Some aspects of the political and commercial relationships between British India and Tibet from 1890 to 1914

Power, Donald F. (1966) Some aspects of the political and commercial relationships between British India and Tibet from 1890 to 1914. Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

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Abstract

Prior to 1890, the British in India had made very little contact with the Tibetan people but during the two decades which followed the British made many attempts to establish and improve their relations with the Tibetans. It is the aim of this thesis to contribute some historical insight into certain political and economic problems which were shared by both the British in India and the Tibetans between the years 1890 and 1914. In the first chapter the geography of northern India and Tibet is discussed with particular reference to the main routes leading from India into Tibet. Also in this first chapter some consideration is given to the social background of the Tibetan people. The second chapter consists of a brief historical summary of the people of Tibet. Both of these introductory chapters serve background to that period of time under analysis, namely; the twenty-four years spanning the turn of the present century. The main body of the thesis is divided chronologically into six chapters which are based on the international agreements relating to India and Tibet which were signed between 1890 and 1914. In considering the causes and results of these agreements, many interconnected problems arise, among which two of the most significant are the relative importance of the political and economic motivation behind the British penetration into Tibet and a consideration of the international status of Tibet. Moreover, each chapter deals with the efforts of the British to establish efficient and consistent connections with Tibet from the time when practically no relations existed up to the time when such relations became relatively formulated and stabilized.

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