During the period of the Indian freedom struggle, who among the following started the Central Hindu School ?

Annie Besant, a prominent Theosophist and leader in the Indian freedom struggle, founded the Central Hindu School (originally Central Hindu College) in Benares (Varanasi) in 1898 [1][t1]. She established the institution to provide an education that combined ancient Indian ideals and Hindu religious values with modern Western scientific subjects [1][t4]. Besant aimed to foster national regeneration and character-building among Indian youth, keeping the institution free from British government control [t4][t9]. In 1916, she magnanimously handed over the college's assets, buildings, and staff to Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya to serve as the nucleus for the newly established Banaras Hindu University (BHU) [c1][c3][t4]. While Malaviya was instrumental in the creation of BHU, the original foundation of the Central Hindu School is credited to Annie Besant [t1][t7].

Sources

1. [1] Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 9: A General Survey of Socio-Cultural Reform Movements > The Theosophical Movement > p. 234