---
title: "Allan Octavian Hume: Key Figure in Indian Politics"
description: "Allan Octavian Hume was a British Indian Civil Service officer who founded the Indian National Congress in 1885, shaping India's political landscape."
url: "https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/glossary/allan-octavian-hume"
---

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Model Diplomat Research Team · Last reviewed June 22, 2026

TL;DR

- Allan Octavian Hume was a retired British Indian Civil Service officer and ornithologist who founded and organised the Indian National Congress in 1885.
- What is the 'safety valve' theory associated with Hume?
- Did Hume preside over the first Congress session?
- Why is Hume called the 'Father of Indian Ornithology'?
- How do revisionist historians counter the safety-valve thesis?

[Civil Service & Diplomatic Exams](https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/civil-services/glossary)Updated June 22, 2026

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In December 1885, Allan Octavian Hume convened the inaugural session of the Indian National Congress at Bombay with seventy-two delegates, serving thereafter as its General Secretary until 1906.

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