Who founded the Indian National Congress?

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Collage of raised-fist silhouettes over a halftone orange, yellow, and green background, featuring historic newspaper text and faint crowd imagery. — Indian Independence Movement In August 1947 British rule ended on the Indian subcontinent.

The Indian National Congress was initiated by Allan Octavian Hume, a retired British civil servant, in collaboration with prominent Indian leaders such as Dadabhai Naoroji and Surendranath Banerjee.1

Formed on December 28, 1885, the organization was established as a forum for educated Indians to discuss political issues and advocate for a greater role in governance. While Hume is credited with organizing the party, it quickly gained widespread support among India's emerging middle-class intellectuals, growing from 72 delegates at its first meeting in Bombay to over 1,200 delegates within three years.12