Annie Besant
1847 – 1933 English social reformer, Theosophist, president of the Theosophical Society
Reformer who became president of the Theosophical Society and a leader of Indian causes.
- Religion
- Theosophy, which she led and promoted worldwide after an earlier career as a secularist and reformer.
- Affiliations
- President of the Theosophical Society from 1907. Co-founded the Order of the Star in the East to promote Krishnamurti.
Annie Besant was a British social reformer and freethinker who converted to Theosophy under Blavatsky and rose to lead the Theosophical Society from 1907. With Charles Leadbeater she promoted the young Jiddu Krishnamurti as a coming World Teacher through the Order of the Star in the East. She also became deeply involved in Indian politics and served as president of the Indian National Congress.
Connections
- rival of Alice Bailey — Left the Besant-led Theosophical Society after internal conflict.
- ally of Charles Webster Leadbeater — Close collaborator in the Theosophical Society.
- ally of Charles Webster Leadbeater — Long-time collaborator in the Theosophical Society.
- mentor of Helena Blavatsky — Besant became her disciple and later led the society.
- student of Helena Blavatsky — Converted to Theosophy as Blavatsky's disciple.
- successor of Henry Steel Olcott — Besant succeeded him as president after his death in 1907.
- mentor of Jiddu Krishnamurti — Promoted him as the coming World Teacher.
- student of Jiddu Krishnamurti — She raised and promoted him before he renounced the role.
- rival of Rudolf Steiner — Broke with Besant's Theosophical Society over Krishnamurti and Eastern focus.
- rival of William Quan Judge — Their leadership dispute split the society after Blavatsky's death.