Annie Besant

Annie Besant (1847 – 1933) was a prominent Theosophist, women's rights activist, writer and orator and supporter of Irish and Indian self rule.

In 1889, she was asked to write a review for the Pall Mall Gazette on The Secret Doctrine, a book by H.P. Blavatsky. After reading it, she sought an interview with its author, meeting Blavatsky in Paris. In this way she was converted to Theosophy.


In 1890 Besant met Helena Blavatsky and over the next few years her interest in Theosophy grew while her interest in secular matters waned. She became a member of the Society and a highly successful lecturer in Theosophy.

Besant met fellow Theosophist C(harles) W(ebster) 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. Leadbeater claimed clairvoyance and reputedly helped Besant become clairvoyant herself in the following year.

Annie Besant with Henry Olcott (left) [1] and Charles Leadbeater (right) in Adyar in December 1905

Besant came to believe in the imminent appearance of an "emissary", who was identified by Theosophists as the so-called World Teacher.

In 1909, soon after Besant's assumption of the presidency, Leadbeater "discovered" fourteen-year-old Jiddu Krishnamurti. [ http://pvrguymale.blogspot.com/2009/02/krishnamurti.html ]
The moment you have in your heart this extraordinary thing called love and feel the depth, the delight, the ecstasy of it, you will discover that for you the world is transformed. ~ Jiddu Krishnamurti

Besant soon became the boys' legal guardian with the consent of their father, who was very poor and could not take care of them. However, his father later changed his mind and began a legal battle to regain the guardianship, against the will of the boys. Early in their relationship, Krishnamurti and Besant had developed a very close bond and he considered her a surrogate mother – a role she happily accepted.

Krishnamurti in England in 1911 with his brother Nitya and the Theosophists Annie Besant and George Arundale[2].

His love for Besant never waned, as also was the case with Besant's feelings towards him; concerned for his well being after he declared his independence from the , the Theosophical Society she had purchased 6 acres of land near the Theosophical Society estate which later became the headquarters of the Krishnamurti Foundation India.

[1] Colonel Henry Steel Olcott (1832 –1907) was an American military officer, journalist, lawyer and the co-founder and first President of the Theosophical Society.


[2] Dr. George Sidney Arundale (1878 —1945) was a theosophist, freemason, president of the Theosophical Society Adyar and bishop of the Liberal Catholic Church.