Annie Besant (1847-1933)  – political reformer, ladies’s rights activist, theosophist and Indian nationalist.

“An imperious necessity forces me to speak the truth, as I see it, whether the speech please or displease, whether it bring praise or blame. That one loyalty to Truth I must keep stainless, whatever friendships fail me or human ties be broken.”

– Annie Besant, An Autobiography Chapter XIV.

Annie Besant was born 1 October 1847 in Clapham London to oldsters of Irish roots. After the early dying of her father in 1852, the household have been introduced up in relative poverty and Annie was taken care of by a buddy of the household Ellen Marryat. This enabled Annie to achieve training and journey round Europe.

In 1867, aged solely 19, she married a priest Frank Besant, seven years her senior. They went to reside in Sibsey, Lincolnshire, the place Frank was a vicar. However, the wedding quickly skilled difficulties. Annie grew to become more and more radicalised in her political beliefs – whereas Frank was typically conservative. Annie instinctively supported the rights of staff and poor farmers. Annie additionally started writing, however her husband didn’t enable her to maintain her earnings. More critically Annie started questioning the faith of her start and, in 1873, she stopped receiving Communion as a result of she now not felt she may name herself a Christian.

“…but I could no longer attend the Holy Communion, for in that service, full of recognition of Jesus as Deity and of His atoning sacrifice, I could no longer take part without hypocrisy.”

Annie Besant, An Autobiography Chapter IV

This was the ultimate straw for the wedding and Annie left her husband taking her daughter to London. Looking again on her marriage, she reveals a temperament not suited to the Victorian expectations of a passive spouse.

“…for under the soft, loving, pliable girl there lay hidden, as much unknown to herself as to her surroundings, a woman of strong dominant will, strength that panted for expression and rebelled against restraint, fiery and passionate emotions that were seething under compression—a most undesirable partner to sit in the lady’s arm-chair on the domestic rug before the fire.”

Annie Besant, An Autobiography Chapter IV

In London, she grew to become famous for her radical political beliefs. She espoused freedom of thought, ladies’s rights, secularism, contraception and the rights of the working class.; she was additionally extremely crucial of the affect and teachings of Christianity.

“Against the teachings of eternal torture, of the vicarious atonement, of the infallibility of the Bible, I levelled all the strength of my brain and tongue, and I exposed the history of the Christian Church with unsparing hand, its persecutions, its religious wars, its cruelties, its oppressions.”

Annie Besant, An Autobiography Chapter VII

She grew to become a well-liked public speaker, giving lectures throughout the nation. In London, she grew to become acquainted with Charles Bradlaugh. For a time, they grew to become very shut on a private stage, sharing related political and non secular views. In 1877, they printed a controversial ebook on contraception. The ebook argued the working class may by no means be blissful till they may restrict their variety of kids. This precipitated an actual scandal, particularly amongst the non secular institution. They have been arrested and placed on trial; the trial generated vital media protection, polarising opinions. They gained assist from liberal politicians; they may simply have been convicted, however ultimately, the case was thrown out on a technicality.

Despite the controversy, Charles Bradlaugh was capable of turn into an MP. His election precipitated a stir as a result of as an atheist, he refused to swear the oath of allegiance. It took six years for it to be resolved in his favour. Despite an in depth friendship, Annie began drifting away from the political beliefs of Bradlaugh. She grew to become extra influenced by the brand new Socialist organisations such because the Fabian society. In specific, Annie Besant was impressed by the views and persona of George Bernard Shaw (who was then a struggling Irish author residing in London) They shared many pure sympathies comparable to Irish residence rule, and a priority for social justice.

The late nineteenth century was a interval of rising working class agitation, elevated by poor working circumstances and excessive unemployment. In 1887, a mass rally in opposition to unemployment was held in Trafalgar Square, at which Annie Besant was a key speaker on the occasion. The rally was disrupted by the police main to 1 dying and plenty of accidents. It was a key second within the growth of better political consciousness of the working class, and was given the time period ‘Bloody Sunday’.

