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Table of Contents
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Summary
- Early Life and Education
- Personal Life
- Social Activism and Secularism
- Theosophy and Indian Nationalism
- Controversies and Criticisms
Key Facts And Information
Let’s find out more about Annie Besant!
Annie Besant championed social reform, women's rights, and Indian independence. An Englishwoman by birth, she became a leading voice for freethought and social justice in Britain before embracing Theosophy and moving to India. In India, she played an important role in the struggle for self-governance, founding the Indian Home Rule League and inspiring a generation of Indian nationalists.
Annie Besant
Early Life and Education of Annie Besant
- Annie Besant (then Annie Wood) was born on 1 October 1847 in London, England. Her father was William Burton Persse Wood, a physician of Irish descent, and Emily Roche Morris, a devout Catholic. Her father’s lineage connected her to prominent figures, such as Sir Matthew Wood, a well-known abolitionist.
- Besant’s father passed away when she was just five years old. This left her mother to shoulder the responsibility of raising her and her brother, Henry.
- During her formative years, Besant was entrusted to the care of Ellen Marryat, the sister of the author Frederick Marryat. Ellen ran a school in Charmouth, where Besant received a good education.
- While at Charmouth, she was exposed to the Tractarian movement, a theological movement within the Church of England. As a young woman, she also had the opportunity to travel extensively across Europe.
- In 1867, Besant and her mother visited William Prowting Roberts, a lawyer with strong political beliefs, in Pendleton near Manchester. Roberts challenged her traditional ideas about politics, showing her different ways of thinking.
- Besant was always eager to learn and continued to pursue her education throughout her life. She attended London University and later studied science at Birkbeck College, despite facing discrimination because of her public activism.
Personal Life of Annie Besant
- On 21 December 1867, at the age of 20, she married clergyman Frank Besant. Despite their marriage, their personalities and beliefs were incompatible. Frank was traditional and conservative, while Annie was becoming more independent and questioning her religious beliefs.
- Money problems also caused tension in their marriage. Frank was careful with money, but Annie wanted to help by writing and earning money. However, her husband controlled her earnings.
- Besant’s own religious beliefs also began to change. When her daughter, Mabel, became very sick in 1871, it deeply affected her. She sought guidance from religious leader, Edward Bouverie Pusey, but found that his traditional views no longer matched hers.
- A turning point occurred when she attended a service led by Charles Voysey, a clergyman with unorthodox views. This exposed her to the ideas of freethinkers, people who challenged traditional religious beliefs. This broadened her perspective on religion and spirituality.
- She refused to participate in Communion, a very important religious act in the Anglican Church, which angered Frank. He was worried about how this would affect his reputation and his position as a clergyman. Unable to resolve their differences, Besant left her husband in 1873 and moved to London.
- This was a difficult and challenging decision for a woman in that time period. However, with the support of friends like Moncure Conway and the Scotts, Besant began to pursue her own interests.
Social Activism and Secularism
- In 1874, Besant began writing for the National Reformer, the newspaper of the National Secular Society (NSS) led by Charles Bradlaugh. She quickly became a well-known figure in the NSS, known for her powerful speeches and many writings. She spoke out on a wide range of important issues, such as the right to think freely, equal rights for women, the separation of church and state, family planning, socialist ideas, and better working conditions for people.
- Besant strongly criticised Christianity, arguing that it had often mistreated women and promoted harmful ideas like the idea that people would suffer eternal punishment and that Jesus died to save everyone. She questioned the truthfulness of the Bible and pointed out the many negative things that had happened in the history of the Christian Church.
- In 1877, she and Bradlaugh published a book on birth control, which went against what many people believed at the time. This caused a scandal, and they were arrested and put on trial. Although they were initially found guilty, they were later cleared of the charges.
- Besant played a key role in starting the Malthusian League, an organisation that advocated for the right to choose how many children to have. While not fully agreeing with all of the ideas of Thomas Malthus, she understood that family planning could help reduce poverty and inequality.
