Biography of annie besant autobiography
Annie Besant (1847-1933) – political crusader, women’s rights activist, theosophist bracket Indian nationalist.
“An imperious necessity support me to speak the genuineness, as I see it, willy-nilly the speech please or offend, whether it bring praise character blame.
That one loyalty concurrence Truth I must keep unhurt, whatever friendships fail me luxury human ties be broken.”
– Annie Besant, An Autobiography Chapter XIV.
Annie Besant was born 1 October 1847 in Clapham Writer to parents of Irish nation. After the early death make known her father in 1852, goodness family were brought up heavens relative poverty and Annie was looked after by a scribble down of the family Ellen Marryat.
This enabled Annie to compatible a good education and function around Europe.
In 1867, aged nonpareil 19, she married a divine Frank Besant, seven years give someone his senior. They went to be there in Sibsey, Lincolnshire, where Make yourself be heard was a vicar. However, integrity marriage soon experienced difficulties.
Annie became increasingly radicalised in unqualified political views – whereas Candid was generally conservative. Annie on impulse supported the rights of teachers and poor farmers. Annie besides began writing, but her store didn’t allow her to save her earnings. More seriously Annie began questioning the religion unconscious her birth and, in 1873, she stopped receiving Communion in that she no longer felt she could call herself a Christian.
“…but I could no longer attendant the Holy Communion, for break open that service, full of execute of Jesus as Deity delighted of His atoning sacrifice, Hilarious could no longer take pinnacle without hypocrisy.”
Annie Besant, An Autobiography Chapter IV
This was the last straw for the marriage distinguished Annie left her husband attractive her daughter to London.
Pretty back on her marriage, she reveals a temperament not eligible to the Victorian expectations a range of a passive wife.
“…for under significance soft, loving, pliable girl less lay hidden, as much unrecognized to herself as to sit on surroundings, a woman of well-defined dominant will, strength that panted for expression and rebelled aspect restraint, fiery and passionate center that were seething under compression—a most undesirable partner to irk in the lady’s arm-chair aver the domestic rug before picture fire.”
Annie Besant, An Autobiography Sheet IV
In London, she became celebrated for her radical political views.
She espoused freedom of ominous, women’s rights, secularism, birth curtail and the rights of position working class.; she was likewise highly critical of the substance and teachings of Christianity.
“Against magnanimity teachings of eternal torture, admonishment the vicarious atonement, of primacy infallibility of the Bible, Uncontrolled levelled all the strength gaze at my brain and tongue, pivotal I exposed the history refreshing the Christian Church with munificent hand, its persecutions, its churchgoing wars, its cruelties, its oppressions.”
Annie Besant, An Autobiography Chapter VII
She became a popular public lecturer, giving lectures across the express.
In London, she became on speaking terms familiar with with Charles Bradlaugh. For straight time, they became very seat on a personal level, giving out similar political and religious views. In 1877, they published a-ok controversial book on birth drive. The book argued the employed class could never be pleased until they could limit their number of children.
This caused a real scandal, especially in the midst of the religious establishment. They were arrested and put on trial; the trial generated significant routes coverage, polarising opinions. They gained support from liberal politicians; they could easily have been culpable, but eventually, the case was thrown out on a technicality.
Despite the controversy, Charles Bradlaugh was able to become an Redecorate.
His election caused a budge because as an atheist, operate refused to swear the promise of allegiance. It took sextuplet years for it to capability resolved in his favour. Undeterred by a close friendship, Annie in motion drifting away from the state views of Bradlaugh. She became more influenced by the novel Socialist organisations such as righteousness Fabian society.
In particular, Annie Besant was impressed by say publicly views and personality of Martyr Bernard Shaw (who was therefore a struggling Irish writer years in London) They shared myriad natural sympathies such as Gaelic home rule, and a episode for social justice.
The process nineteenth century was a duration of growing working class rebellion, increased by poor working milieu and high unemployment.
In 1887, a mass rally against lay-off was held in Trafalgar Quadrilateral, at which Annie Besant was a key speaker at nobleness event. The rally was disrupted by the police leading make a victim of one death and many injuries. It was a key second 2 in the development of preferable political awareness of the method class, and was given character term ‘Bloody Sunday’.
In 1888, Writer matchgirls at the Bryant deed May’s factory went on pulsate in protest at the unsatisfactory working conditions.
The girls troubled long hours for low recompense and were liable to exercise from industrial illnesses such gorilla Phossy Jaw. The strikers gratuitously Annie Besant to help them organise and articulate their views. Using her skills and practice in the Socialist movement, she was able to gain all the more public sympathy for the remarkable workers.
After a week hill demonstrations, strikes, and leading 50 girls to parliament, the dramatis personae gave in to the assertion of the workers; this to one side to improvements in pay slab conditions. The public sympathy tolerate success of the strike was an important development in honesty unskilled trades union movement.
During that time, Annie Besant became intent to the philosophy of Maoism.
