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Annie Besant in the 1880s
Annie Besant in the 1880s

Annie Wood Besant (IPA: /ˈbɛsənt/; Clapham, London October 1, 1847 – September 20, 1933 in Adyar, India) was a prominent Theosophist, women's rights activist, writer and orator. Clapham is an area of South London, England, in the London Borough of Lambeth. Events 331 BC - Alexander the Great defeats Darius III of Persia in the Battle of Gaugamela. Year 1847 ( MDCCCXLVII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common Events 451 - The Battle of Chalons takes place in North Eastern France. Year 1933 ( MCMXXXIII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Adyar may refer to Adyar (Tamil Nadu &mdash a locality in Chennai (Madras in the state of Tamil Nadu India Adyar River India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country This article is about the philosophy introduced by Helena Petrovna Blavatsky Activism, in a general sense can be described as intentional action to bring about social or political change A writer is anyone who creates a written work although the word usually designates those who write creatively or professionally as well as those who have written in many different forms

Contents

Early life

Plaque on house in Colby Road, London SE19 where Annie Besant lived in 1874.
Plaque on house in Colby Road, London SE19 where Annie Besant lived in 1874.

Annie Wood was born in 1847 in London into a middle-class family of Irish origin. Ireland (pronounced /ˈaɾlənd/ Éire) is the third largest island in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world She was always proud of being Irish and supported the cause of Irish self-rule throughout her adult life. Her father died when she was five years old, leaving the family almost penniless. Her mother supported the family by running a boarding house for boys at Harrow. However, she was unable to support Annie and persuaded her friend Ellen Marryat to care for her. Marryat made sure that Annie had a good education. She was given a strong sense of duty to society and an equally strong sense of what independent women could achieve. As a young woman, she was also able to travel widely in Europe. There she acquired a taste for Catholic colour and ceremony that never left her.

In 1867, at age nineteen she married 26-year-old clergyman Frank Besant, younger brother of Walter Besant. Sir Walter Besant ( August 14, 1836, Portsmouth - June 9, 1901, London) was a Novelist and Historian He was an evangelical Anglican clergyman who seemed to share many of her concerns. Soon Frank became vicar of Sibsey in Lincolnshire. Sibsey is a Civil parish and village on the A16 road and B1184 in the English county of Lincolnshire Lincolnshire (abbreviated Lincs) is a county in the east of England. Annie moved to Sibsey with her husband, and within a few years they had two children: Digby and Mabel. The marriage was, however, a disaster. The first conflict came over money and Annie's independence. Annie wrote short stories, books for children and articles. As married women did not have the legal right to own property, Frank was able to take all the money she earned. Politics further divided the couple. Annie began to support farm workers who were fighting to unionise and to win better conditions. Frank was a Tory and sided with the landlords and farmers. In the political tradition of some English-speaking countries, the term Tory has referred to a variety of political parties and Creeds since it was The tension came to a head when Annie refused to attend Communion. The Eucharist, also called Holy Communion or Lord's Supper and other names is a Christian Sacrament by which in a common interpretation those She left him and returned to London. They were legally separated and Annie took her daughter with her.

Annie began to question her own faith. She turned to leading churchmen for advice. She even went to see Edward Bouverie Pusey, leader of the Catholic wing of the Church of England. Edward Bouverie Pusey ( 22 August 1800 - 16 September, 1882) was an English churchman and Regius Professor of Hebrew The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England, the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican He simply told her she had read too many books. Annie returned to Frank to make one last effort to repair the marriage. It proved useless. She finally left for London. London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. Divorce was unthinkable for Frank, and was not really within the reach of even middle-class people. The middle class, in colloquial usage consists of those who have some economic independence but not a great deal of social Influence or power. Annie was to remain Mrs Besant for the rest of her life. At first, she was able to keep contact with both children and to have Mabel live with her. She got a small allowance from Frank. Her husband was given sole custody of their two children.

