British parliamentarian Charles Bradlaugh and the Indian National Congress

This article examines the collaboration between the Indian National Congress and the British radical parliamentarian Charles Bradlaugh in the late 1880s and early 1890s. The significance of this study lies in the fact that during the studied period the Congress was shaping its program and strategies, elements that would profoundly influence the development of the Indian independence movement. During this time, the Congress sought to broaden its connections with liberal and radical politicians in Britain to garner greater support and visibility of its demands among the British public and Parliament. One of its most prominent allies in the House of Commons was the radical MP Charles Bradlaugh, who believed that British governance in India should rectify administrative errors and work towards increasing Indian participation in the colonial governance structure. Utilizing a historical-genetic approach and analysis of primary sources, this paper explores Bradlaugh’s involvement with the Indian Political Agency, his attendance at the Congress session of 1889, and the parliamentary struggle for passing the Indian Councils Act. Notably, Bradlaugh introduced the draft bill for reforming the legislative councils of India in the House of Commons, advocating for an expanded membership and the inclusion of elected representatives, reflecting Indian intellectuals’ perspectives on necessary changes in the country’s system of government. Although the bill was not enacted, it played a significant role in catalyzing subsequent state apparatus reforms, culminating in the Indian Councils Act of 1892. Bradlaugh’s collaboration with the Indian National Congress marked a pivotal moment, since it provided valuable insights for Congress leadership and illustrated both the possibilities and limitations of the Congress’s approach to working within the colonial administration, as well as the constitutional methods that formed the basis of the Congress’s program in the late XIX and early XX centuries.