George Yule, the first Englishman (European) to become President of the Indian National Congress, presided over its Allahabad session in:

George Yule, a Scottish businessman of Calcutta, presided over the fourth session of the Indian National Congress, held at Allahabad in December 1888; he was the first Englishman (European) to become President of the Congress.

About George Yule:

• He was born in 1829 in Scotland.
• He was a merchant and businessman in Calcutta, the head of the firm of Andrew Yule and Company, which had interests in jute, tea and coal.
• He served as the Sheriff of Calcutta and as President of the Bengal Chamber of Commerce.
• He was sympathetic to the demands of educated Indians for political reforms.
• He died in London in 1892.

The Allahabad session (1888):

• The British government and many British officials were hostile to the Congress by this time.
• Sir Auckland Colvin, the Lieutenant-Governor of the North-Western Provinces, opposed the session, and the organisers had difficulty in finding a venue.
• The Maharaja of Darbhanga bought a large house (Lowther Castle) for the session.
• Sir Syed Ahmad Khan and some others urged Muslims not to join the Congress, but many Muslims attended.
• The session decided that no resolution would be passed if the Hindu or Muslim delegates opposed it by a large majority.

Other British Presidents of the Congress:

• William Wedderburn (Bombay, 1889 and Allahabad, 1910).
• Alfred Webb (Madras, 1894), a member of the British Parliament.
• Henry Cotton (Bombay, 1904).
• Annie Besant (Calcutta, 1917), the first woman President.
• Nellie Sengupta (Calcutta, 1933).

British supporters of the Congress:

Many British people supported the early Congress, such as A. O. Hume, William Wedderburn, Charles Bradlaugh and others.

Why not the other options?

• ✗1885, 1892 and 1900 were the years of other sessions.