-fact mb-10 line-clamp clamp-3"> <dl> <dt>Related People: </dt> <dd><a href="/biography/Mahatma-Gandhi">Mahatma Gandhi</a></dd> <dd><a href="/biography/Jawaharlal-Nehru">Jawaharlal Nehru</a></dd> <dd><a href="/biography/Mohammed-Ali-Jinnah">Mohammed Ali Jinnah</a></dd> <dd><a href="/biography/Priyanka-Gandhi-Vadra">Priyanka Gandhi Vadra</a></dd> <dd><a href="/biography/Indira-Gandhi">Indira Gandhi</a></dd> </dl> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-gray-50" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <em class="js-content link-blue">(Show more)</em> </button> </div> <div class="text-center"> <a class="btn btn-sm btn-link p-0" href="/facts/Indian-National-Congress"> See all related content </a> </div> </div> </div> </div><script type="application/ld+json"> { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "FAQPage", "mainEntity": [ { "@type" : "Question", "name" : "<div>What is the Indian National Congress?<\/div><em><\/em>", "acceptedAnswer" : { "@type" : "Answer", "text" : "The Indian National Congress is one of two major political parties in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/India\">India<\/a>. It was influential in the 20th-century Indian independence movement and dominated much of the republic\u2019s early political scene. " } } , { "@type" : "Question", "name" : "<div>When was the Indian National Congress founded?<\/div><em><\/em>", "acceptedAnswer" : { "@type" : "Answer", "text" : "The Indian National Congress was founded in 1885, initially with the goal of pursuing moderate reform under the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/event\/British-raj\">British raj<\/a> in India. Its roots are in the early Indian nationalist movement that arose from the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/event\/Indian-Rebellion-of-1857\">Indian Rebellion of 1857<\/a>. 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" } } ] } </script> <div class="top-questions qa-accordion d-flex flex-column module-spacing"><div class="font-weight-bold font-14 mb-5"> Top Questions </div><div id="intent-accordion" class="md-intent-accordion"><div class="top-question bg-gray-50 rounded" data-value="1"> <h3 class="accordion--question font-14 font-weight-normal cursor-pointer rounded"><div class="pe-none d-flex justify-content-between align-items-center"><div>What is the Indian National Congress?</div><em class="material-icons" data-icon="expand_more"></em></div></h3> <div class="accordion--answer hidden p-15 pt-5 font-16 mb-5"><div class="accordion--answer-copy"><p>The Indian National Congress is one of two major political parties in <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/India" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">India</a>. It was influential in the 20th-century Indian independence movement and dominated much of the republic’s early political scene. </p></div></div> </div><div class="top-question bg-gray-50 rounded" data-value="2"> <h3 class="accordion--question font-14 font-weight-normal cursor-pointer rounded"><div class="pe-none d-flex justify-content-between align-items-center"><div>When was the Indian National Congress founded?</div><em class="material-icons" data-icon="expand_more"></em></div></h3> <div class="accordion--answer hidden p-15 pt-5 font-16 mb-5"><div class="accordion--answer-copy"><p>The Indian National Congress was founded in 1885, initially with the goal of pursuing moderate reform under the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/event/British-raj" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">British raj</a> in India. Its roots are in the early Indian nationalist movement that arose from the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/event/Indian-Rebellion-of-1857" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Indian Rebellion of 1857</a>. </p></div></div> </div><div class="top-question bg-gray-50 rounded" data-value="3"> <h3 class="accordion--question font-14 font-weight-normal cursor-pointer rounded"><div class="pe-none d-flex justify-content-between align-items-center"><div>What role did the Indian National Congress play in the Indian independence movement?</div><em class="material-icons" data-icon="expand_more"></em></div></h3> <div class="accordion--answer hidden p-15 pt-5 font-16 mb-5"><div class="accordion--answer-copy"><p>The Indian National Congress was initially focused on moderate reform under the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/event/British-raj" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">British raj</a> in India. However, some early 20th-century activists began to boycott British imports and promote Indian goods, garnering the support of a wide swath of social classes. In the 1920s and ’30s party leader <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Mahatma-Gandhi" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Mahatma Gandhi</a> supported nonviolent acts of civil disobedience. Although tensions between the Congress Party and the raj escalated during <a href="https://www.britannica.com/event/World-War-II" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">World War II</a>, by 1947 these tactics had secured independence for India.