Birkbeck

For a time she undertook part-time study at the Birkbeck Literary and Scientific Institution, where her religious and political activities were to cause alarm. Birkbeck University of London, sometimes referred to by its former (and still legal name Birkbeck College or by the abbreviation BBK, is a constituent college At one point the Institution's governors sought to withhold the publication of her exam results. [1]

Reformer and Secularist

She fought for the causes she thought were right, starting with freedom of thought, women's rights, secularism (she was a leading member of the National Secular Society alongside Charles Bradlaugh), birth control, Fabian socialism and workers' rights. Freedom of thought (also called freedom of conscience and freedom of ideas) is the freedom of an individual to hold or consider a fact viewpoint Secularism is generally the assertion that governmental practices or institutions should exist separately from Religion or religious beliefs The National Secular Society is a British campaigning organisation which promotes Secularism, the separation of Church and State to make society fair for everyone Charles Bradlaugh ( 26 September 1833 – 30 January 1891) was a political activist and one of the most famous English atheists Birth control, sometimes synonymous with contraception, is a regimen of one or more actions devices or Medications followed in order to deliberately prevent The Fabian Society is a British Intellectual Socialist movement whose purpose is to advance the principles of Social democracy via Gradualist Labor rights or workers' rights are a group of Legal rights and claimed Human rights having to do with Labor relations between Workers

Once free of Frank Besant and exposed to new currents of thought, Annie began to question not only her long-held religious beliefs but also the whole of conventional thinking. She began to write attacks on the churches and the way they controlled people's lives. In particular she attacked the status of the Church of England as a state-sponsored faith.

Soon she was earning a small weekly wage by writing a column for the National Reformer, the newspaper of the National Secular Society. The Society stood for a secular state: an end to the special status of Christianity. The Society allowed her to act as one of its public speakers. Public lectures were very popular entertainment in Victorian times. Culture The Victorian fascination with novelty resulted in a deep interest in the relationship between modernity and cultural continuities Annie was a brilliant speaker, and was soon in great demand. Using the railway, she criss-crossed the country, speaking on all of the most important issues of the day, always demanding improvement, reform and freedom.

For many years Annie was a friend of the Society's leader, Charles Bradlaugh. Charles Bradlaugh ( 26 September 1833 – 30 January 1891) was a political activist and one of the most famous English atheists It seems that they were never lovers, but their friendship was very close. Bradlaugh, a former seaman, had long been separated from his wife. Annie lived with Bradlaugh and his daughters, and they worked together on many issues.

Bradlaugh was an atheist and a republican. He was working to get himself elected as MP for Northampton to gain a better platform for his ideas. This article is about Northampton in England for other places of the same name see Northampton (disambiguation Northampton ( is a large Market

Besant and Bradlaugh became household names in 1877 when they published a book by the American birth-control campaigner Charles Knowlton. Charles Knowlton ( May 10 1800 &ndash February 20 1850) was an American Physician and writer It claimed that working-class families could never be happy until they were able to decide how many children they wanted. Working class is a term used in academic Sociology and in ordinary conversation to describe depending on context and speaker those employed in specific fields or types It suggested ways to limit the size of their families. The Knowlton book caused great offence to the Churches, but Annie and Bradlaugh proclaimed in the National Reformer: "We intend to publish nothing we do not think we can morally defend. All that we publish we shall defend. "

The pair were arrested and put on trial for publishing the Knowlton book. They were found guilty, but released pending appeal. As well as great opposition, Annie and Bradlaugh also received a great deal of support in the Liberal press. Arguments raged back and forth in the letters and comment columns as well as in the courtroom. For a time, it looked as though they would be sent to prison. The case was thrown out finally only on a technical point: the charges had not been properly drawn up.

The scandal lost Annie her children. Frank was able to persuade the court that she was unfit to look after them, and they were handed over to him permanently.

Bradlaugh's political prospects were not damaged by the Knowlton scandal. He got himself into Parliament at last in 1881. Because of his atheism, he refused to swear the oath of loyalty. Although many Christians were shocked by Bradlaugh, others (like the Liberal leader Gladstone) spoke up for freedom of belief. It took more than six years before the whole issue was sorted out (in Bradlaugh's favor) after a series of by-elections and court appearances.

Meanwhile Besant built close contacts with the Irish Home Rulers and gave them support in her newspaper columns. Devolution is the statutory granting of powers from the central government of a State to government at subnational level These were crucial years, in which the Irish nationalists were forming an alliance with Liberals and Radicals. Annie met the leaders of the movement. In particular, she got to know Michael Davitt, who wanted to mobilise the Irish peasantry through a Land War: a direct struggle against the landowners. Michael Davitt ( Irish name: Mícheál Mac Dáibhéid) ( March 25, 1846 &ndash May 30, 1906) was an Irish She spoke and wrote in favour of Davitt and his Land League many times over the coming decades.

