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How did Jiddu Krishnamurti’s break with the Theosophical Society affect its membership?

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Annie Besant and Jiddu Krishnamurti stand side by side in formal attire, Besant holding papers, in a black and white photograph from 1933. — theosophy Annie Besant and Jiddu Krishnamurti, 1926.

Jiddu Krishnamurti’s break with the Theosophical Society in 1929 had a profound and lasting impact on the organization. After Krishnamurti renounced his designated role as the "World Teacher" and dissolved the Order of the Star in the East—an organization specifically created to prepare for his mission—the society’s membership experienced a sharp decline.1

Following his departure and his declaration that "Truth is a pathless land," the organization never recovered its previous strength or membership levels. While Annie Besant, the society's president, remained personally supportive of Krishnamurti’s decision, the institutional fallout marked a significant turning point in the society's history, as it struggled to maintain the influence it had enjoyed during the height of the World Teacher project.21