LAQ : Why was 19th Century called “the Age of Associations”?

Question

Why was 19th Century called “the Age of Associations”?

Answer

Age of Association The whole of nineteenth century has seen the formation and development of many such associations. So, Cambridge historian Dr. Anil Sil, in his book ‘The Emergence of Indian Nationalism: Competition and Collaboration in the Late Nineteenth Century’, has called “this period as an age of associations”. Because

1. the second half of the nineteenth century a large number of political organisations emerged
2. They were instrumental in the development of political consciousness
3. Some of the well known political organisations were: ‘Puna Sarbojonik Sabha’ of Gopal Hari Deshmukh (1867), ‘Madras Mahajan Sabha’ (1884), ‘Madras Native Association’ (1852) and ‘East India Association, London’ of Dadabhai Naoroji and K. R. Cama (1866).
4. In 1871 a branch of East India Association was formed in Bombay. Rangaiyya Naidu, the President of Mahajana Sabha (1884), spread the popularity of his association among small towns and villages.