Annie Besant

Annie Besant
	Annie Besant in the early 20th century
Born	01 October 1847
Birthplace	London, England, United Kingdom
Died	20 September 1933 (aged 85)
Place of death	Adyar, Madras Presidency, British India (now Chennai, Tamil Nadu)
Resting place	Theosophical Society Adyar, Chennai
Nationality	British (later naturalized in India)
Occupation	Social reformer, Theosophist, Nationalist Leader, Educator
Years active	1870s–1933
Known for	Home Rule Movement, Theosophical Society, Indian National Congress
Notable works	The Ancient Wisdom, The Law of Population, founding Central Hindu College
Awards
Spouse(s)	Frank Besant (separated)
Children	2
Parents	William Page Wood (father), Emily Roche Morris (mother)
Religion	Theosophy
Website

Annie Besant 1 October 1847- 20 September 1933 was a notable British-born social reformer, women’s rights activist, and theosophist. She became a strong supporter of Indian self-rule. Under her leadership, the Theosophical Society grew worldwide. She also led educational and political movements in India. She co-founded the Home Rule League, started the newspaper New India, and became the first woman president of the Indian National Congress in 1917.

Early Life and Education

Annie Wood Besant was born on 1 October 1847 in London, England, to William Burton Persse Wood and Emile Roche Morris Wood. After her father and younger brother passed away during her childhood, her mother raised her in Harrow. She received her education from Ellen Marryat, who encouraged her independence, discipline, and excellence in literature, theology, and science.

In 1867, she married Reverend Frank Besant and had two children. After a difficult marriage and a crisis of faith influenced by family tragedies, they legally separated in 1873. This period marked her shift from devout Christianity to secular activism and intellectual independence.

Social Reform & Political Work in India

After becoming a prominent member of the National Secular Society and the Fabian Society in Britain, Besant accepted Theosophy in 1889 and moved to India in 1893. She engaged deeply with Indian culture, adopting local dress and beliefs. She committed herself to a life of spiritual and national service.

In 1897, she founded the Central Hindu College in Varanasi to blend Western learning with traditional Indian values. This college later became the center of Banaras Hindu University, India’s leading university established by Madan Mohan Malaviya.

By 1914, she made a political move. She started the weekly journal Commonweal and acquired the Madras Standard, renaming it New India. Through these platforms, she strongly advocated for Indian self-rule. She criticized colonial policies and rallied public support.

In 1916, she co-founded the All India Home Rule League with Bal Gangadhar Tilak. This was a nationwide campaign for greater autonomy for India within the British Empire. Her arrest by colonial authorities in June 1917 caused widespread protests. This led to her release and added support for constitutional reform.

In 1917, during the Calcutta session of the Indian National Congress, she became the first woman president. She guided the party into a new era by connecting the Congress with youthful activism and broad nationalist feelings.

Role in Theosophy and Indian Education

Annie Besant’s spiritual and reform journey changed religious thought and education in India. She joined the Theosophical Society in 1889 and became its most influential leader in the country. She became President of the Society in 1907 and guided its headquarters in Adyar, Madras, during a significant time of growth and cultural integration.

Under her leadership, the Society promoted the rediscovery of Indian spirituality, Upanishadic wisdom, and universal brotherhood—presenting Indian cultural heritage as morally and philosophically sophisticated while advocating religious tolerance and social upliftment.

In 1898, Besant founded the Central Hindu College in Varanasi, based on the ideas of Theosophy. With help from Indian royals, the college combined Indian spiritual values with Western scientific education. It later became the core of Banaras Hindu University (BHU) in 1917 after she generously handed over the institution and its campus to Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya.

Besant also worked to expand Theosophical and national education through the Theosophical Educational Trust, which she established in 1913. Under her leadership, schools, including separate institutions for boys and girls, spread across India. They focused on moral development, vocational skills, and rational thinking, all at a low cost.

Her educational philosophy emphasized inclusivity. She aimed to reduce exclusion by lowering fees, integrating physical education, promoting reasoning over rote learning, and making education fit national needs. Besant believed this would enable Indians to regain economic and social leadership from colonial rule.

Nationalist Politics

Annie Besant moved from being a spiritual reformer to a well-known nationalist leader in 1913 and 1914. She embraced India’s fight for self-government by actively participating in politics. She joined the Indian National Congress and used her writing skills to support the push for Home Rule through publications like Commonweal and New India.

In September 1916, she co-founded the All India Home Rule League with Bal Gangadhar Tilak. While Tilak led the organization based in Maharashtra, Besant built a national network that included provinces such as Madras, United Provinces, Bengal, and Punjab. Her leadership significantly increased public involvement in the fight for self-rule.

Her political activism led to her arrest and internment at Ootacamund in June 1917. This sparked mass protests across India. Major leaders and the public condemned the British actions, which resulted in her release by August 1917. This event also increased the influence of the Home Rule League.

At the 1907 Calcutta session of the Indian National Congress, she became the first woman to preside. This opened up new opportunities for women in nationalist leadership. Her speech called for constitutional reform and emphasized Indian responsibility within the system of responsible governance.

Despite her early prominence, her influence waned after 1919, when she opposed Mahatma Gandhi’s advocacy of non-cooperation and civil disobedience. She maintained faith in constitutional methods over mass agitation, which contrasted with the rising mainstream nationalist approach and eventually sidelined her politically.

Later Years and Legacy

After 1919, Annie Besant gradually stepped back from nationalist politics because her support for constitutional reform did not align with Mahatma Gandhi’s mass civil disobedience campaigns. Still, she continued to be a strong supporter of Indian self-rule and education, traveling extensively and publishing in India and abroad.

Until illness struck in 1931, Besant served continuously as International President of the Theosophical Society. She traveled widely and led conventions aimed at making Theosophy a force for social change and spiritual renewal.

Her spiritual outreach grew through initiatives she founded, like the Theosophical Order of Service in 1908. This organization carried out humanitarian, educational, and relief work around the world, leaving a lasting legacy of her belief in “a union of those who love in the service of all that suffers.”

Besant passed away on 20 September 1933 in Adyar (Madras), aged 85, and requested her ashes be immersed in the Ganges at Varanasi—a final symbolic union with the land she adopted as her home.

See Also

• Theosophical Society
• Home Rule Movement
• Indian National Congress