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Ekai Kawaguchi's Notes on 20Th Century Tibet

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Ekai Kawaguchi's Notes on 20Th Century Tibet Policy Brief SepJune 30, 1, 20182019 Dr. Monika Chansoria is a British India, Russia, and the Future Tokyo-based Senior Fellow at The Japan Institute of Neighborhood Diplomacy: th of International Affairs. Ekai Kawaguchi’s Notes on 20 Previously, she has held Century Tibet* appointments at the Sandia National Laboratories (U.S.), Dr. Monika Chansoria Hokkaido University (Sapporo, Japan), and Fondation Maison Tibet and British India des Sciences de l’Homme (Paris). Dr. Chansoria has Around the decade of 1880s, a substantial number of native authored five books including Indians (usually pilgrims and priests visiting sacred places) were her latest work, China, Japan, permitted to enter Tibet. Ekai Kawaguchi recalled his experience and Senkaku Islands: Conflict and understanding of the Tibetans and described them as inherently hospitable people, by and large. Assessing the relationship existing in the East China Sea Amid an formerly between British India and Tibet, Kawaguchi acknowledged American Shadow (Routledge that British India was closely connected with Tibet since long. In the © 2018). initial phase, Tibet’s attitude towards the British Indian Government could not be termed resentful or hostile. The English East India Company’s relation with Tibet was initiated th Disclaimer : by Warren Hastings. During the last quarter of the 18 century, The views expressed in this the first de facto Governor-General of India, Hastings, sent George publication are those of the author Bogle to establish commercial trade arrangements between the two and do not necessarily reflect the countries. The first contact in this regard was made by the Tibetans. policy or position of The Japan Upon hearing the news of the defeat of Bhutan’s King Desi Shidariva1 Institute of International Affairs or any other organization with which by the British forces in the battle for Cooch Behar (1772-1774), the author is affiliated. Palden Yeshe (the third Panchen Lama) addressed a historic letter of mediation to the Governor General.2 Hastings seized the opportunity, and while replying, proposed a general treaty of amity and peace * This is the fourth paper in a continuing series tracing the travels and journey of Japan’s first successful explorer inside Tibet in 1900, Ekai Kawaguchi. The narrative, citations, and arguments of this paper are primarily excerpted and based on Kawaguchi’s personal memoir published in 1909, titled Three Years in Tibet, [Theosophist Office, Vasanta Press, Adyar (Madras) British India.] 1 A. Deb, Bhutan and India: A Study in Frontier Political Relations, 1772-1865, (Calcutta Publication, 1976), pp. 72-74. 2 Panchen Lama’s Letter, received March 29, 1774, cited in, Arabinda Deb, Tibet and Bengal: A Study in Trade Policy and Trade Pattern 1775-1875, available at https://www.repository.cam.ac.uk/bitstream/id/636937/bot_1984_03_03.pdf/ 1 SepJune 30, 1, 20182019 Policy Brief between Bengal and Tibet. Hastings wrote a only English explorer to have reached Lhasa in letter for George Bogle to proceed to Tibet for 1811 from India was Thomas Manning.9 Around negotiation of a treaty. Bogle’s mission was to this time, trade between British India and Tibet establish a mutual and equal communication had actively grown, but with the termination of of trade between the inhabitants of Bhutan Hasting’s viceroyalty and subsequent return to (Bhote=Tibet) and Bengal.3 England, trade began to register a steep decline, and ultimately ceased altogether. All channels Apart from this, Hastings also sought of communications had since become almost information regarding the trade between Tibet closed between the two countries. Meanwhile, and Siberia, Tibet and China, and, Kashmir and the movement and activities of Christian Tibet. Bogle, armed with a memorandum on missionaries and other foreign propagandists the history, religion, and hierarchy of Tibet, put the Grand Lama’s Government on its ventured out for the first British mission to Tibet guard.10 and Bhutan (I774-1775) making it an exercise in commercial diplomacy.4 Bogle, accompanied During the years when Kawaguchi was in by his wife, failed to reach Lhasa, but remained Lhasa (Tibet) and following his departure, the at Shigatze in 1774. With his limited experience official relationship between Tibet and British and reach in Tibet, he managed to record a India ceased. England’s approach towards Tibet graphic summary of the scope and pattern of in the early phases could best be described as Tibet’s trade with other countries.5 The Tibetans coercive. Kawaguchi attributed the oscillating traded with the Chinese, the Mongols, and curve of relations to the hasty policy adopted the Kalmuks in the north, and Bengal, Assam, by England towards Tibet in the early years of Nepal, and Bhutan bordering Tibet on the the 20th century.11 Moreover, he ascribed it to south.6 Bogle noted that no duties