- The Zamindari Association, founded in 1838 in Calcutta (now Kolkata, West Bengal), is considered the first political organization in India.
- It was formed by a group of landowners (zamindars) who were concerned about the British policies affecting their landholding rights and economic interests.
- The key founders of the association were:
- Radhakanta Deb: A prominent social reformer and leader of the Brahmo Samaj, influential among the Bengali upper classes.
- Prasanna Kumar Tagore: A social reformer who played a significant role in the formation of the association.
- The primary goal of the Zamindari Association was to defend the interests of the zamindars against British government policies, particularly those perceived as pro-peasant, such as the Permanent Settlement of 1793 and other land revenue reforms.
- These British policies were seen as detrimental to the zamindars, especially in terms of their ability to collect revenue from peasants.
- The association aimed to lobby the British government for favorable reforms that would protect the economic interests of the landowners.
- Shortly after its formation, the Zamindari Association was renamed the Landholders’ Association to reflect its broader base, which now included not only zamindars but also other types of landowners.
- The association became an early political body, advocating for changes in British policies to benefit the landlord class.
- The Landholders’ Association began to decline around 1851, and eventually became defunct. The reasons for its decline included:
- Internal divisions within the association, as its members (landowners) did not always have unified interests, especially with the growing awareness among peasants and the emerging Indian middle class.
- A changing political landscape, as the association’s goals were more aligned with the interests of zamindars rather than the broader nationalist struggles that were becoming central to Indian politics.
- The rise of other political groups, such as the Indian Reform Movement and the First War of Independence (1857), which shifted focus away from the landlords’ concerns toward larger issues of colonial oppression and governance.
- The Zamindari Association played a significant role in the early political history of colonial India, marking the beginning of organized political activity against British rule.
- Though its primary focus was on the interests of landowners, it laid the groundwork for the development of future political organizations in India, including the formation of the Indian National Congress (INC) in 1885.
- Its existence highlighted the emergence of political consciousness among Indians under British rule, which would eventually contribute to the growth of the Indian independence movement.
- The Zamindari Association (later the Landholders’ Association) was India’s first political organization, formed in 1838 in Calcutta to protect the interests of landowners against British policies perceived as pro-peasant.
- Founded by Radhakanta Deb and Prasanna Kumar Tagore, it was disbanded around 1851 due to internal divisions and changing political dynamics.
- Despite being short-lived, the association played an important role in India’s early political history, laying the foundation for future nationalist movements and political organizations.