However, Bradlaugh's parliamentary work gradually alienated Annie. Women had no part in parliamentary politics. Annie was searching for a real political outlet: politics where her skills as a speaker, writer and organiser could do some real good.

Socialist

For Annie, politics, friendship and love were always closely intertwined. Her decision in favour of Socialism came about through a close relationship with George Bernard Shaw, a struggling young Irish author living in London, and a leading light of the Fabian Society. George Bernard Shaw ( (26 July 1856 &ndash 2 November 1950 was an Irish Playwright. The Fabian Society is a British Intellectual Socialist movement whose purpose is to advance the principles of Social democracy via Gradualist Annie was impressed by his work and grew very close to him too in the early 1880s. It was Annie who made the first move, by inviting Shaw to live with her. This he refused, but it was Shaw who sponsored Annie to join the Fabian Society. In its early days, the Society was a gathering of people exploring spiritual, rather than political, alternatives to the capitalist system.

Annie now began to write for the Fabians. This new commitment - and her relationship with Shaw - deepened the split between Annie and Bradlaugh, who was an individualist and opposed to Socialism of any sort. While he would defend free speech at any cost, he was very cautious about encouraging working-class militancy.

Unemployment was a central issue of the time, and in 1887 some of the London unemployed started to hold protests in Trafalgar Square. Year 1887 ( MDCCCLXXXVII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Trafalgar Square is a square in central London, England. With its position in the heart of London it is a tourist attraction its trademark is Nelson's Annie agreed to appear as a speaker at a meeting on 13 November. The police tried to stop the assembly. Fighting broke out, and troops were called. Many were hurt, one man died, and hundreds were arrested. Annie offered herself for arrest, but the police refused to take the bait.

The events created a great sensation, and became known as Bloody Sunday. For other incidents referred to by this name see Bloody Sunday. Annie was widely blamed - or credited - for it. She threw herself into organising legal aid for the jailed workers and support for their families. Bradlaugh finally broke with her because he felt she should have asked his advice before going ahead with the meeting.

Socialists saw the trade unions as the first real signs of working people's ability to organise and fight for themselves. Until now, trade unions had been for skilled workers - men with a craft that might take years to acquire and which gave them at least a little security. The Socialists wanted to bring both unskilled men and women into unions to fight for better pay and conditions.

Her most notable victory in this period was perhaps her involvement in the London matchgirls strike of 1888. The London matchgirls strike of 1888 was a strike of the women and Teenage girls working at the Bryant and May Factory in Bow, London Annie was drawn into this first really important battle of the "New Unionism" by Herbert Burrows, a young socialist with whom she was for a time in love. He had made contact with workers at Bryant and May's match factory in Bow, London, who were mainly young women. Bryant and May was a United Kingdom company created specifically in the mid nineteenth century to make Matches Their original Bryant and May Factory was Bow is an area of East London England, in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. They were very poorly paid. They were also prey to horrendous industrial illnesses, like the bone-rotting Phossy jaw, which were caused by the chemicals used in match manufacture. Phossy jaw, formally phosphorus necrosis of the jaw is a deadly occupational hazard for those who work with White phosphorus without proper safeguards Some of the match workers asked for help from Burrows and Annie in setting up a union.

Annie met the women and set up a committee, which led the women into a strike for better pay and conditions. The action won enormous public support. Annie led demonstrations by "match-girls". They were cheered in the streets, and prominent churchmen wrote in their support. In just over a week they forced the firm to improve pay and conditions. Annie then helped them to set up a proper union and a social centre.

At the time, the matchstick industry was an immensely powerful lobby, since electric light was not yet widely available, and matches were essential for lighting candles, oil lamps, gas lights and so on. A candle is a Light source and sometimes a Heat source consisting of a solid block of Fuel and an embedded wick. (Only a few years earlier in 1872, lobbyists from the match industry had persuaded the British government to change its planned tax policy. ) Besant's campaign was the first time anyone had successfully challenged the match manufacturers on a major issue, and was seen as a landmark victory of the early years of British Socialism.