</p></div></div> </div><div class="top-question bg-gray-50 rounded" data-value="4"> <h3 class="accordion--question font-14 font-weight-normal cursor-pointer rounded"><div class="pe-none d-flex justify-content-between align-items-center"><div>What policies have historically been supported by the Indian National Congress?</div><em class="material-icons" data-icon="expand_more"></em></div></h3> <div class="accordion--answer hidden p-15 pt-5 font-16 mb-5"><div class="accordion--answer-copy"><p>Prior to Indian independence, the Indian National Congress was a champion of moderate reform, although during the 1920s and ’30s it transitioned to a focus on independence through nonviolent civil disobedience. Since independence, the party has traditionally supported socialist economic policies within a <a href="https://www.britannica.com/money/mixed-economy" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">mixed economy</a>, although in the 1990s it supported more conservative economic reforms. Its social policies have included secular government and equal rights, irrespective of caste.</p></div></div> </div><div class="top-question bg-gray-50 rounded" data-value="5"> <h3 class="accordion--question font-14 font-weight-normal cursor-pointer rounded"><div class="pe-none d-flex justify-content-between align-items-center"><div>Is the Indian National Congress’s Gandhi family related to Mahatma Gandhi?</div><em class="material-icons" data-icon="expand_more"></em></div></h3> <div class="accordion--answer hidden p-15 pt-5 font-16 mb-5"><div class="accordion--answer-copy"><p>The Indian National Congress’s prominent Gandhi family is not related to <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Mahatma-Gandhi" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Mahatma Gandhi</a>. <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Jawaharlal-Nehru" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Jawaharlal Nehru</a> and his daughter <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Indira-Gandhi" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Indira Gandhi</a>, who both served as prime minister of India, were close associates of the Mahatma. However, Indira’s surname came from her husband, Feroze Gandhi. Feroze and the Mahatma were not related. </p></div></div> </div><button class="show-more-button js-toggle-top-questions btn btn-unstyled font-14 d-flex pr-10 rounded-sm"><em class="material-icons" data-icon="expand_more"></em></button></div></div><div class="bg-gray-50 p-15 rounded module-spacing recent-news d-flex flex-column float-false"> <div> <h2 class="font-weight-bold font-14 m-0 d-inline"> News <span class="text-gray-600">•</span> </h2> <div class="recent-news-item first-recent-news-item d-inline"> <a class="font-14 gtm-ap-news-link" href="/news/285841/6cc84c72d4b00e0a49160123efdd48e7" rel="nofollow">Modi's party heads for victory in Maharashtra state election while opposition wins Jharkhand</a> <span class="font-14 text-gray-600"> <span>•</span> Nov. 23, 2024, 10:47 AM ET (AP) <button class="btn btn-link d-inline p-0 font-12 js-toggle-recent-news"> <span class="text-gray-500">...</span><span>(Show more)</span> </button> </span> </div> </div> <div class="rest-of-recent-news-items"> <div class="recent-news-item mt-5"> <a class="font-14 gtm-ap-news-link" href="/news/285841/cd1ee53edee0df1bf00de01b044366b4" rel="nofollow">Shares in India's Adani Group plunge 20% after US bribery, fraud indictments</a> <span class="font-14 text-gray-600"> <span>•</span> Nov. 21, 2024, 12:56 PM ET (AP) </span> </div> <button class="js-toggle-recent-news d-flex btn btn-unstyled font-14 pr-10 rounded-sm mt-10" aria-label="Toggle additional news items"> Show less <em class="material-icons" data-icon="expand_less"></em> </button> </div> </div><span class="marker before-article"></span><section data-level="1" id="ref1"><span class="marker PREMOD1 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph"><strong><span id="ref133358"></span>Indian National Congress</strong>, broadly based <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/political-party" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">political party</a> of <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/India" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">India</a>. Formed in 1885, the Indian National Congress dominated the Indian movement for independence from <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/United-Kingdom" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Great Britain</a>. It subsequently formed most of India’s governments from the time of independence and often had a strong presence in many state governments. Since 2014 it has been out of power at the central government level.