India and Tibet: A history of the relations which have subsisted between the two countries from the time of Warren Hastings to 1910; with a particular account of the mission to Lhasa of 1904Younghusband, Francis Edward, Sir
History
India and Tibet: A history of the relations which have subsisted between the two countries from the time of Warren Hastings to 1910; with a particular account of the mission to Lhasa of 1904
Younghusband, Francis Edward, Sir
British -- China -- Tibet Autonomous Region; India -- Foreign relations -- China -- Tibet Autonomous Region; Lhasa (China); Tibet Autonomous Region (China) -- Foreign relations -- India
It is a meagre record of so important a journey, yet it exemplifies one
or two points which are worthy of note. It showed that an individual
Englishman, with delicacy of touch and with a real sympathetic feeling
towards those among whom he was travelling, could find his way even into
the very presence of the Dalai Lama in the Potala itself. It showed,
too, that he could get on perfectly well with the Chinese personally.
But it showed likewise that at the back of the minds of both the
Tibetans and Chinese was a strong dread of the British power, which made
them fear to allow a single Englishman to remain in Tibet or even pass
through the country.
Yet Manning confirmed what Bogle and Turner had also noticed—that, while
the Tibetans dreaded the Chinese, they disliked them intensely. He says
that the Chinese were very disrespectful to the Tibetans. Only
bad-charactered Chinamen were sent to Tibet, and he could not help
thinking that the Tibetans "would view the Chinese influence in Tibet
overthrown without many emotions of regret, especially if the rulers
under the new influence were to treat the Grand Lama with respect; for
this is a point in which those haughty Mandarins are somewhat deficient,
to the no small dissatisfaction of the good people of Lhasa." These
words would be very fairly applicable to the situation at the present
day.
* * * * *
After Manning, no Englishman, in either a private or official capacity,
visited Lhasa till the Mission of 1904. This seems to show want of
enterprise on the part of Englishmen in India; but some did make the
attempt, and many more would have if they could have obtained the
necessary leave from all the authorities concerned. British officers in
India are keen enough to go on such adventures, but leave can very
rarely be obtained. I had myself planned out such a journey in 1889. I
had interviewed the Foreign Secretary, now Sir Mortimer Durand, and not
only obtained permission, but even some pecuniary assistance, when, at
the last moment, I was refused permission by the Colonel of my regiment.
Such restrictions must, I know, have prevented many another besides
myself. Still, efforts were made by individual officers, unsupported by
Government, to explore Tibet, and, if possible, reach Lhasa. Moorcroft
explored Western Tibet, and, according to some reports, actually reached
Lhasa and died there; Richard and Henry Strachey visited the sources of
the Brahmaputra and the Sutlej; Carey, Littledale, Bower, Wellby, Deasy,
and Rawling explored in Northern Tibet; and native surveyors mapped even
Lhasa itself, to which point Sarat Chandra Das also penetrated at great
risk and brought back most valuable information.
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