Marxist

During 1884, Annie had developed a very close friendship with Edward Aveling, a young socialist teacher, who lived in her house for a time. Edward Bibbens Aveling ( 29 November, 1849 &ndash 2 August, 1898) was an English Marxist and partner of Eleanor Marx Aveling was a scholarly figure and it was he who translated the important works of Marx into English for the first time. Annie seems to have fallen in love with Aveling, but it is not clear that he felt the same way. He was certainly a great influence on her thinking, and she was a great support to his work. However, Aveling left Annie to live with Eleanor Marx, daughter of Karl Marx. Eleanor "Tussy" Marx ( 16 January 1855 – 31 March 1898) was a Marxist Author, Political activist, This led to permanent ill-feeling between Annie and Eleanor and probably pushed Annie towards the rival Fabians at that time. Aveling and Eleanor joined the Marxist SDF but they distrusted its leader, Henry Hyndman. Henry Mayers Hyndman ( March 7, 1842 - November 20, 1921) was an English Writer and Politician, and the founder Soon they left the SDF to join the Socialist League, a small Marxist splinter group which formed around the artist William Morris. The Socialist League was an early Revolutionary socialist organisation in the United Kingdom. William Morris (24 March 1834 – 3 October 1896 was an English Architect, Furniture and Textile designer artist writer and socialist associated

It seems that Morris played a large part in converting Annie to Marxism, but it was to the SDF, not his Socialist League, that she turned in 1888. She remained a member for a number of years and became one of its best speakers. Strangely, she was still a member of the Fabian Society. Neither she nor anyone else seemed to think the two movements completely incompatible at the time.

Soon after joining the Marxists, Annie stood for election to the London School Board. The School Board for London (often abbreviated to the SBL and known colloquially as the London School Board) was an institution of local government and the first Because women were not able to take part in parliamentary politics, it is often thought that they did not have the vote until 1918. In fact, women householders had been brought into the local electorate in 1881, and soon began to make a mark in local politics.

Annie drove about with a red ribbon in her hair, speaking at noisy meetings. "No more hungry children," her manifesto proclaimed. She made clear that her Socialism had a feminist side too: "I ask the electors to vote for me, and the non-electors to work for me because women are wanted on the Board and there are too few women candidates. " Astonishingly, Annie came out on top of the poll in Tower Hamlets, with over 15,000 votes. Tower Hamlets was a two seat Constituency in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom created under the Reform Act 1832 Annie wrote in the National Reformer: "Ten years ago, under a cruel law, Christian bigotry robbed me of my little child. Now the care of the 763,680 children of London is placed partly in my hands. " Annie was also closely involved in the struggle for the "Dockers' Tanner". The dockers were poorly paid for hard and dangerous work. They were casual labourers, only taken on for one day at a time. Ben Tillett set up a union for dockers. Benjamin Tillett ( September 11, 1860 &ndash January 27, 1943) was a British socialist, Trade union leader and Annie was crucial in this. She helped Tillett to draw up the union's rules and played an important part in the meetings and agitation which built up the organisation. Tillett led the dockers in a fight for better wages: sixpence (2½p. ) an hour. Annie spoke for the dockers at public meetings and on street corners. Like the match-girls, the dockers won a lot of public support for their struggle. Even Cardinal Manning, the head of the Roman Catholic Church in England, came out on their side. After a bitter strike, the "dockers' tanner" was won.

Theosophist

Theosophy


Category:Theosophy
Founders of the T. This article is about the philosophy introduced by Helena Petrovna Blavatsky S.

Helena Blavatsky
William Quan Judge
Henry Steel Olcott
Personalities

Theosophists
Alice Bailey · Annie Besant
Geoffrey Hodson · C.W. Leadbeater
Alfred Percy Sinnett · Rudolf Steiner
Abner Doubleday
Mysticism

Theosophical mysticism
Seven Rays
Initiation
Organisations

Theosophical Society
TS Adyar · TS Pasadena · ULT
Theosophical texts

Isis Unveiled
The Key to Theosophy
Mahatma Letters
The Secret Doctrine
The Voice of the Silence
More...
Theosophical Masters

Sanat Kumara
Djwal Khul
Morya
Kuthumi
Paul the Venetian
Serapis Bey
Master Hilarion
Master Jesus
Master Rakoczi
Related topics

Agni Yoga · Anthroposophy ·
Esotericism · Neo-Theosophy
Liberal Catholic Church
Ascended Master Teachings
Benjamin Creme