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- Beyond her work with the NSS, Besant supported other important movements. She supported Irish independence and worked closely with Irish nationalist leaders.
- In the mid-1880s, Besant started to believe in socialist ideas. She joined the Fabian Society, a group that wanted to gradually improve society through peaceful changes. Besant became an active member of this group.
- During the Bloody Sunday incident of 1887, when police brutally suppressed a peaceful protest in Trafalgar Square, Besant strongly supported those arrested and helped them find legal assistance.
- She also became involved in the London Matchgirls' Strike of 1888. These women worked in terrible conditions at a match factory. Besant used her writing and public speaking to talk about their struggles, such as low pay and harsh working conditions.
- In 1888, she joined the Social Democratic Federation, a political party with more radical socialist views. That same year, she was elected to the London School Board, where she advocated for better education and support for children. Besant also got involved in the London dock strike of 1889. These workers were demanding better pay and working conditions. She helped by rallying public support and assisting their union leaders.
Theosophy and Indian Nationalism
- After reading Helena Blavatsky's book, The Secret Doctrine, Besant became very interested in Theosophy, a spiritual belief system that teaches that everything in the universe is connected. She met with Blavatsky in Paris and was deeply impressed. This led her to leave the Fabian Society and devote herself to Theosophy.
- Following Blavatsky's death in 1891, Besant became a leading figure in the Theosophical Society. She moved to India in 1893 and represented the Society at the World Parliament of Religions in Chicago, where she met Swami Vivekananda, a renowned Indian monk. In 1906, Besant became the president of the Society. During her tenure, she shifted its focus towards Indian culture and spirituality.
- Besant believed that education was very important for India's future. She helped create the Central Hindu College in Banaras, a school that focused on both modern education and traditional Indian values. This college later became part of the well-known Banaras Hindu University.
- Besant and another Theosophist, Charles Leadbeater, believed that a young boy named Jiddu Krishnamurti was destined to be a spiritual leader. They guided Krishnamurti's development for many years. However, Krishnamurti later rejected this role and left the Theosophical Society.
- Besant was also involved in the movement for Indian independence. She saw that British rule was unfair and believed India should be ruled by Indians. In 1916, she started the Indian Home Rule League, a group that demanded independence for India. Although her approach was different from some later leaders like Gandhi and Nehru, her work had a big impact on the Indian independence movement.
Controversies and Criticisms
- Besant’s advocacy for birth control in Victorian England was met with strong opposition as many people at the time disagreed with her views on family planning.
- Her involvement in Theosophy and her later focus on Indian nationalism also raised some questions. Some people questioned whether her Theosophical beliefs were compatible with her political activism. Others questioned her role in the World Teacher project, which involved a young boy named Jiddu Krishnamurti.
- Some people also questioned her views on Indian society. While she strongly supported Indian independence, some critics felt that her emphasis on traditional Indian values might have sometimes overlooked the need for social reforms within India.
- Her association with Charles Leadbeater, who faced accusations of misconduct, also brought criticism. Although Besant never supported these accusations, they raised questions about her judgment.
Later Life and Death of Annie Besant
- Besant continued to be a very active figure in the Theosophical Society and the Indian independence movement throughout her later years. She remained President of the Theosophical Society and continued to travel and spread Theosophical ideas around the world.
- Even though she was getting older, she remained a strong voice for Indian independence. She continued to advocate for India's freedom and remained an important figure in the movement.
- Besant died on 20 September 1933, in Chennai, India. She was 85 years old. Many people came to her funeral, showing how much respect and admiration she had earned during her life.
Frequently Asked Questions About Annie Besant
- Who was Annie Besant?
Annie Besant was a British social reformer, women's rights activist, theosophist, and writer known for her contributions to various progressive movements in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
- What was Annie Besant famous for?
She was famous for her activism in social reform, particularly her advocacy for women's rights, workers' rights, and Indian self-rule.
- What role did she play in the Indian independence movement?
Annie Besant strongly advocated for Indian self-rule and helped launch the Home Rule Movement in India. In 1917, she was the first woman president of the Indian National Congress.