</p><span class="marker MOD1 mod-inline"></span><span class="marker PREMOD2 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph"><em><a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Indira-Gandhi-on-global-underprivilege-2003652" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">(Read Indira Gandhi’s 1975 Britannica essay on global underprivilege.)</a></em></p><span class="marker MOD2 mod-inline"></span></section> <span class="marker h2"></span><section data-level="1" id="ref232138"> <h2 class="h1">History</h2> <section data-level="2" id="ref232139"> <h2 class="h2">The pre-independence period</h2> <span class="marker PREMOD3 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">The Indian National Congress first <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="convened" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/convened" data-type="MW">convened</a> in December 1885, though the idea of an Indian nationalist movement opposed to British rule dated from the 1850s. During its first several decades, the Congress Party passed fairly moderate reform resolutions, though many within the organization were becoming radicalized by the increased poverty that accompanied British imperialism. In the early 20th century, elements within the party began to <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="endorse" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/endorse" data-type="MW">endorse</a> a policy of <em>swadeshi</em> (“of our own country”), which called on Indians to <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="boycott" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/boycott" data-type="MW">boycott</a> of imported British goods and promoted Indian-made goods. By 1917 the group’s “extremist” Home Rule wing, which was formed by <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Bal-Gangadhar-Tilak" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Bal Gangadhar Tilak</a> and <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Annie-Besant" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Annie Besant</a> the previous year, had begun to exert significant influence by appealing to India’s <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="diverse" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/diverse" data-type="MW">diverse</a> social classes.</p><span class="marker MOD3 mod-inline"></span> <span class="marker PREMOD4 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">In the 1920s and ’30s the Congress Party, led by <span id="ref793570"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Mahatma-Gandhi" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Mohandas (Mahatma) Gandhi</a>, began advocating nonviolent <a href="https://www.britannica.com/event/noncooperation-movement" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">noncooperation</a>. The new change in tactics was precipitated by the protest over the perceived feebleness of the <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="constitutional" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/constitutional" data-type="MW">constitutional</a> reforms enacted in early 1919 (<a href="https://www.britannica.com/event/Rowlatt-Acts" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Rowlatt Acts</a>) and Britain’s manner of carrying them out, as well as by the widespread outrage among Indians in response to the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/event/Jallianwala-Bagh-Massacre" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">massacre</a> of civilians in <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Amritsar" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Amritsar</a> (<a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Punjab-state-India" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Punjab</a>) that April. Many of the acts of <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/civil-disobedience" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">civil disobedience</a> that followed were <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="implemented" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/implemented" data-type="MW">implemented</a> through the All India Congress Committee, formed in 1929, which advocated avoiding taxes as a protest against British rule. Notable in that regard was the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/event/Salt-March" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Salt March</a> in 1930 led by Gandhi. Another wing of the Congress Party, which believed in working within the existing system, contested general elections in 1923 and 1937 as the <span id="ref133359"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Swaraj-Party" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Swaraj (Home Rule) Party</a>, with particular success in the latter year, winning 7 out of 11 provinces.