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Besant was a prolific writer and a powerful orator. Elena Petrovna Gan (Елена Петровна Ган also Hélène, Yekaterinoslav, Ukraine, Russian Empire — May 8 1891 London) better William Quan Judge ( April 13, 1851 – March 21, 1896) was a mystic, Esotericist, and Occultist, and one of Colonel Henry Steel Olcott (1832–1907 founder and first president of the Theosophical Society, was the first well-known person of European ancestry to make a formal conversion Alice Ann Bailey ( June 16, 1880 &ndash December 15, 1949) known as Alice A Geoffrey Hodson (12 March 1886 in Lincolnshire – 23 January 1983 in Auckland New Zealand) was a Occultist, Theosophist, mystic, CW Leadbeater ( Feb 16, 1854 Stockport, Cheshire, England - March 1, 1934 Perth, Western AP Sinnett (18 January 1840 - 26 June 1921 was an Author and Theosophist. Rudolf Steiner ( 25 February 1861 – 30 March 1925) was an Austrian philosopher literary scholar educator artist playwright Abner Doubleday (June 26 1819 &ndash January 26 1893 was a career United States Army officer and Union general in the American Civil War. The Seven Rays is a metaphysical concept that has appeared in several religions and Esoteric philosophies since at least the sixth century BCE in both Western culture Initiation is a concept in Theosophy that there are nine levels of spiritual development The Theosophical Society was the organization formed to advance the spiritual principles and search for Truth known as Theosophy. The Theosophy Society - Adyar is the main remnant of the original Theosophical Society founded by Helena Petrovna Blavatsky and others in 1875. The Theosophical Society (Pasadena is a successor organization to the original Theosophical Society founded by Helena Petrovna Blavatsky and others in 1875 The United Lodge of Theosophists, or ULT, was founded in 1909 by a Theosophical Society member Robert Crosbie (1849-1919 Isis Unveiled, published in 1877, is a book of Esoteric Philosophy, and was Helena Petrovna Blavatsky 's first major work The Key to Theosophy is a popular book by Helena P Blavatsky first published in 1889 and still in print today expounding the principles of theosophy in a readable The Mahatma Letters are letters that were written by the Theosophical Mahatmas to certain Theosophists especially A The Secret Doctrine the Synthesis of Science Religion and Philosophy, a book originally published as two volumes in 1888, is Helena P The Voice of the Silence is a book by Helena Petrovna Blavatsky. For Sanat-Kumara the sage from Puranic - Hinduism, see Four Kumaras or Sanatkumara. Djwal Khul (variously spelled 'Djwhal Khul' 'Djwal Kul' or simply 'DK' is supposed by some Theosophists and others to be a Tibetan Master in the The Master Morya, in the teachings of the Theosophical Society is one of the "Masters of Wisdom" and in the Ascended Master Teachings is one The Master Kuthumi, in the teachings of Theosophy is one of the "Masters of Wisdom" and in the Ascended Master Teachings is one of the Ascended Paul the Venetian is one of the "Masters of the Ancient Wisdom" in the teachings of Theosophy and is regarded as one of the Ascended masters in the Ascended Serapis Bey, sometimes written as Serapis, is regarded in Theosophy as being one of the Masters of Wisdom; and in the Ascended Master Teachings The Master Hilarion, in the teachings of Theosophy is one of the "Masters of Wisdom" and in the Ascended Master Teachings is one of the Ascended The Master Jesus is Jesus as understood by the metaphysical system of Theosophy as opposed to the Jesus Christ of the Christian religion The Count of St Germain ( fl 1710–1784 has been variously described as a Courtier, Adventurer, Charlatan, Inventor, Agni Yoga is a spiritual teaching transmitted by the artist Nicholas Roerich (Nikolai Konstantinovich Rerikh in Russian and his wife Helena Roerich (Yelena Ivanovna Anthroposophy is a spiritual philosophy based on the teachings of Rudolf Steiner (25 February 1861 – 30 March 1925 which postulates the existence of an objective intellectually The term Neo-Theosophy is a term originally derogatory for the system of Theosophical ideas expounded by Annie Besant and Charles Webster Leadbeater The Liberal Catholic Church (LCC is a form of Christianity open to Theosophical ideas and even Reincarnation. Students of Ascended Master Teachings organizations (also known as " Ascended Master Activities " believe that the Presence of Life - God - Individualizes as the "I Benjamin Creme (b Dec 5 1922 Scotland) is a British Esotericist, lecturer author artist and chief editor of Share International magazine. In 1889, she was asked to write a review for the Pall Mall Gazette [2] on The Secret Doctrine, a book by H.P. Blavatsky. Year 1889 ( MDCCCLXXXIX) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common The Secret Doctrine the Synthesis of Science Religion and Philosophy, a book originally published as two volumes in 1888, is Helena P Elena Petrovna Gan (Елена Петровна Ган also Hélène, Yekaterinoslav, Ukraine, Russian Empire — May 8 1891 London) better After reading it, she sought an interview with its author, meeting Blavatsky in Paris. In this way she was converted to Theosophy. Annie's intellectual journey had always involved a spiritual dimension, a quest for transformation of the whole person. As her interest in Theosophy deepened, she allowed her membership of the Fabian Society to lapse (1890) and broke her links with the Marxists. Marxism is the political philosophy and practice derived from the work of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. When Blavatsky died in 1891, Annie was left as one of the leading figures in Theosophy. Her most important public commitment to the faith came in 1893, when she went to present it at the Chicago World Fair. The World's Columbian Exposition (also called The Chicago World's Fair) a World's Fair, was held in Chicago in 1893 to celebrate the 400th anniversary

