Annie Besant - Indian Home Rule and the Irish Connection?

Cardinal Richelieu

I was reading about the Indian Congress Party and noticed the name of Annie Besant as one of their former leaders. A formidable lady, she apparently helped set up the All Indian Home Rule Movement and based it on the Irish model. Did she get help from the Irish Home Rule movement? Did the Irish Home Rule movement influence other parts of the British Empire besides India?

jonniebgood1

I am unsure of what help was given from Ireland. I think it would be more in a moral manner rather than anything else. I have read that the Irish Republican leadership were in contact with the more prominent Indian leaders. These links would mainly have been in relation to the similar position of both countries. I came across this document that is a decent explanation of the links between the countries.

the connections developed between the nationalist
movements of the two countries in the late nineteenth century when the Indian National
Congress and the Irish nationalist movement maintained close contacts. The relations
were further enhanced by the mutual admiration of Jawaharlal Nehru and the Irish leader
Eamon De Valera in their common struggle against foreign rule in their respective
countries. Extensive references to the Irish connections are seen in “Glimpses of World
History”. Other Indian leaders like Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose and Vithalbhai Patel
were also in touch with Irish nationalist leaders. The mutual influence is evident in the fact
that Part IV of the Indian Constitution – the Directive Principles of State Policy – is drawn
from Article 45 of the Irish Constitution. http://www.mea.gov.in/mystart.php?id=50044480

The book reference was written by Jawaharlal Nehru when in prison in 1930-34. i.e. at that time Britain was still ruling India but had been forced out of part of Ireland. I have not yet found this book but the chapter list shows several letters regarding Ireland that would be interesting to look at.

gosplan

Lurker here, you both might like this book which a friend got me, it looks at 20th C connections between Ireland and India 'Ireland, India and Empire' by K O'Malley.