</p><span class="marker MOD4 mod-inline"></span> <span class="marker PREMOD5 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">When <a href="https://www.britannica.com/event/World-War-II" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">World War II</a> began in 1939, Britain made India a <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="belligerent" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/belligerent" data-type="MW">belligerent</a> without consulting Indian elected councils. That action angered Indian officials and prompted the Congress Party to declare that India would not support the war effort until it had been granted complete independence. In 1942 the organization sponsored mass civil disobedience, called the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/event/Quit-India-Movement" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Quit India Movement</a>, to support the demand that the British leave India. British authorities responded by imprisoning the entire Congress Party leadership, including Gandhi, and many remained in jail until 1945. After the war the British government of <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Clement-Attlee" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Clement Attlee</a> passed an independence bill in July 1947, and independence was achieved the following month. In January 1950 India’s constitution as an independent state took effect.</p><div class="module-spacing"> </div><span class="marker MOD5 mod-inline"></span> </section> <section data-level="2" id="ref232140"> <h2 class="h2">Postindependence dominance of the Nehru clan</h2> <span class="marker PREMOD6 mod-inline"></span><div class="assemblies"><div class="w-100"><figure class="md-assembly m-0 mb-md-0 card card-borderless print-false" data-assembly-id="139630" data-asm-type="image"><div class="md-assembly-wrapper card-media " data-type="image"><a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/18/128318-050-9178EC3F/Jawaharlal-Nehru-Indian-Pres-Indira-visit-start-October-1949.jpg" class="gtm-assembly-link position-relative d-flex align-items-center justify-content-center media-overlay-link card-media" data-href="/media/1/285841/139630"><picture><source media="(min-width: 680px)" srcset="https://cdn.britannica.com/18/128318-050-9178EC3F/Jawaharlal-Nehru-Indian-Pres-Indira-visit-start-October-1949.jpg?w=300"><img src="https://cdn.britannica.com/18/128318-050-9178EC3F/Jawaharlal-Nehru-Indian-Pres-Indira-visit-start-October-1949.jpg?w=300" alt="Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi, and Harry S. Truman" data-width="1600" data-height="1268" loading="eager"></picture><button class="magnifying-glass btn btn-circle position-absolute shadow btn-white top-10 right-10" aria-label="Zoom in"><em class="material-icons link-blue" data-icon="zoom_in"></em></button></a></div><figcaption class="card-body"><div class="md-assembly-caption text-muted font-14 font-serif line-clamp"><span><a class="gtm-assembly-link md-assembly-title font-weight-bold d-inline font-sans-serif mr-5 media-overlay-link" href="https://cdn.britannica.com/18/128318-050-9178EC3F/Jawaharlal-Nehru-Indian-Pres-Indira-visit-start-October-1949.jpg" data-href="/media/1/285841/139630">Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi, and Harry S. Truman</a><span>The first Indian prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru (second from right), being greeted by U.S. Pres. Harry S. Truman at the start of Nehru's visit to the United States in October 1949. Nehru's daughter, Indira Gandhi, who later served as prime minister, is on the right.</span><button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-white js-content" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"><span class="link-blue">(more)</span></button></span></div></figcaption></figure></div></div><p class="topic-paragraph">From 1951 until his death in 1964, <span id="ref133360"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Jawaharlal-Nehru" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Jawaharlal Nehru</a> dominated the <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off eb" data-term="Congress" href="https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/Congress" data-type="EB">Congress</a> Party, which won overwhelming victories in the elections of 1951–52, 1957, and 1962. The party united in 1964 to elect <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Lal-Bahadur-Shastri" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Lal Bahadur Shastri</a> and in 1966 <span id="ref133361"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Indira-Gandhi" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Indira Gandhi</a> (Nehru’s daughter) to the posts of party leader and thus <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/prime-minister" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">prime minister</a>. In 1967, however, Indira Gandhi faced open revolt within the party, and in 1969 she was expelled from the party by a group called the “Syndicate.” Nevertheless, her New Congress Party scored a landslide victory in the 1971 elections, and for a period it was unclear which party was the true rightful heir of the Indian National Congress label.