During the British rule in India who among the following is accredited with diverting the attention of the young Indians from Western education to Oriental education?

Key Points

Annie Besant was indeed credited with diverting the attention of young Indians from Western education to Oriental education during British rule in India.

Annie Besant

• Annie Besant first visited India in 1893 and later settled there, becoming involved in the Indian nationalist movement.
• In 1916 she established the Indian Home Rule League, and becoming president.
• She was also a leading member of the Indian National Congress.
• As a member and later leader of the Theosophical Society, Besant helped spread Theosophical beliefs worldwide.
• Annie Besant founded two newspapers. The first one was a weekly newspaper titled "The Commonweal", and the second one was "New India"
• Annie Besant set up the Central Hindu College (CHC) at Benares in 1898.
• Florence Nightingale:
  • She was a British nurse, statistician, and social reformer who was the foundational philosopher of modern nursing.
  • She was the first woman awarded the Order of Merit (1907).
  • International Nurses Day, observed annually on May 12, commemorates her birth and celebrates the important role of nurses in health care.

As a theosophist and nationalist, she strongly advocated for Indian culture and spirituality and believed in the importance of traditional Indian education. She established schools in India that emphasized the study of Indian knowledge and culture, and her influence helped to promote the study of Oriental education in India.

Hence, the correct answer is Annie Besant