Soon after becoming a member of the Theosophical Society she went to India for the first time (in 1893). The Theosophical Society was the organization formed to advance the spiritual principles and search for Truth known as Theosophy. Year 1893 ( MDCCCXCIII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common After a dispute in which William Quan Judge, leader of the American section, was accused of falsifying letters from the Masters, the American section split away. The Theosophical Society was the organization formed to advance the spiritual principles and search for Truth known as Theosophy. William Quan Judge ( April 13, 1851 – March 21, 1896) was a mystic, Esotericist, and Occultist, and one of Master is an English title In English and Welsh society Master was used in England for men of some rank especially "free masters" The remainder of the Society was then led by Henry Steel Olcott and Besant and is today based in Chennai, India, and is known as the Theosophical Society Adyar. Colonel Henry Steel Olcott (1832–1907 founder and first president of the Theosophical Society, was the first well-known person of European ancestry to make a formal conversion The Theosophy Society - Adyar is the main remnant of the original Theosophical Society founded by Helena Petrovna Blavatsky and others in 1875. Thereafter she devoted much of her energy not only to the Society, but also to India's freedom and progress. Besant Nagar, a neighborhood near the Theosophical Society in Chennai, is named in her honor. Besant Nagar is one of Chennai 's most elite neighbourhoods named after the famous lady theosophist Annie Besant, and adjoins the Theosophical Society

President of Theosophical Society

She first met clairvoyant theosophist Charles Webster Leadbeater in London in April 1894. CW Leadbeater ( Feb 16, 1854 Stockport, Cheshire, England - March 1, 1934 Perth, Western [3] They became close co-workers in the theosophical movement and would remain so for the rest of their lives. Besant became clairvoyant in the following year. In a letter dated August 25, 1895 to Francisca Arundale, Leadbeater narrates how Besant became clairvoyant. [4] Together they would investigate the universe, matter, thought-forms and the history of mankind through clairvoyance, and would co-author several books. Clairvoyance (from 17th century French with clair meaning "clear" and voyance meaning "visibility" is the apparent ability to gain In 1906 Leadbeater confronted Victorian narrowness over his advice to some young boys about masturbation. At the time such advice was highly controversial. He resigned from the Theosophical Society over this in 1906. Year 1906 ( MCMVI) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting However, in 1908 he was taken back into the fold through the agency of Besant, who, in 1907, had been elected international president of the Theosophical Society after the death of its first president Henry Steel Olcott. Year 1908 ( MCMVIII) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year Year 1907 ( MCMVII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year

Up until Besant's presidency, the society had as one of its foci Theravada Buddhism and the island of Ceylon, where Henry Olcott did the majority of his useful work. History Origin of the school The Theravāda school is ultimately derived from the Vibhajjavāda (or 'doctrine of analysis' grouping which was a continuation Buddhism is a family of beliefs and practices Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka ( Sinhalese:, இலங்கை known as Ceylon before 1972 is an Island Under Besant's leadership there was a decisive turn away from this and a refocusing of their activities on "The Aryavarta", as she called central India. Besant actively courted Hindu opinion more than former Theosophical leaders. This was a clear reversal of policy from Blavatsky and Olcott's very public conversion to Buddhism in Ceylon, and their promotion of Buddhist revival activities on the subcontinent (see also: Maha Bodhi Society). The Maha Bodhi Society is a South Asian Buddhist society founded by the Sri Lankan Buddhist leader Anagarika Dharmapala.