</p><span class="marker MOD6 mod-inline"></span> <span class="marker PREMOD7 mod-inline"></span><div class="assemblies"><div class="w-100"><figure class="md-assembly m-0 mb-md-0 card card-borderless print-false" data-assembly-id="110746" data-asm-type="image"><div class="md-assembly-wrapper card-media " data-type="image"><a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/41/115041-050-DBE9AA63/Rajiv-Gandhi-1985.jpg" class="gtm-assembly-link position-relative d-flex align-items-center justify-content-center media-overlay-link card-media" data-href="/media/1/285841/110746"><picture><source media="(min-width: 680px)" srcset="https://cdn.britannica.com/41/115041-050-DBE9AA63/Rajiv-Gandhi-1985.jpg?w=300"><img src="https://cdn.britannica.com/41/115041-050-DBE9AA63/Rajiv-Gandhi-1985.jpg?w=300" alt="Rajiv Gandhi" data-width="1066" data-height="1600" loading="eager"></picture><button class="magnifying-glass btn btn-circle position-absolute shadow btn-white top-10 right-10" aria-label="Zoom in"><em class="material-icons link-blue" data-icon="zoom_in"></em></button></a></div><figcaption class="card-body"><div class="md-assembly-caption text-muted font-14 font-serif line-clamp"><span><a class="gtm-assembly-link md-assembly-title font-weight-bold d-inline font-sans-serif mr-5 media-overlay-link" href="https://cdn.britannica.com/41/115041-050-DBE9AA63/Rajiv-Gandhi-1985.jpg" data-href="/media/1/285841/110746">Rajiv Gandhi</a><span>Rajiv Gandhi, 1985.</span><button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-white js-content" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"><span class="link-blue">(more)</span></button></span></div></figcaption></figure></div></div><p class="topic-paragraph">In the mid-1970s the New Congress Party’s popular support began to fracture. From 1975 Gandhi’s government grew increasingly more <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="authoritarian" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/authoritarian" data-type="MW">authoritarian</a>, and unrest among the opposition grew. In the parliamentary elections held in March 1977, the opposition <span id="ref133362"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Janata-Dal-United" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Janata (People’s) Party</a> scored a landslide victory over the Congress Party, winning 295 seats in the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Lok-Sabha" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Lok Sabha</a> (the lower chamber of India’s parliament) against 153 for the Congress; Gandhi herself lost to her Janata opponent. On January 2, 1978, she and her followers seceded and formed a new opposition party, popularly called Congress (I)—the “I” signifying Indira. Over the next year, her new party attracted enough members of the legislature to become the official opposition, and in 1981 the national election commission declared it the “real” Indian National Congress. In 1996 the “I” <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="designation" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/designation" data-type="MW">designation</a> was dropped. In November 1979 Gandhi regained a parliamentary seat, and the following year she was again elected prime minister. In 1982 her son <span id="ref133363"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Rajiv-Gandhi" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Rajiv Gandhi</a> became <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="nominal" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nominal" data-type="MW">nominal</a> head of the party, and, upon her assassination in October 1984, he became prime minister. In December he led the Congress Party to an overwhelming victory in which it secured 401 seats in the legislature.</p><div class="module-spacing"> <DIV class="marketing-INLINE_SUBSCRIPTION marketing-content" data-marketing-id="INLINE_SUBSCRIPTION"><style> .student-promo-banner-wrapper { container-type: inline-size; margin-bottom: 15px; } @container (min-width: 475px) { .student-promo-banner { flex-direction: row; } .student-promo-banner-img-wrapper { margin-bottom: 0; margin-right: 10px; justify-content: flex-start; } .student-promo-banner-text-wrapper { text-align: left; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 10px; } .student-promo-banner-button-wrapper { margin-right: 0; } }</style> <div class="student-promo-banner-wrapper"> <div class="student-promo-banner d-flex flex-column align-items-center bg-blue rounded p-20"> <div class="student-promo-banner-img-wrapper mb-20 mr-0 d-flex justify-content-center"> <img class="rounded" style="max-width: 100px; min-width: 80px" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/marketing/BlueThistle.webp" /> </div> <div class="student-promo-banner-text-wrapper ml-0 mb-10 text-center text-white"> <div class="h2 mb-10">Get Unlimited Access</div> <div class="h4 font-weight-semi-bold">Try Britannica Premium for free and discover more.