In 1888, London matchgirls on the Bryant and May’s manufacturing facility went on strike in protest on the terrible working circumstances. The women labored lengthy hours for low pay and have been liable to undergo from industrial diseases comparable to Phossy Jaw. The strikers requested Annie Besant to assist them organise and articulate their views. Using her abilities and contacts within the Socialist motion, she was capable of acquire a lot public sympathy for the hanging staff. After every week of demonstrations, strikes, and main 50 women to parliament, the corporate gave in to the calls for of the employees; this led to enhancements in pay and circumstances. The public sympathy and success of the strike was an necessary growth within the unskilled trades union motion.

During this time, Annie Besant grew to become drawn to the philosophy of Marxism. In addition to being a member of the Fabian Society, she additionally was a member of the SDF and later Socialist League.

In 1885, Annie Besant stood for election to the London School Board. Campaigning on a coverage of ‘No extra hungry kids’ she got here high in a ballot in Tower Hamlets with over 15,000 votes. In this sense, she was an early function mannequin for girls politicians. Though ladies didn’t have the vote for normal elections, she sought to extend ladies’s participation in native authorities. During her interval on the Board of Education, she performed an necessary function in serving to the London Dockers kind a union and acquire higher wages in an business which had been dominated by one-day employment contracts.

As properly as politics, Annie additionally grew to become desirous about religious philosophy. In 1902, she grew to become a Freemason – becoming a member of the co-freemasonry motion. She was attracted by their perception that women and men ought to be a part of collectively to work for a greater world.

“The International Order of Co-Freemasonry Le Droit Humain will not be dogmatic. It works merely trying to find the Truth. In Lodges, discussions regarding social and non secular questions can not in any case give greater than explanations to members and allow them to do their duties as Freemasons with a greater understanding”. Source: internet hyperlink

With her tireless power and enthusiasm, she helped discovered new orders in Britain and different components of the world. Her power performed a key function within the worldwide development of the order.

In 1889, Annie Besant learn and reviewed The Secret Doctrine by H.P.Blavatsky – a number one Theosophist. After assembly Blavatsky she grew to become actively concerned within the Theosophist motion. The swap from an energetic member of secularist society to being a distinguished member of a religious organisation shocked a lot of her outdated pals. But, to Besant, it was a part of her life’s quest for fact in no matter kind she discovered it.

Besant writes about her views and impression of H.P.Blavatsky, whom she appeared as much as nearly as a Guru.

“And we, who lived around her (On H.P.B) , who in closest intimacy watched her day after day, we bear witness to the unselfish beauty of her life, the nobility of her character, and we lay at her feet our most reverent gratitude for knowledge gained, lives purified, strength developed.”

Annie Besant, An Autobiography Chapter XIV

As her curiosity in theosophy grew, her dedication to left-wing politics declined and her membership of Socialist societies lapsed. Annie Besant later moved to India the place she was energetic within the Theosophy motion and based a college for boys in Varanasi – The Central Hindu College.

By 1909, Besant had turn into president of the Theosophical society. A key instructing of the Theosophical Society was that they might take care of and put together a world instructor for his necessary mission. This instructor was present in 1909, because the 14-year-old Jiddu Krishnamurti. Besant was made his guardian and the 2 developed an in depth relationship and he thought of Besant his surrogate mom. Later Krishnamurti would surrender his function as a world instructor and break with the Theosophist motion, however he remained near Besant whom he held in excessive regard.

Annie Besant grew to become an early member of the Indian National Congress. In 1916, she launched the Indian Home rule league which agitated for Indian independence.

“India demands Home Rule for two reasons, one essential and vital, the other less important but necessary: Firstly, because Freedom is the birthright of every Nation; secondly, because her most important interests are now made subservient to the interests of the British Empire without her consent, and her resources are not utilised for her greatest needs.”

Annie Besant The Case For India (1917), Chapter III

In 1917, she was arrested for protesting in opposition to British rule. This led to a wave of protests from completely different Indian teams. To nice nationwide acclaim, she was launched securing verbal guarantees from the British. It helped strengthen the Indian perception that self-rule was a chance. For a yr she was made the president of the Indian Congress for a yr – previous leaders comparable to Gandhi and later Nehru.

Besant died in India on 20 September 1933. She wrote in her personal autobiography:

and I ask no different epitaph on my tomb however:

“‘SHE TRIED TO FOLLOW TRUTH.'”