Which leader of the Indian national movements does the following statement pertain to?
He is known as the grand Old man of India and the Unofficial Ambassador of India.
In 1902 he was elected as a Member of the Liberal Party in the House of Commons, representing Central Finsbury, he became the first British Indian MP.
- AOption (a)
Dadabhai Naoroji
- BOption (b)
A O Hume
- COption (c)
Pherozeshah Mehta
- DOption (d)
Badruddin Tyabji
View answer & explanationHide answer & explanation
Correct answer
Dadabhai Naoroji
Why this answer is correct
The correct answer is Dadabhai Naoroji.
Key Points
- Dadabhai Naoroji is revered as the Grand Old Man of India and served as the Unofficial Ambassador of India to Britain, tirelessly advocating for Indian self-rule and civil rights.
- He achieved a historic milestone in 1892 (noted in some contexts as his active period around 1902) by being elected to the House of Commons representing Central Finsbury on a Liberal Party ticket, making him the first British Indian Member of Parliament.
- Naoroji was a key founding member of the Indian National Congress (INC) and holds the distinction of presiding over its annual sessions three times: 1886 (Calcutta), 1893 (Lahore), and 1906 (Calcutta).
- He is most famous for his economic critique of British rule, specifically the Drain of Wealth theory, which he detailed in his seminal work Poverty and Un-British Rule in India.
- During the 1906 session of the INC, under his presidency, the demand for Swaraj (Self-government) was formally adopted as the main goal of the Indian national movement.
Additional Information
- A O Hume
- A retired British Civil Servant who is credited as the primary organizer and founder of the Indian National Congress in 1885.
- He served as the General Secretary of the Congress for its first twenty-two years.
- Pherozeshah Mehta
- Known as the Lion of Bombay, he was a prominent lawyer and a moderate leader of the INC.
- He played a crucial role in the Bombay Municipal Corporation and served as the President of the INC in 1890.
- Badruddin Tyabji
- He was a distinguished lawyer and the first Indian to hold the post of Chief Justice in the Bombay High Court.
- He became the first Muslim President of the Indian National Congress during its third session held in Madras (1887).