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 It
was, when I was commanding First Battalion of The Eighth Gorkha
Rifles (1/8 GR), that I came across an album of photographs.
On its' perusal, I realized that the album contained some
splendid photographs pertaining to "Younghusbands' Expedition
to Tibet". These photographs had been taken by an officer
of the Battalion and related to various stages of the expedition.
The album and its' contents were so fascinating, that it spurred
me on to undertake a study of "The Tibet Mission".
In doing so, I had the opportunity to go through the "War
Diaries" of the Battalion of that period, apart from
studying other published material on the subject.
The Expedition to Tibet, was the first of its' kind to be
undertaken in modern times. Tibet, or "The Forbidden
Land", as it has been known for many centuries, has been
shrouded in mystery. Many who ventured were either lost to
history or did not reach their destination or were not allowed
to proceed to Lhasa, the capital of Tibet. Those who did,
have not left too much detail to consult. Very little was
known of this Buddhist Kingdom and few authentic details were
available. From this point of view alone, the foray into this
country by a British Expedition assumes significance. This
apart, the venture has set to rest many myths about this kingdom.
The expedition gave rise to many controversies. Some of these
in my view were attributable to the lack of knowledge and
information about this country. During the course of this
expedition to Tibet there were many interpersonal and interdepartmental
matters that arose and assumed significance in the progress
and task assigned to this mission. Whereas many writers have
penned these down such as the rift between Younghusband and
General Macdonald or Lord Curzon and Lord Kitchener not seeing
eye to eye on many matters, my focus has been on the physical
movement and important battles that had to be fought before
the mission could achieve its aims at Lhasa. I have deliberately
not dwelt on these aspects because I thought they may be out
of place in this narrative.
While a number of books have been written about the expedition,
the official records held at "The National Archives of
India", have been a great source of clarification on
many issues. The book has been so structured that reference
to these where deemed important has been included in passing.
Finally, the expedition became necessary because of the lack
of harmony in the administration of Tibet under H H the Thirteenth
Dalai Lama. His response to Lord Curzon's missives were perhaps
an invitation to the British to march into Lhasa.
His stance, that ancient covenants forbade him from interacting
with foreigners, especially, since he was in touch with the
Russians through one of his emissaries, does point a finger
at the conduct of affairs of the state.
In this book I have expressed some views which may be the
cause of hurt to some. I would like to iterate that this is
not my intent and I respect the actions taken then. These
are my views and cannot take the place of actions that were
based on judgment made on the spot!
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