Annie Besant (1847–1933)
Author of Thought-Forms, 2nd edition
About the Author
In the 1870s Annie Besant had already gained notoriety as an estranged Anglican priest's wife who had rejected Christianity and embraced atheism. She was a famous orator who spoke on behalf of the Freethought movement, social reform, the right to publish information on contraception, improved show more education, and Fabian socialism. Besant perplexed her critics and admirers when, in 1889, she abandoned her atheistic stance and embraced Theosophy. The Theosophical Society had been founded in 1875 by Madame Helena Blavatsky and Colonel Henry S. Olcott and had its international headquarters in India. Theosophy's outlook affirmed the mystical components of each of the world's religions, but it was influenced especially by Hindu and Buddhist thought. By the mid-1890s, Annie Besant had made India her home, and she was elected the second president of the Theosophical Society subsequent to the death of Olcott in 1907. In India, Besant made it her special mission to uplift Hindu self-esteem, which had been severely battered by British imperialism and Christian missionaries. She founded the Central Hindu College, which later was incorporated into the new Benares Hindu University. She spoke out for social reform, and from 1913 onward she undertook political agitation for Indian home rule. She was elected president of the Indian National Congress in 1918, and she was the first person to make that position an active, year-round job. Immediately thereafter, she lost her popularity because of the rise to prominence in Indian politics of Mohandas K. Gandhi. Until the end of her life, Besant increasingly turned her attention to the promotion of a young Indian boy, Jiddu Krishnamurti, as the coming World-Teacher, a messiah who would bring about a collective human transformation resulting in unity and peace among all peoples. Despite the apparently contradictory stages of Besant's life, continuity can be detected in her consistent attempts to discover the means by which human suffering could be eliminated. Besant's books and lectures were an important factor in the popularization of Eastern, particularly Hindu, religious and philosophical thought in the West. Her books continue to have an international impact, and several of them are kept in print by the Theosophical Publishing House known in the United States as Quest Books. Bescant died in 1933. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
Disambiguation Notice:
Full name: Annie Wood Besant
Image credit: Courtesy of the NYPL Digital Gallery (image use requires permission from the New York Public Library)
Works by Annie Besant
The Secret Doctrine: The Synthesis of Science, Religion, and Philosophy: Volume 3 - Occultism (1897) 30 copies
The changing world, and lectures to theosophical students : fifteen lectures delivered in London during May, June, and… (2009) 10 copies
Evolution of life and form : four lectures delivered at the twenty-third anniversary meeting of the Theosophical… (2012) 9 copies
The pedigree of man: Four lectures delivered at the twenty-eighth anniversary meetings of the Theosophical Society, at… (1908) 8 copies
Lives of Alcyone 6 copies
Is the Bible Indictable? Being an Enquiry whether the Bible Comes within the Ruling of the Lord Chief Justice as to… (1877) 5 copies
The Three Paths to Union with God: Lectures delivered at Benares, at the sixth annual Convention of the Indian Section… (1913) 5 copies
Evolution and Man's Destiny 5 copies
Formas e Pensamentos. Criações Mentais por Meio de Matéria Fluídica (Em Portuguese do… (2015) 4 copies
Hypnotism and mesmerism 4 copies
Ancient ideals in modern life; four lectures delivered at the twenty-fifth anniversary meeting of the Theosophical… (1901) 4 copies
Hinduism 4 copies
Man's Life in Three Worlds 4 copies
The Lives of Alcyone 3 copies
Darma 3 copies
Daily Meditations 3 copies
Annie Besant Collection Volume One: Ten Books on Theosophy (Timeless Wisdom Collection) (2016) 3 copies
The Ancient Wisdom 3 copies
Theosophy in Relation to Human Life 3 copies
Esipihassa 3 copies
India 3 copies
Annie Besant Collection Volume Three: Seven Books on Man (Timeless Wisdom Collection) (2016) 3 copies
Shrî Râma Chandra, the ideal king : some lessons from the Râmâyana for the use of Hindu students in the schools of… (1905) 3 copies
The three paths, and Dharma 3 copies
Annie Besant Collection Volume Two: Seven Books on Christianity (Timeless Wisdom Collection) (2016) 2 copies
El Yoga 2 copies
How India wrought for freedom, the story of the National congress told from official records (2010) 2 copies
Algunos problemas de la vida 2 copies
La construcción del Kosmos 2 copies
Evolution & Occultism 2 copies
THE ETERNAL NOW 2 copies
Lectures On Political Science 2 copies
Shall India Live or Die? 2 copies
Brahmavidya (Divine Wisdom) 2 copies
Tara's Day Put 2 copies
