Annie Besant Quotes

Annie Besant was born in London. She was a prominent British socialist, theosophist, women's rights activist, writer and orator and supporter of Irish and Indian self-rule. At age 20 she married Frank Besant, but separated from him over religious differences. She then became a prominent speaker for the National Secular Society and writer and a close friend of Charles Bradlaugh. As part of her theosophy-related work, she travelled to India. In 1898 she helped establish the Central Hindu College and in 1922 she helped establish the Hyderabad National Collegiate Board in Mumbai, India. She also became involved in politics in India, joining the Indian National Congress. When World War I broke out in 1914, she helped launch the Home Rule League to campaign for democracy in India and dominion status within the Empire. This led to her election as president of the India National Congress in late 1917. After the war, she continued to campaign for Indian independence and for the causes of theosophy, until her death in 1933.