League We may recall that many foreigners such as A.O. Hume had played a pivotal role in our freedom movement in early stages. Dr Annie Besant played a similar role in the early part of the twentieth century. Besant was Irish by birth and had been active in the Irish home rule, fabian socialist and birth control movements while in Britain.
She joined Theosophical Society, and came to India in . She founded the Central Hindu College in Benaras (later upgraded as Benaras Hindu University by Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya in ). With the death of H. S.
Olcott in , Besant succeeded him as the international president of the Theosophical Society. She was actively spreading the theosophical ideas from its George Arundale Annie Besant headquarters, Adyar in Chennai, and gained the support of a number of educated followers such as Jamnadas Dwarkadas, George Arundale, Shankerlal Banker, Indulal Yagnik, C.P. Ramaswamy and B.P. Wadia.
In was when Britain announced its entry in First World War, it was claimed that it fighting for freedom and democracy. Indian leaders believed and supported the British war efforts. Soon they were disillusioned as there was no change in the British attitude towards India. Moreover, split into moderate and extremist wings, the Indian National Congress was not strong enough to press for further political reforms towards self-rule.
The Muslim League was looked upon suspiciously by the British once the Sultan of Turkey entered the War supporting the Central powers. It was in this backdrop that Besant entered into Indian Politics. She started a weekly The Commonweal in . The weekly focussed on religious liberty, national education, social and political reforms.
She published a book How India Wrought for Freedom in . In this book she asserted that the beginnings of national consciousness are deeply embedded in its ancient past. She gave the call, 'The moment of England's difficulty is the moment of India's opportunity' and wanted Indian leaders to press for reforms. She toured England and made many speeches in the cause of India's freedom.
She also tried to form an Indian party in