The Bombay Presidency Association was established in 1885 by Pherozshah Mehta, K.T. Telang, and Badruddin Tyabji. The purpose of the association was to represent the wants and needs of the native citizens of India in the Bombay Presidency. Following the formation of the British Indian Association in Calcutta, a public meeting was held in Bombay to lay the foundation for the first political association in the region. The first resolution stated that the goal of the association was to “ascertain the wants of the natives of India in the Bombay Presidency.” The donation of thirty thousand rupees to launch the association was a testament to the support it received from the people of Bombay.

The Bombay Presidency Association was founded in response to the controversial policies of the British government and the Ilbert Bill controversy. The three founders, Pherozeshah Mehta, K.T. Telang, and Badruddin Tyabji were prominent leaders in Bombay and were known as ‘The Triumvirate’ or ‘The Three Stars’ of Bombay’s public life. Sir Pherozeshah Merwanjee Mehta was a Parsi politician and lawyer who was knighted by the British government for his services to the law. He was also a founding member of the Indian National Congress and served as its president in 1890. Badruddin Tyabji was the first Indian Barrister in Bombay and was elected to the Bombay Legislative Council in 1882.

The Bombay Presidency Association had cordial relations with the Poona Sarvajanik Sabha, the Madras Mahajana Sabha, and the Indian Association of Calcutta. The four associations sent a joint deputation to England in September 1885 to present India’s case to the British electorate. The delegation was led by prominent leaders from each association, including N. Chandavarkar from Bombay, Ramaswami Mudaliar from Madras, and Manmohan Ghosh from Calcutta. The first Congress was hosted three months later by the Bombay Presidency Association, and Badruddin Tyabji was one of its delegates.

Key Points on Bombay Presidency Association

  1. Bombay Presidency Association was established in 1885 by Pherozshah Mehta, K.T. Telang, and Badruddin Tyabji.
  2. The association was founded as a response to the reactionary policies of Lord Lytton and the Ilbert Bill controversy.
  3. The Bombay Presidency Association served as a representative of the Indian citizens in the Bombay Presidency.
  4. The association had cordial relations with the Poona Sarvajanik Sabha, the Madras Mahajana Sabha, and the Indian Association of Calcutta.
  5. The Bombay Presidency Association, along with the other political associations, sent a joint deputation to England in 1885 to present India’s case to the British electorate.
  6. The first Congress was hosted three months after the formation of the association, by the Bombay Presidency Association.
  7. The association was founded and led by three prominent Bombay leaders, Pherozeshah Mehta, K.T. Telang, and Badruddin Tyabji, known as “The Triumvirate” or “The Three Stars” of Bombay’s public life.
  8. Sir Pherozeshah Merwanjee Mehta, who was a Bombay-based Indian Parsi politician and lawyer, was elected as the president of the association and served in that capacity for the rest of his life.
  9. Badruddin Tyabji was the first Indian Barrister in Bombay and made his public debut after three years at the Bar. He helped found the Bombay Presidency Association in 1885.
  10. The Indian National Congress held its first session in Bombay under the auspices of the Bombay Presidency Association, with Tyabji and his brother, Camruddin Tyabji, among its delegates.

MCQs on Bombay Presidency Association

  1. What was the main objective of the Bombay Presidency Association?
    A. To promote political awareness among the people of the Bombay Presidency
    B. To celebrate science by all and engage the common people with science in a joyful and entertaining manner
    C. To promote the arts and culture of the Bombay Presidency
    D. To create opportunities for the business community in the Bombay Presidency
    Correct Answer: A. To promote political awareness among the people of the Bombay Presidency
    Explanation: The Bombay Presidency Association was established in 1885 with the main objective of promoting political awareness among the people of the Bombay Presidency, which was a British administrative division that included present-day Mumbai, Maharashtra and other parts of Western India.
  2. Who was the founder of the Bombay Presidency Association?
    A. Dadabhai Naoroji
    B. G.K. Gokhale
    C. Bal Gangadhar Tilak
    D. B.G. Tilak
    Correct Answer: A. Dadabhai Naoroji
    Explanation: The Bombay Presidency Association was founded by Dadabhai Naoroji, a prominent Indian political leader and social reformer, in 1885.
  3. When was the Bombay Presidency Association established?
    A. 1875
    B. 1885
    C. 1895
    D. 1905
    Correct Answer: B. 1885
    Explanation: The Bombay Presidency Association was established in 1885 by Dadabhai Naoroji, a prominent Indian political leader and social reformer.

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