Annie Besant was

1. responsible for starting the Home Rule Movement
2. the founder of the Theosophical Society
3. once the President of the Indian National Congress

Select the correct statement/statements using the codes given below.

1. 1 only
2. 2 and 3 only
3. 1 and 3 only
4. 1, 2 and 3

Explanation

Statements 1 and 3 are correct

• Annie Besant, an Irish lady, was a theosophist, educationist, home rule activist, champion of human freedom and Indian nationalism. She was an ardent supporter of both Irish and Indian self-rule.
• The Home Rule League was started by her on 1 September 1916. In June 1917, she was detained by the Government of Madras along with G. S. Arundale and B. P. Wadia, two of her principal workers.
• Upon her release, she was elected President of the Calcutta session of the Indian National Congress (1917) due to a surge in popularity. This made her the first female president of the Indian National Congress in 1917.

2 is incorrect

• The Theosophical Society was founded in New York in November 1875 by Madam H. P. Blavatsky, a Russian, and H. S. Olcott, an American colonel. They came to India in 1879 and set up the society’s headquarters at Adyar, near Madras.
• Later, Annie Besant joined the society in 1889 after renouncing Christianity and arrived in India in 1893, where the movement gained significant popularity under her leadership. She eventually became the President of the Theosophical Society and continued in that role until her death on 21 September 1933.

Answer: (c) 1 and 3; Difficulty Level: Medium