Question

The first political association to be started in India was the Landholder’s Society in Kolkata in ____________.
A) 1847
B) 1826
C) 1838
D) 1882

Answer 1

Hint:
Landholder’s society was the first political association of modern India established by Dwarkanath Tagore in the early 19th century to protect the interests of the landlord in Bengal.

Complete step by step solution:
The Landholders's Society was the first political association to be started in India was in Calcutta in 1838. It was established by Dwarkanath Tagore. Its earlier name was Zamindari Association. He established it along with Prasanna Kumar Tagore, Radhakanta Deb, Ramkamal Sen and Bhabani Charan Mitra. This society was created in order to protect the interests of the landlords in Bengal.
This society was formerly launched with the name of Zamindari association in Calcutta in 1838 and was soon renamed as Landholders’ Society. Many public associations were started in different parts of India like Bengal British India Society, British Indian Association, East India Association, London Indian Society and Indian Association. These associations served as a base for the formation of the Congress- an all India political organization. Though these early Associations made important contributions in terms of arousing the political will and demands of the Indian public, their area and activities were limited. They mainly questioned local issues and their members and leaders were also limited to one or adjoining provinces. It was the first political association to be started in India. Landholders’ Society was limited in its objectives i.e. covered demand of Landlords only. The landholders Society used the methods of constitutional agitation for the redressal of grievances and marked the beginning of organized political activities. Some of its aims were to secure a halt to the resumption of rent-free tenures and an extension of the permanent settlement of land all over India, including the grant of lease of waste land to their occupants. This society also demanded reforms of the judiciary, the police and the revenue departments.

Note:
The Landholders society was known as the first organization of Bengal with distinct political objectives. With its limited field and range of activity, it's only achievement was the concession it had extracted from the government in the form of exemption of Brahmottara (land donated for the services of Brahmins and temples), to the extent of ten bighas, from rent. The Landholders' Society may be said to have inaugurated the new course of modern institutional politics in India.