Nomination archive


Nomination for Nobel Peace Prize
Year:1931
Number:6 - 1
 
Nominee:
Name:Annie Besant
Gender:F
Year, Birth:1847
Year, Death:1933
Profession:Social reformer. Theosophist and Fabian socialist, Indian independence leader
City:London
Country:UNITED KINGDOM (GB)
 
Motivation:Besant was actively involved in educational and humanitarian work in India. She established the Indian Home Rule League in 1916, and she was elected leader of the Indian nationalist congress in 1917. The nominator stressed her efforts to solve the Indian "problem", and thereby secure world peace by uniting East and West. Besant was the international president of the Theosophical Society (1907-1933).
 
Nominator:
Name:Peter Freeman
Gender:M
Profession:Member of the British parliament
City:London
Country:UNITED KINGDOM (GB)
 
Comments: Besant lived permanently in India from the 1890s. She based her nationalist policy on the superiority of the Indian culture, and she believed that the Hindu spirit soon would assimilate the English element in India. Besant did not acknowledge the British accomplishments in India as other Indian nationalist leaders did. During WWI the British accused her of using the war as an excuse to arouse the Indian population against British rule. In June 1917 she was confined for being a threat to British security, but she was soon released from confinement, and in December 1917 she was elected president of the Indian national congress. Besant became more skeptical towards the nationalist movement when Gandhi became a leading figure in Indian nationalism. She did not support his policy of "non-cooperation with government"; she wanted to use government methods as a weapon against the government. Besant eventually lost her influence in the Indian national congress, and she became to be considered as a moderate. She did not support full secession from British rule, but she wanted freedom for India within the borders of the Empire.