Annie Besant ( 1 October 1847 – 20 September 1933) was British socialist, theosophist, freemason, women’s rights and Home Rule activist, educationist, and campaigner for Indian nationalism.  She was born in London, the daughter of William Burton Persse Wood(father)  and Emily Roche Morris (mother). Her father was English, attended Trinity College Dublin, and attained a medical degree; her mother was an Irish Catholic.  She was president of the Indian National Congress for a year.

In December 1867 at age 20, Annie married the cleric and grammar teacher Frank Besant. She left him after six year of marriage in 1873. Both has a daughter Mabel Besant. Annie wrote in her Autobiography, “we were an ill-matched pair”. Her journey of social reformer and women’s right activist began  in 1874 with her journalism. She started writing on issues in secularist weekly write for the National Reformer and soon became a speaker.  In 1876 she published her first book “Christianity: Its Evidences, Its Origin, Its Morality, Its History” criticizing it. She said that greatest saints of the Church were those who despised women the most.

Besant founded Freethought Publishing Company at the beginning of 1877 and published a controversial book Fruits of Philosophy which led her arrest and court trial. She was politically engaged with Fabian Society from 1885–1890. During this period she had close relation with Bradlaugh (perhaps sexual as her dasha tells it). In 1890 she  me H. P. Blavatsky in Paris and became a Theosophist. H.P Blavatsky was a great liar and founder of Theosophical society. In 1893, soon after becoming a member of the Theosophical Society, she came to India for the first time. Besant met fellow theosophist Charles Webster Leadbeater in London in April 1894. They became close co-workers in the theosophical movement and would remain so for the rest of their lives. Besant became president of the society and in 1908. She nurtured J.Krishna Murti in the Theosophical Society in Adyar as future Buddha but failed. In India She encouraged Indian national consciousness, attacked caste and child marriage, and worked effectively for Indian education. She joined Indian national Congress in 1913 and launched Besant launched the All India Home Rule League along with Lokmanya Tilak. She was arrested and when released she was welcomed by huge crowed. She became president of Indian National Congress in 1917.
Besant died on 20 September 1933, at age 85, in Adyar, Madras Presidency, British India.

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