The political associations in the early half of the nineteenth century were dominated by wealthy and aristocratic elements and were provincial or local in character.They worked for reform of administration, association of Indians with the administration and spread of education, and sent long petitions, putting forward Indian demands to the British Parliament.

Political Associations in Bengal:

• Rammohun Roy was the pioneer of political movement in India. He was the first Indian to focus the attention of the Englishmen on the grievances of India and to ask for remedial measures. The Bangabhasha Prakasika Sabha was formed in 1836 by associates of Rammohun Roy.
• The Zamindari Association, more popularly known as the “Landholders Society” was founded in 1838 to safeguard the interests of the landlords. It marked the beginning of an organised political activity and use of methods of constitutional agitation for the redressal of grievances.
• The Bengal British India Society was founded in 1843 with the object of “the collection and dissemination of information relating to the actual condition of the popel of British India and to employ such other means of peaceful and lawful character as may appear calculated to secure the welfare, extend the just rights and advance the interests of all classes of our fellow subjects”,
• In 1851, both the Landholders’ Society and the Bengal British India Society merged into a new one named the British Indian Association. The Indian League was founded by Sisir Kumar Ghose in 1875 with the object of “stimulating the sense of nationalism amongst the people” and of encouraging political education.
• The Indian Association founded by Surendranath Banerjee and Ananda Mohan Bose in 1876 superseded the Indian League. It hoped to attract not only the middle classes but also the masses by keeping low membership fee. Soon the Indian Association became the centre of the leading representatives of the educated community of Bengal. Branches of the association were opened in other towns and cities of Bengal and even outside Bengal.
• The Indian Association set before itself the aims of creating strong public opinion in the country on political questions and the unification of the Indian people on a common political programme.

Political Associations in Calcutta :

The Indian Association of Calcutta was the most important of pre- Congress associations and aimed to:

• Create a strong public opinion on political questions, and
• Unify Indian people on a common political programme.
• Branches of the association were opened in other towns and cities of Bengal and even outside Bengal. The membership fee was kept low in order to attract the poorer sections to the association.

Political Associations in Bombay:

• The Poona Sarvajanik Sabha was founded in 1867 by Mahadeo Govind Ranade and others, with the object of serving as a bridge between the Government one the one hand and the people on the other. The Bombay Presidency Association was started by Badruddin Tyabji, Pherozshah Mehta and K.T. Telang in 1885.

Political Associations in Madras:

• In 1884, the Madras Mahajan Sabha was founded by M. Viraraghavachari, B. Subramaniya Aiyer and P. Anandacharlu. The East Indian Association was organised by Dadabhai Naoroji in 1866 in London to discuss the Indian question and to influence British public men to promote Indian welfare. Later he organised branches of the Association in prominent Indian cities.