Annie Besant, a prominent member of the Theosophical Society in Chennai, launched the Home Rule League – a self-government movement-in 1916. Around the same time, Indian nationalist Bal Gangadhar Tilak had founded the Home Rule for India League.
The term Home Rule League, which was borrowed from a similar movement in Ireland, was used to refer to both. The objective was to achieve self-rule from the British Indian government and bolstered the Indian nationalists efforts towards this cause.
The popularity of the Home Rule movement alarmed the British government. Tilak was imprisoned. But the governments harsh measures created great public enthusiasm. The movement forced the British government to allow Indians freedom to rule themselves at certain levels of administration.
Did you know?
The popularity of the Home Rule League led to Annie Besants election as president of the Indian National Congress, becoming the first woman to hold the position.
Besant not only supported self-rule in India, but also supported the cause for the Irish.
Besant became a member of the Theosophical Society and went on to become a prominent speaker on the subject. By 1907, she became the president of the Theosophical Society, whose international headquarters is located in Adyar, Chennai.
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