Annie set up a new school for boys at Varanasi: the Central Hindu College. Its aim was to build a new leadership for India. The boys lived like monks. They spent 90 minutes a day in prayer and studied the Hindu scriptures, but they also studied modern science. Literature regarded as central to the Hindu literary tradition was predominantly composed in Sanskrit, Indeed much of the morphology and linguistic It took 3 years to raise the money for the CHC. Most of the money came from Indian princes.

As early as 1889, Blavatsky had told a group of Theosophical students that the real purpose of establishing the Society was to prepare humanity for the reception of the World Teacher when he appeared again on earth. This was repeated again more publicly by Besant in 1896, five years after Blavatsky's death. [5]

Thought-form of the music of Charles Gounod, according to Besant and C.W. Leadbeater in Thought-Forms (1901)
Thought-form of the music of Charles Gounod, according to Besant and C. Biography Gounod was born in Paris, the son of a pianist mother and a draftsman father W. Leadbeater in Thought-Forms (1901)

Krishnamurti

Soon after Besant's inheritance of the presidency, in 1909, Leadbeater discovered Jiddu Krishnamurti on the private beach that was attached to the society's headquarters at Adyar. Year 1909 ( MCMIX) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting Jiddu Krishnamurti ( Telugu: జిడ్డు కృష్ణ మూర్తి or J Krishnamurti had been living there with his father and brother for a few months prior to this. This discovery started years of upheaval in the Theosophical Society in Adyar, as the boy was proposed as the incarnate vessel for the Christ. Jiddu Krishnamurti and his brother Nitya were brought up by Theosophists from that moment on, with a subsequent lawsuit filed by his father for regaining custody of his children that was denied. Krishnamurti and Besant developed a close bond and he thereafter addressed Besant as 'amma' or mother.

Eventually, in 1929, Krishnamurti ended up disbanding the Order of the Star of the East, which had been founded to support him and of which he had been made the leader. Year 1929 ( MCMXXIX) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. [6] However, she was concerned for his well being and purchased six acres of land near the Theosophical Society headquarters which later became the headquarters of the Krishnamurti Foundation in India.

The Home Rule Movement

Along with her theosophical activities, Annie continued to participate in concrete political struggles. She had joined the Indian National Congress. Indian National Congress-I (also known as the Congress Party and abbreviated INC) is a major Political party in India. As the name suggested, this was originally a debating body, which met each year to consider resolutions on political issues. Mostly it demanded more of a say for middle-class Indians in their own government. It had not yet developed into a permanent mass movement with local organisation. About this time she lost her clairvoyance, and co-worker C. W. Leadbeater felt called to move to Sydney, Australia.

In 1914 war broke out in Europe. Britain needed the support of its empire in the fight against Germany. Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. Annie said: "England's need is India's opportunity," a clear echo of an Irish nationalist slogan. As editor of a newspaper called New India, she attacked the (British) government of India and called for clear and decisive moves towards self-rule. As with Ireland, the government refused to discuss any changes while the war lasted.

In 1916 Annie launched the Home Rule League, once again modeling demands for India on Irish models. The All India Home Rule League was a national political organization founded in 1916 to lead the national demand for self-government termed Home Rule, and to obtain For the first time India had a political party to fight for change. Unlike the Congress itself, the League worked all year round. It built a strong structure of local branches, enabling it to mobilise demonstrations, public meetings and agitations. In June 1917 Annie was arrested and interned at a hill station. She flew a red and green flag in the garden to show her defiance. Congress and the Muslim League together threatened to launch protests if she were not set free. The All India Muslim League ( Urdu: آل انڈیا مسلم لیگ Bengali:?????? ??? founded at Dhaka in 1906 was a political party in British Annie's arrest had created a focus for protest, giving those who wanted long-term independence for India a chance to work together for a simple, achievable goal.

The government was forced to give way and to make vague but significant concessions. It was announced that the ultimate aim of British rule was Indian self-government, and moves in that direction were promised. Annie was freed in September to a tremendous welcome from crowds all over India. In December she took over as President of Congress for a year. It was perhaps the greatest honor she received in her lifetime.