were levied England’s ignorance of the temper of Tibetans, on goods and trade was protected and free from and to the general state of affairs in their exactions.7 This was a major reason for a large country. Kawaguchi argued in his memoir that if number of foreign merchants including the the British Indian Government had made some Kashmiris and the Nepalese to settle in Tibet. advances acceptable to Tibet, the former could well have succeeded in establishing cordial Few years later, in 1781, Hastings once again relations with the latter. dispatched a commissioner, Captain Turner, who stayed in Tibet for two years, although The causes that completely altered Tibet’s not necessarily in Lhasa. Subsequently, British attitude towards British India and the outer India did not send more such commissioners.8 world leading to the estrangement of the Kawaguchi refers to Bogle’s account of his Tibetan Government from England were: journey being extant in print, and notes that the 1) Sarat Chandra Das being disguised as a 3 Deb, n. 2. 4 Ibid. 5 Ibid. 6 Ibid. 7 Clements Markham, The Mission of George Bogle to Tibet and the Journey of Thomas Manning to Lhasa, (London 1876), p. 124. 8 Chapter LXXII, Tibet and British India, p. 515. 9 Chapter LVIII, Foreign Explorers and the Policy of Seclusion, p. 401. 10 Ibid. 11 Chapter LXXII, Tibet and British India, p. 509. 2 June 1, 2018 SepJune 30, 1, 20182019 Policy Brief Policy Brief Sikkimese priest only to be revealed later; 2) the lying beyond the legitimate boundary line of agitation that occurred within Tibet thereafter; Tibet. The crumbled stone walls standing on and 3) the frontier trouble that followed these a hill about 20 miles on the side of Nyatong developments.12 Tibet’s adoption of the strict (which marked the boundary between Sikkim policy of exclusion and absolute seclusion were and Tibet) indicated the short-lived stronghold in fact direct fallout of the above. On the other built by the Tibetan Government16 – one, in hand, these developments directed the attention which, the Tibetans suffered heavy casualties.17 of the British Indian Government to the question Following this short skirmish, the frontier line of delimiting the boundary between Sikkim (its was drawn through Nyatong. England’s decision protectorate) and Tibet.13 to send its forces changed the attitude of Tibet towards the former greatly. Tibet, resultantly, According to Kawaguchi, it was at this stage was closed up entirely since that time, not that the Tibetan Government adopted a reckless only for British India, but even for Russia and measure, perhaps at the behest of a Nechung Persia.18 and proceeded to build a fort at a frontier position that distinctly belonged to Sikkim. England, however, did take calculated Nechung priests–the oracle-mongers of Tibet, measures thereafter to win a favorable opinion were regarded as guardian angels of the Lama among Tibetans. The British Indian Viceroy Hierarchy. They were placed under the direct endeavored to convey friendly impressions patronage of the Hierarchy. The Nechungs whenever Tibetans arrived in frontier towns were not confined in their operations to matters such as Darjeeling and Sikkim. The children of incarnation only, but exercised power even of these Tibetans were at liberty to enter in small affairs. Nechung priests wielded real Government schools without paying tuition fees, power in the Hierarchical administration. while deserving boys who displayed potential Rejecting the Nechung’s words was considered were sent at Government expense to higher contrary to the traditions of the country.14 The educational institutions. It was well known Tibetan Government was reportedly hesitant that a number of Tibetan boys were employed initially to follow the insidious advice, but the by the Indian Government as surveyors, Post Nechung declared that his presence in the fort Office clerks and teachers, upon completing would disarm any troops that the British Indian graduation.19 The Tibetans would often marvel Government might potentially send. He further seeing the roads in British India when they argued that the presence of a fort would go far arrived for the first time. Public facilities such towards promoting Tibet’s cause in settling as hospitals, asylums, educational institutions, the boundary dispute and that the fort would railways, telegraphs and telephones–were become a permanent boundary mark.15 objects of awe to the Tibetans.20 All the above notwithstanding, Kawaguchi noted that the Consequently, the fort was built at a point policy and efforts of indirectly winning the 12 Ibid., p. 516. 13 Ibid., pp. 515-516. 14 Chapter LXI, The Tibetan Hierarchy, pp. 422-424. 15 Chapter LXXII, Tibet and British India, p. 516. 16 Ibid., p. 517. 17 Ibid. 18 Ibid., p. 509. 19 Ibid., p. 510. 20 Ibid., p. 511. 3 SepJune 30, 1, 20182019 Policy Brief goodwill of Tibetans pursued by British India Shata, the eldest of Tibet’s Premiers was did not succeed grandly, since it failed to a close friend of Tsan-ni Kenbo.
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