In the outer court

Annie Besant is a figure of the 19th century, who was an author, orator, women's rights activist, and served as president of the Theosophical Society. She also helped establish the International Arbitration and Peace Association. In the Outer Court is a detailed account of Annie Besant's life and work outside the Theosophical Society. Born in London in 1847, Annie Besant was a prominent advocate of women's rights and an internationalist who helped to organize the Indian National Congress. "In the Outer Court" is her personal story. It covers her childhood in Ireland, her early life as a teacher, the first stirrings of her interest in radical politics, her visionary experience at Versailles during the Franco-Prussian War, her first exposure to theosophy, and subsequently becoming one of its leading figures.