Duels in the Snow

DUELS IN THE SNOWS. The True Story of the Younghusband Mission to Lhasa. By Charles Alan. Pp. 350, 33 b/w illustrations, 6 sketches and maps, 2004. (John Murray, London, GBP 20).

As I stood on the Gyantse Zong (fort) in middle of the Tibetan plains and looked around the country, thought of the Younghusband British expedition was paramount on my mind. In 1904 this military force had approached the Gyantse fort, a sole high feature in the flat Tibetan plateau and at first, had conquered it without firing a shot. The Tibetans had simply run away. But as the British established their headquarters near Gyantse, Tibetans returned suddenly and occupied the fort. After several attempts at dislodging them by superior ammunition and weapons, the British decided to storm the fort. They had called for reinforcements from India and had now with them the full force of the 8 Gorkha rifles. This hardy mountain people climbed one of the impossible looking rock cliffs above which I stood then, and fired on the Tibetans. The bravery of the Tibetans could not stand the training and the onslaught of the Gorkhas and the fort was surrendered. Many Tibetans jumped to their deaths after witnessing the gruesome khukri charge by the Gorkhas. This was the story at almost all the battles which this expeditionary force encountered.

Lord Curzon, then the Viceroy of India, desired that the British must have a presence in Lhasa. To find an excuse, they devised an imaginary threat from the Russians and the British Parliament and the Government were informed that if the British forces did not reach Lhasa, the Russians would (the ‘weapons of mass destruction’, WMD, theories, existed in early part of last century too). Lord Curzon had an ally in Sir Francis Younghusband, an explorer of repute. He was appointed to lead this military mission. With Gen. McDonald as his military commander they crossed Jelep la from Sikkim and advanced to Tuna and Guru. At first, they encountered no resistance, but as they had crossed the pass in December 1903, the army suffered heavily due to Tibetan cold, wind and barren surrounding. The first major battle was at Chumik Shenko where primitively armed Tibetans came face to face with the Gorkhas and the Sikhs of the British army. Someone threw a stone at the British forces and army opened fire and many Tibetans were massacred. This became the famous ‘massacre at Chumik Shenko’. Small battles took place at several places like Guru and Karo la. After storming of Gyantse Zong, they marched to Lhasa and concluded a one-sided treaty.

The renowned author Charles Allen, has researched the subject well and is an expert at such narratives. He brings out the internal differences between Sir Younghusband and General McDonald, the desires of political masters and the bravery of the Indian soldiers under the British command. What he brings out most is the fight put up by the Tibetans. A land -locked country with no sources of supply and a peace-loving nation, had to fight for its survival. Using its surroundings, building rock walls (sangars) and with rather primitive armoury, Tibetans were brave soldiers. But their prayers at the monasteries to drive out the British or their tactics to deny food and supplies to the large contingent of the invaders failed as the British with their military training ran through the country.

This expedition opened Tibet to outside influences. One wonders if the Tibetan civilisation was allowed to prosper without outside interventions, the British in 1904, the Chinese in 1951 or the takeover by China in 1959, what they may have achieved. Would the spirituality of Tibet and the material progress of the last century would have made them a great nation? British had not only reached Lhasa, but they had among the contingent, Dr. Waddle, who at every conquest of a monastery or a territory, rushed in to gather manuscripts, idols and several Tibetan memorabilia for the British museums. Dr. Waddle ultimately studied Buddhism and preserved several of the Tibetan artefacts. Similarly the soldiers who reached Lhasa gathered vast gifts to be taken home.

The Younghusband expedition in a way opened Tibet for westerners and allowed a trade agent to be posted at Gyantse, but of course, like the present day WMD, they did not find Russians there or heap of Russian weapons or rifles in Lhasa.

Charles Allen tells the story well and the book narrates an important chapter in history of Tibet. This is the book for those interested in Tibetan history and its relations with the British India. If you are travelling from Lhasa to Gyantse or other parts of Tibet (which is now very easily possible by good roads and cars), this book opens up the area in your mind.

Perhaps the Tibetans had the last laugh. With the Tibetan experiences, many soldiers and officers of this expeditionary force turned to Buddhism and were conquered by those whom they had conquered. Younghusband and Waddell both turned to philosophy and Buddhism towards later parts of their lives. Once you see the area from the Gyantse Zong and surroundings you will understand why.

Harish Kapadia