Annie Besant Collection Vol.4. Masters and Disciples (seven books) (Timeless Wisdom Collection) (2016) 2 copies
Annie Besant Collection Vol.6. Life, Death & Reincarnation (Timeless Wisdom Collection) (2016) 2 copies
Le secret de la Vie 2 copies
Tara's Secret Book 2 copies
The Three World Movements 2 copies
Study and practice 2 copies
The law of population, its consequences and its bearing upon human conduct and morals (2017) 2 copies
... Light, heat, and sound 2 copies
Leer des harten 2 copies
The Necessity for Reincarnation 2 copies
Sikhism: A Convention Lecture 2 copies
World problems of to-day 2 copies
Het grote Visioen 2 copies
Theosophical Essays 2 copies
Het pad ter volmaking 2 copies
How A World Teacher Comes 2 copies
Rincarnazione: legge dell'eterno ritorno: un testo chiaro, tecnico, completo dal 1892 (2002) 2 copies
India: A Nation 2 copies
Islam: A convention Lecture 2 copies
Reincarnazione 1 copy
La sabiduría antigua 1 copy
Rose and Rocky go green 1 copy
in the outer court 1 copy
The Bhagavad-Gītā 1 copy
Five Sermonettes 1 copy
Os Sete Princípios do Homem 1 copy
FUQIA E MENDIMIT 1 copy
Legends and Tales 1 copy
Immediate Future 1 copy
Future of Indian Politics 1 copy
Legends & Tales 1 copy
Theosophical Lectures 1907 1 copy
Theosophy & New Psychology 1 copy
Theosophy As the Basic Unity 1 copy
There Is No Death 1 copy
War Articles and Notes 1 copy
War and Its Lessons 1 copy
Three Great Truths 1 copy
Tara Cooks Up a Surprise 1 copy
um estudo sobre o karma 1 copy
Principles of Education 1 copy
India: Bond or Free ? 1 copy
Rents in the Veil of Time 1 copy
New Civilization 1 copy
Three Paths 1 copy
Lectures 1 copy
Theosophy and World Problems 1 copy
The Great War 1 copy
In the World's Service 1 copy
Hindu Ideals 1 copy
The French Revolution 1 copy
Avatâras Four lectures delivered at the twenty-fourth anniversary meeting of the Theosophical Society at Adyar,… (2012) 1 copy
In Defense of Hinduism 1 copy
Indian Ideals 1 copy
Theosophical Christianity 1 copy
Our Elder Brethren 1 copy
The Story of the Great War: Some Lessons from the Mahabharata for the Use of Hindu Students in the Schools of India (2017) 1 copy
Problems of Reconstruction 1 copy
Questions On Hinduism 1 copy
Religious Problems in India 1 copy
Some American Lectures 1 copy
El sendero de la iniciación 1 copy
Beauties of Islam 1 copy
Hacia el Templo 1 copy
Rodoslovlje čovjeka 1 copy
The Coming of the World-Teacher: A Lecture given at the Queen's Hall, London, on November 1, 1925 1 copy
Το καθήκον 1 copy
Sam's Christmas Present 1 copy
The Secret of Evolution 1 copy
Qué es teosofía 1 copy
Introducción a la Teosofia 1 copy
Theosophy and Christianity 1 copy
In Defence Of Hinduism 1 copy
Aspects of the Christ 1 copy
What theosophy is 1 copy
The value of devotion 1 copy
There are no dead 1 copy
The place of peace 1 copy
Homem e os seus corpos, O 1 copy
Bhagavad gita (canto del Señor) : noble canto de poema épico "Mahâbrâta" [sic] : diálogo entre Krishna y Arjuna (1989) 1 copy
The Lives of Alcyone, Vol. 1 1 copy
The Lives of Alcyone, Vol. 2 1 copy
Introdução ao Ioga 1 copy
The Three Paths and Dharma 1 copy
Initiation 1 copy
Jälleensyntyminen 1 copy
La vida después de la muerte 1 copy
The Feminine Occult: A Collection of Women Writers on the Subjects of Spirituality, Mysticism, Magic, Witchcraft, the… (2019) 1 copy
La reencarnación maestros y superhombres : extracto del "Libro de texto universal de la Religión y Moral"… (1901) 1 copy
The Real and the Unreal 1 copy
AIKAIN VIISAUS 1 copy
Associated Works
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Legal name
- Besant, Annie Wood
- Birthdate
- 1847-10-01
- Date of death
- 1933-09-20
- Gender
- female
- Nationality
- UK
- Birthplace
- Clapham, London, England, UK
- Place of death
- India
- Occupations
- women's rights activist
writer
lecturer
theosophist - Relationships
- Besant, Walter (brother-in-law)
- Organizations
- Fabian Society
London School Board
Secular Society
Social Democratic Federation
Theosophical Society - Short biography
- Annie Besant was a leading women's rights activist, writer and orator, and supporter of Irish and Indian self-rule. She was also a prominent socialist and Theosophist.
- Disambiguation notice
- Full name: Annie Wood Besant
Members
Reviews
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Associated Authors
Statistics
- Works
- 401
- Also by
- 4
- Members
- 2,403
- Popularity
- #10,675
- Rating
- 3.9
- Reviews
- 64
- ISBNs
- 604
- Languages
- 15
- Favorited
- 2
Interesting from a history of science/chemistry perspective for me; but, most of it was unreadable. I read the preface and part 1, then skimmed the book until I got to the appendix and then read it (sort of).
A note on this book. It was first published in 1919 so the copyright has expired. You'll find any number of different isbns for it because different people do a print-on-demand of books like this one. The quality can vary depending on how the reproduce it.… (more)