BESANT, ANNIE. – Theosophist, born in London on 1 October 1847, died at Adyar (Madras) on 20 September 1933. Of an Irish Protestant family, at the age of 21 she married the minister F. Besant, by whom she had two children; but, disappointed and assailed by religious doubts, she separated from him (1873) in order to marry a freethinker, Ch. Bradlaugh, and become a militant atheist (1874). Having met Blavatzky
(v.), she devoted herself to theosophy, and upon her death (1891) succeeded her in directing the Esoteric Section, propagating and defending it through books and periodicals.
However, she believed that her mission was to present the Messiah to humanity. Having joined forces with the pastor C. W. Leadbeater, after an initial unsuccessful attempt she turned to a young Hindu, Krishnamurti, whom she presented in various places as the vehicle or incarnation of Christ. But the Madras court convicted Leadbeater of «immoral opinions» and compelled him to return the young Hindu to his mother. The scandal led to schisms within the Theosophical Society, and, out of pique, B. turned to politics, at first in favour of India for the Indians, then against Indian attempts at independence, which greatly compromised the esteem in which she was held (v. TEOSOFIA).
B. wrote many works; the principal ones are: An autobiography (London 1893; Italian trans., Turin 1912); The ancient wisdom (London 1897; Italian trans., Rome 1901); Esoteric christianity (London 1901; Italian trans., Rome 1912); The coming of World Teacher (London 1925). She also directed various theosophical periodicals: Lucifer, Theosophist, The Adyar Bulletin, etc.