Two “firsts” get mixed up often: the first woman to preside over the Indian National Congress, and the first Indian woman to do so. They were not the same person.
Annie Besant, circa 1910. Wikimedia Commons, public domain.
MCQ QuestionsModHist0340 · INC Presidents
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Two different women hold two different “first” INC president titles
Annie Besant (1917) was first overall; Sarojini Naidu (1925) was first Indian.
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Year Annie Besant became the first woman INC President
Historical Record
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Year Sarojini Naidu became the first Indian woman president
Historical Record
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Year Badruddin Tyabji became the first Muslim president
Historical Record
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City hosting Tyabji’s 1887 session, the INC’s third
Historical Record
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Gap between Besant’s and Naidu’s respective “first” titles
Historical Record
✊ Must Know
Three Genuine Firsts, Not to Be Confused
- First woman president Annie Besant became the first woman President of the Indian National Congress, in 1917.
- First Indian woman Sarojini Naidu became the first Indian woman President of the INC, in 1925, eight years after Besant.
- First Muslim president Badruddin Tyabji became the first Muslim President of the INC, in 1887.
📘 Good to Know
Who These Three Presidents Were
- Besant's background Annie Besant was born in England. She was a theosophist, writer, and reformer, active in India's Home Rule movement.
- Naidu's later role Sarojini Naidu later became Governor of the United Provinces (now Uttar Pradesh) after independence, until her death in 1949.
- Tyabji's significance Badruddin Tyabji presided at the INC's third session, held in Madras in 1887.
Test Yourself
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🌟 Great to Know
Why This Question Trips People Up
- A common exam trap Confusing Besant with Naidu is a common mistake. One was the first woman overall, the other the first Indian woman.
- A pattern of firsts The INC's presidency has carried several notable "firsts" across its history, of religion, gender, and nationality alike.
- Multiple terms Some INC presidents served more than one term across different years, so "first" claims always need a specific year attached.
📝 Previous Year Questions
Was Sarojini Naidu the First Woman INC President?
- Answer: (b) 2 only Statement 1 is false: Annie Besant, not Sarojini Naidu, was the first woman President of the INC.
- Statement 2 is true Badruddin Tyabji genuinely was the first Muslim President of the INC, in 1887.
- View this question on the full 2015 paper →
Beyond the answer
Browse all modern-indian-history topics →
📚 Keep reading
GK0002 — India's Notable FirstsModHist0069 — Sarojini Naidu and Women in the Freedom StrugglePolity0048 — The Vice-President of IndiaModHist0332 — The Home Rule Movement, 1916-1918Polity0375 — Women in the Higher Judiciary: Representation and the Road Ahead❓ Practice this topic
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