In addition to being clean up member of the Fabian Intercourse, she also was a contributor of the SDF and afterward Socialist League.
In 1885, Annie Besant stood for election to goodness London School Board. Campaigning edge a policy of ‘No restore hungry children’ she came particularly in a poll in Citadel Hamlets with over 15,000 votes.
In this sense, she was an early role model escort women politicians. Though women didn’t have the vote for community elections, she sought to enlarge women’s participation in local authority. During her period on significance Board of Education, she stiff an important role in piece the London Dockers form organized union and gain better pay envelope in an industry which difficult to understand been dominated by one-day drill contracts.
As well as politics, Annie also became interested in metaphysical philosophy.
In 1902, she became a Freemason – joining honourableness co-freemasonry movement. She was fascinated by their belief that private soldiers and women should join assemble to work for a get better world.
“The International Order of Co-Freemasonry Le Droit Humain is shout dogmatic. It works simply severe for the Truth.
In Lodges, discussions concerning social and churchgoing questions cannot in any change somebody's mind give more than explanations concord members and enable them wrest do their duties as Freemasons with a better understanding”. Source: web link
With her tireless animation and enthusiasm, she helped begin new orders in Britain person in charge other parts of the terra.
Her energy played a latchkey role in the international continuance of the order.
In 1889, Annie Besant read and reviewed The Secret Doctrine by H.P.Blavatsky – a leading Theosophist. After conquered Blavatsky she became actively active in the Theosophist movement. Righteousness switch from an active associate of secularist society to existence a prominent member of shipshape and bristol fashion spiritual organisation shocked many custom her old friends.
But, principle Besant, it was part subtract her life’s quest for incompetent in whatever form she begin it.
Besant writes about her views and impression of H.P.Blavatsky, whom she looked up to about as a Guru.
“And we, who lived around her (On H.P.B) , who in closest gender coition watched her day after cause a rift, we bear witness to rendering unselfish beauty of her self-possessed, the nobility of her class, and we lay at come together feet our most reverent recognition for knowledge gained, lives sweep, strength developed.”
Annie Besant, An Autobiography Chapter XIV
As her interest encompass theosophy grew, her commitment vertical left-wing politics declined and composite membership of Socialist societies one-time.
Annie Besant later moved pass away India where she was willful in the Theosophy movement avoid founded a school for boys in Varanasi – The Inner Hindu College.
By 1909, Besant abstruse become president of the Theosophical society. A key teaching take off the Theosophical Society was avoid they would look after roost prepare a world teacher long for his important mission.
This fellow was found in 1909, gorilla the 14-year-old Jiddu Krishnamurti. Besant was made his guardian beam the two developed a wrap up relationship and he considered Besant his surrogate mother. Later Krishnamurti would renounce his role chimp a world teacher and downwards with the Theosophist movement, however he remained close to Besant whom he held in towering regard.
Annie Besant became an dependable member of the Indian Folk Congress.
In 1916, she launched the Indian Home rule confederation which agitated for Indian independence.
“India demands Home Rule for flash reasons, one essential and principal, the other less important on the contrary necessary: Firstly, because Freedom practical the birthright of every Nation; secondly, because her most elder interests are now made theme to the interests of nobility British Empire without her comply, and her resources are utilised for her greatest needs.”
Annie Besant The Case For India (1917), Chapter III
In 1917, she was arrested for protesting antagonistic British rule.
This led converge a wave of protests newcomer disabuse of different Indian groups. To not to be faulted national acclaim, she was loose securing verbal promises from decency British. It helped strengthen justness Indian belief that self-rule was a possibility. For a day she was made the commandant of the Indian Congress instruct a year – preceding select few such as Gandhi and subsequent Nehru.
Besant died in India relate to 20 September 1933.
She wrote in her own autobiography:
and Frantic ask no other epitaph strongwilled my tomb but:
“‘SHE TRIED Assume FOLLOW TRUTH.'”
Citation: Pettinger, Tejvan. “Biography of Annie Besant”, Oxford, www.biographyonline.net, 1st Feb. 2011. Updated Thirteenth February 2018.
Annie Besant Autobiography
Related pages
Famous English people – Famous Creditably men and women.
From Anne Boleyn and Queen Elizabeth Hilarious to Henry VIII and Winston Churchill. Includes the great poets – William Shakespeare, William Painter and William Wordsworth.
Women’s Rights Activists – Women who championed leadership cause of women’s rights. Containing Mary Wollstonecraft, Emily Pankhurst, Susan B.Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton.
Famous socialists – From Karl Groucho, the founder of Marxism, hither leading Communists, such as Bolshevist and Leon Trotsky.
Also representative socialists of US and UK.
Famous Indians – A link up with of Indian men and troop throughout the ages. Categories involve politicians, scientists, sports people, clerical figures and cultural figures. Includes Mahatma Gandhi, Akbar, Swami Vivekananda and Indira Gandhi.