Annie Besant founded a school in Varanasi, nowadays known as BHU (Benares Hindu University).
Annie came in contact with Charles Bradlaw, a radical politician of England and leader of Free Thinkers Movement. Soon she started writing and came to know that she can be orator as well.
George Bernard Shaw was the leader of Fabian Society and helped Annie Besant to join Fabian Society.
She was the first to organize British Trade Union for women in England.
Theosophical Society was founded in USA in 1875 by a Russian Lady Blavasky and English Col. O.H. Olcott. The main objects of the society were:
(1). To form a universal brotherhood of man.
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| Annie Besant and Olcott (L-R) |
(3). To investigate the laws of nature and develop divine powers latent in man.
In 1889, Annie Besant decided to join Theosophical and left all other societies. After the death of Blavasky in 1891, she took over the Theosophical society and because of this society she came to India in 1890. She wrote her autobiography before coming to India and she used to say that she had been incarnated many times in India.
She wrote "Universal textbook of religion and morals", which is compendium of basic truth of all great religions of the world. Theosophical society doesn't consider any religion for its membership, it was not a sect or religion.
Through this society, Annie gave Indian back their pride who had lost faith in themselves. She brought a new self respect, a pride in the past and firm belief in the future. She considered education as the very fundamental of civilization. She started her crusade of education from the bank of river Ganges, Benares. In 1898, she established a central Hindu college and was supported by Bhagwan Das and Govind Das. After the completion of college she handed over the responsibility to Madan Mohan Malviya, latter this college developed into university, Benares Hindu University. She also started a girls college in Benare. Later she shifted to South India when she was elected president of Theosophical society in 1907 for seven years.
On the basis of YMCA and YWCA she opened YMIA (Young Men Indian Association) and latter also opened YWIA. It became so popular that people started considering it as some branch of YMCA.
Baden Powell is regarded as the father of the World Scout Movement. He refused affiliation with alienate group in India because number of English people were less in number to be started with. Annie Besant founded Indian Boys Scout Association with the help of leaders like Tarani Prasad Sinha and Sanjeev Kamath. She insisted that boys should wear Indian turban and they must also sing Indian song instead of Powell's scout who had to wear a uniform and used to sang their own song. When Baden Powell came to India and saw Indian Boys Scout Association, he requested for the amalgamation of British and Indian Scout Movement. He appointed Annie Besant as honorary scout commissioner of India.
Annie Besant entered Indian political arena in 1913. To express her political ideology she started a weekly magazine "Common Weal", it became very popular and then she started daily newspaper "New India". Her political ambition had two goals to fulfill : (1). Home Rule for India and (2). India's right to prepare her own constitution.
Her endeavor led to the reunion of Congress (Extremists and Moderates). Home rule was also started by Tilak but both had different areas. Motilal Nehru, Mohd Ali Jinnah and Ramaswammy Aiyyer joined Home Rule Movement with Annie Besant.
Annie Besant was made house prisoner. Even American president Rudolf Wilson pressed the British government to meet the demands of Home Rule Movement. S. Subramanyam Aiyyer, retired judge of High Court, renounced his title. Annie Besant was released on 16th September 1917 and this was the time when she became the living symbol of Mother India. She became the first woman president of Congress in December 1917. In the congress session at Calcutta she took the initiative that Congress should have their own flag and the color was red, white and green horizontally to be install in flag (this combination was upto 1930).
Annie Besant was against the policy of Civil Disobedience Movement, for the people opposing the law. She died on 20th September 1923.
Baden Powell is regarded as the father of the World Scout Movement. He refused affiliation with alienate group in India because number of English people were less in number to be started with. Annie Besant founded Indian Boys Scout Association with the help of leaders like Tarani Prasad Sinha and Sanjeev Kamath. She insisted that boys should wear Indian turban and they must also sing Indian song instead of Powell's scout who had to wear a uniform and used to sang their own song. When Baden Powell came to India and saw Indian Boys Scout Association, he requested for the amalgamation of British and Indian Scout Movement. He appointed Annie Besant as honorary scout commissioner of India.
Annie Besant entered Indian political arena in 1913. To express her political ideology she started a weekly magazine "Common Weal", it became very popular and then she started daily newspaper "New India". Her political ambition had two goals to fulfill : (1). Home Rule for India and (2). India's right to prepare her own constitution.
Her endeavor led to the reunion of Congress (Extremists and Moderates). Home rule was also started by Tilak but both had different areas. Motilal Nehru, Mohd Ali Jinnah and Ramaswammy Aiyyer joined Home Rule Movement with Annie Besant.
Annie Besant was made house prisoner. Even American president Rudolf Wilson pressed the British government to meet the demands of Home Rule Movement. S. Subramanyam Aiyyer, retired judge of High Court, renounced his title. Annie Besant was released on 16th September 1917 and this was the time when she became the living symbol of Mother India. She became the first woman president of Congress in December 1917. In the congress session at Calcutta she took the initiative that Congress should have their own flag and the color was red, white and green horizontally to be install in flag (this combination was upto 1930).
Annie Besant was against the policy of Civil Disobedience Movement, for the people opposing the law. She died on 20th September 1923.
Is BHU not found by Madan Mohan Malaviya?
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