</div> </div> <div class="student-promo-banner-button-wrapper d-flex justify-content-center align-items-center ml-auto mr-auto"> <a class="btn btn-m btn-orange" href="https://premium.britannica.com/premium-membership/?utm_source=premium&utm_medium=inline-cta&utm_campaign=black-friday-2024">Subscribe</a> </div> </div> </div> </DIV></div><div class="one-good-fact-module"> </div><span class="marker MOD7 mod-inline"></span> <span class="marker PREMOD8 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph">Although the Congress Party remained the largest party in parliament in 1989, Rajiv Gandhi was unseated as prime minister by a coalition of opposition parties. While campaigning to regain power in May 1991, he was assassinated by a suicide bomber associated with the <span id="ref798245"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Tamil-Tigers" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Tamil Tigers</a>, a separatist group in <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Sri-Lanka" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Sri Lanka</a>. He was succeeded as party leader by <span id="ref133364"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/P-V-Narasimha-Rao" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">P.V. Narasimha Rao</a>, who was elected prime minister in June 1991.</p><span class="marker MOD8 mod-inline"></span> </section> </section><span class="marker end-of-content"></span><span class="marker after-article"></span></div> <div id="chatbot-root"></div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="ai-dialog-placeholder"></div> </div> </div> <aside class="col-md-da-320"></aside> </div> </div> </div> </div> </article></div> </div></div> </div> </main> <div id="md-footer"></div> <noscript><iframe src="//www.googletagmanager.com/ns.html?id=GTM-5W6NC8" height="0" width="0" style="display:none;visibility:hidden"></iframe></noscript> <script type="text/javascript" id="_informizely_script_tag"> var IzWidget = IzWidget || {}; (function (d) { var scriptElement = d.createElement('script'); scriptElement.type = 'text/javascript'; scriptElement.async = true; scriptElement.src = "https://insitez.blob.core.windows.net/site/f780f33e-a610-4ac2-af81-3eb184037547.js"; var node = d.getElementById('_informizely_script_tag'); node.parentNode.insertBefore(scriptElement, node); } )(document); </script>  <script> window.ap3c = window.ap3c || {}; var ap3c = window.ap3c; ap3c.cmd = ap3c.cmd || []; ap3c.cmd.push(function() { ap3c.init('ZO4siT4cLwnykPnzZWJtd3Byb2Q', 'https://engage.email.britannica.com/'); ap3c.track({v: 0}); }); ap3c.activity = function(act) { ap3c.act = (ap3c.act || []); ap3c.act.push(act); }; var s, t; s = document.createElement('script'); s.type = 'text/javascript'; s.src = "https://engage.email.britannica.com/app.js"; t = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; t.parentNode.insertBefore(s, t); </script> <script class="marketing-page-info" type="application/json"> {"pageType":"Topic","templateName":"DESKTOP","pageNumber":1,"pagesTotal":3,"pageId":285841,"pageLength":903,"initialLoad":true,"lastPageOfScroll":false} </script> <script class="marketing-content-info" type="application/json"> [] </script> <script src="https://cdn.britannica.com/mendel-resources/3-130/js/libs/jquery-3.5.0.min.js?v=3.130.14"></script> <script type="text/javascript" data-type="Init Mendel Code Splitting"> (function() { $.ajax({ dataType: 'script', cache: true, url: 'https://cdn.britannica.com/mendel-resources/3-130/dist/topic-page.js?v=3.130.14' }); })(); </script> <script class="analytics-metadata" type="application/json"> {"leg":"C","adLeg":"C","userType":"ANONYMOUS","pageType":"Topic","pageSubtype":null,"articleTemplateType":"PAGINATED","gisted":false,"pageNumber":1,"hasSummarizeButton":false,"hasAskButton":false} </script> <script type="text/javascript"> EBStat={accountId:-1,hostnameOverride:'webstats.eb.com',domain:'www.britannica.com', json:''}; </script> <script type="text/javascript"> ( function() { $.ajax( { dataType: 'script', cache: true, url: '//www.britannica.com/webstats/mendelstats.js?v=1' } ) .done( function() { try {writeStat(null,EBStat);} catch(err){} } ); })(); </script> <div id="bc-fixed-dialogue"></div> </body> </html>

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Indian National Congress | History, Ideology, & Facts | Britannica