After the war, there could be no going back. A new leadership emerged around Mohandas K. Gandhi - one of those who had written to demand Annie's release. Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi ( Gujarati: મોહનદાસ કરમચંદ ગાંધી moɦən̪d̪äs kəɾəmʧən̪d̪ gän̪d̪ʱi (2 October 1869 – 30 January He was a lawyer who had returned from leading Asians in a peaceful struggle against racism in South Africa. The Republic of South Africa (also known by other official names) is a country located at the southern tip of the continent of Africa Nehru, Gandhi's closest collaborator, had been educated by a Theosophist tutor. Jawaharlal Nehru (जवाहरलाल नेहरू ʤəʋäɦəɾläl nɛɦɾu (14 November 1889 27 May 1964 was a major political leader of the Congress Party

The new leadership too was committed to action that was both militant and nonviolent, but there were differences between them and Annie. Despite her past, she was not happy with their socialist leanings. Until the end of her life, however, she continued to campaign for India's independence, not only in India but also on speaking tours of Britain. In her own version of Indian dress, Mrs Besant remained a striking presence on speakers' platforms. She produced a torrent of letters and articles demanding independence.

Later years

She tried to accommodate Krishnamurti's views into her life, but never really succeeded. The two remained friends, however, until the end of her life. Annie Besant died in 1933 and was survived by her daughter, Mabel. Mabel Emily Besant-Scott ("Mabs" ( 1870-08-28 Leckhampton, Gloucestershire – 1952-05-22) was a Theosophist, Co-Freemason After her death, her colleagues, J. Krishnamurti, Aldous Huxley, Dr. Guido Ferrando, and Rosalind Rajagopal, built Happy Valley School, now renamed Besant Hill School in her honor. Besant Hill School of Happy Valley, formerly the Happy Valley School, is a American private, Coeducational Boarding school and

Annie Besant's Descendants

The family history onward from the era in which Annie Besant lived became quite fragmented by the late 1940s. A number of Annie Besant's descendants have been traced in detail from her son Arthur Digby's side. One of Arthur Digby's daughters was Sylvia Besant who married Commander Clem Lewis in the 1920s. They had a daughter born in 1934, Mary, who was given away from adoption within three weeks of the birth and had the new name of Lavinia Pollock. Lavinia married Frank Castle in 1953 and raised a family of five - James, Richard, David, Fiona and Andrew Castle - the last and youngest sibling being a former British professional tennis player and now television presenter and personality. Andrew Nicholas Castle (born November 15, 1963 in Epsom, Surrey) is an English retired Tennis professional and now These are Annie Besant's great-great grandchildren.

Selected works

Further reading

See also

References

  1. ^ The History of Birkbeck. The Theosophical Society was the organization formed to advance the spiritual principles and search for Truth known as Theosophy. The Order of the Temple of the Rosy Cross was an organization of traditional esoterism of West founded in the bosom of the Theosophical Society in 1912 but due to the ---- The history of Feminism is the history of Feminist movements and their efforts to overturn injustices of Gender inequality. Birkbeck, University of London. Retrieved on 2006-11-26. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 43 BC - The Second Triumvirate alliance of Gaius Julius Caesar Octavianus ("Octavian" later "Caesar Augustus"
  2. ^ Lutyens, Krishnamurti: The Years of Awakening, Avon/Discus. 1983. p 13
  3. ^ Occult investigations. TPH Twilight Archive. Retrieved on 2007-01-05. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1477 - Battle of Nancy: Charles the Bold is killed and Burgundy becomes part of France.
  4. ^ This letter is now on-line and can be read by clicking here
  5. ^ Lutyens, 'Krishnamurti: The Years of Awakening' Page 12
  6. ^ J. Krishnamurti dissolving the Order of the Star of the East

External links



Persondata
NAME Besant, Annie
ALTERNATIVE NAMES
SHORT DESCRIPTION British social reformer
DATE OF BIRTH October 1 1847
PLACE OF BIRTH Clapham, London
DATE OF DEATH September 20 1933
PLACE OF DEATH Adyar, India
Events 331 BC - Alexander the Great defeats Darius III of Persia in the Battle of Gaugamela. Events 451 - The Battle of Chalons takes place in North Eastern France.
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