3nfcfan National Evolution. THB VENERABLE HUME DADABHAI WEDDERBURN INDIAN NATIONAL EVOLUTION A BRIEF SURVEY OF THE ORIGIN AND PROGRESS OF THE INDIAN NATIONAL CONGRESS BY AMV1KA CHARAN MAZUMDAR FIRST EDITION. PUBLISHED BY G. A, NATESAN CO, SUNKURAMA CHETTY ST. MADRAS. TO THE MEMBERS OP THE INDIAN NATIONAL CONGRESS WHO HAVE CONSECRATED THEIR LABOURS TO THE SACRED TASK OF NATION-BUILDING IN INDIA THIS BOOK IS RESPECTFULLY PRESENTED BY THEIR DEVOTED FRIEND AND ADMIRER THE AUTHOR INSCRIPTION. 8ona of Ind, why sit ye idle, Wait ye for some Devas aid Buckle to, be up and doing Nations by themselves are made Tours the land, lives, all, at stake, thtf Not by you the cards are played Are ye dumb Speak up and claim them By themselves are nations made What avail your wealth, your learning, Empty titles, sordid trade True self - rule were worth them all Nations by themselves are made Whispered murmurs darkly creeping, Hidden worms beneath the glade, Not by such shall wrong be righted I Nations by themselves are made I Sons of Ind, be up and doing, Let your course by none be stayed Xo the Dawn is in the East By themselves are nations made A. 0. HUMS. PREFACE, Sometime in August 1913 at the instance of some friends I undertook to write a few articles for a magazine on the Rise and Growth of the Indian National Congress, the most important and phenomenal movement in the political history of new India. After only a few pages were written, it was discovered that such a subject could not be properly dealt with in the spare columns of any magazine in the country without taxing its capacity to an unreasonable extent and that for a much longer period than was perhaps consistent with the sustained interest ofsuch a review. The idea was, therefore, abandoned. In January following while turning over some of the materials which I had collect ed and arranged for the articles, it occurred to me that these might be published in the form of a pamphlet so that they may be of some use to any one who may be disposed to write a well-digested history of this evolutionary movement. That is the origin of the little volume which is now presented to the public. The book was fairly completed by July 1914 when it was partly handed over to Mr. G. A. Natesan of Madras, who kindly undertook to illustrate and publish it. In August the Great War broke out and as the book necessarily contained occasional criticisms of Govern ment, it was deemed proper and expedient to defer its publication until the War conditions were fairly settled.