The British in Tibet
When British troops crossed the border between British controlled India and Tibet, the Tibetans repeatedly asked them to leave. The British wanted to negotiate a new trade deal, but the Tibetans refused. As a result, British troops marched further and further into Tibet. In 1903 they went no further than Khamba Dzong, but in 1904 the British returned determined to get what they wanted. By August 1904 they had reached Lhasa.
The Tibetan, Chinese and British sources that record the Mission to Tibet, all record different versions of events. Despite this we know a number of things:
- The British made camp at Khamba Dzong, Phari Dzong, Tuna, Karo La, Gyantse, Nagartse, and Pethi Dzong.
- The British killed and wounded many hundreds of Tibetan soldiers at Chumi Shonko near Tuna in March 1904 (known as Guru in English) and many more died in battle in and around Gyantse between May and July.
- Monasteries and estates were looted and sometimes destroyed as the British tried to take control of important towns and locations. Examples include, Nenying Monastery (looted and destroyed), Tsechen Monastery (looted and destroyed), Gyantse Dzong and Monastery (looted and partially destroyed), Phala Estate (looted and destroyed), Changlo Estate (looted).
- The Tibetans finally agreed to a new treaty with Britain when the troops reached Lhasa. It was signed in the Potala by Ganden Tripa and Colonel Younghusband on 7th September 1904. It was quickly overturned by the British Government; they said Younghusband had made too many demands.
The photographs shown here – like other sources – can only give a partial picture of what happened when the British invaded Tibet.
When British troops crossed the border between British controlled India and Tibet, the Tibetans repeatedly asked them to leave. The British wanted to negotiate a new trade deal, but the Tibetans refused. As a result, British troops marched further and further into Tibet. In 1903 they went no further than Khamba Dzong, but in 1904 the British returned determined to get what they wanted. By August 1904 they had reached Lhasa.
The Tibetan, Chinese and British sources that record the Mission to Tibet, all record different versions of events. Despite this we know a number of things:
- The British made camp at Khamba Dzong, Phari Dzong, Tuna, Karo La, Gyantse, Nagartse, and Pethi Dzong.
- The British killed and wounded many hundreds of Tibetan soldiers at Chumi Shonko near Tuna in March 1904 (known as Guru in English) and many more died in battle in and around Gyantse between May and July.
- Monasteries and estates were looted and sometimes destroyed as the British tried to take control of important towns and locations. Examples include, Nenying Monastery (looted and destroyed), Tsechen Monastery (looted and destroyed), Gyantse Dzong and Monastery (looted and partially destroyed), Phala Estate (looted and destroyed), Changlo Estate (looted).
- The Tibetans finally agreed to a new treaty with Britain when the troops reached Lhasa. It was signed in the Potala by Ganden Tripa and Colonel Younghusband on 7th September 1904. It was quickly overturned by the British Government; they said Younghusband had made too many demands.
The photographs shown here – like other sources – can only give a partial picture of what happened when the British invaded Tibet.