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A Forgotten Chapter in the History of the Northeast Frontier: 1914–36

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  23 March 2011

Parshotam Mehra
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Extract

On the fateful day of July 3, 1914, the second Simla Convention was signed and sealed by Sir Arthur Henry McMahon and Lonchen Shatra (actually, while the Lonchen signed and sealed, McMahon initialed and sealed); Ivan Chen, who had initialed the first earlier in April, kept his own counsel. A joint British-Tibetan declaration stipulating that its terms would apply to China only when the latter fell in line with its two other signatories was attached to the Convention. On that same day, in Simla, the new Trade Regulations between British India and Tibet were signed.

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Articles
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The Journal of Asian Studies , Volume 31 , Issue 2 , February 1972 , pp. 299 - 308
Copyright
Copyright © The Association for Asian Studies, Inc. 1972

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References

1 Williamson to India, October 14, 1933, in IOR, L/P&S/12/577.

Abbreviations: IOR: India Office Records: JRCAS: Journal Royal Central Asian Society (London); IO: India Office; FO: Foreign Office.

2 Williamson to India, January 20, 1935, in IOR, L/P&S/i 2/36/12.

3 Loc cit.

4 Loc cit.

5 Grey to Buchanan, July 10, 1914, in IOR, L/P&S/10/455. In a communication to the India Office on July 14, 1914, the Foreign Office made it dear that HMG “can only act upon the initialled (Simla) Convention so far as it does not violate the 1907 Agreement.” For details IOR, L/P&S/10/344.

6 FO to IO, April 30, 1915, in IOR, L/P&S/10/455. Earlier, the Russian Ambassador in London had submitted a memorandum suggesting that questions relating to Afghanistan “be settled in accordance with the wishes then (namely, 1914) formulated by the Russian Government.” Loc cit.

7 Viceroy to Secretary of State, May 13, 1915, in IOR, L/P&S/10/455.

8 Secretary of State to Viceroy, May 17, 1915, in ibid.

9 Extract from secret letter, No. 85, from India, September 29, 1916, in ibid.

10 Buchanan to Balfour, October 2, 1917, in IOR, L/P&S/10/3260/1917, Parts 1–3.

11 FO to IO, December 21, 1917, in ibid.

12 Indian “Desiderata for Peace Setdcment,” (Note by Political Department, India Office), para 23, in ibid.

13 The 1907 Convention was formally cancelled by Article II of the Anglo-Russian Treaty of August 7. 1924.

14 FO to IO, February 26, 1920, Proc 134 in Foreign, External B, May 1920, 134–135.

15 IO to FO, March 8, 1920, Proc 135 in ibid.

16 IO to FO, July 3, 1925, in IOR, L/P&S/10/857. Also IO to India, August 13, 1925, and FO to IO, July 27, 1925, both in ibid.

17 India to IO May 22, 1928, in IOR, L/P&S/10/1192.

18 India Office approved of the Government of India's suggestion, as did the Foreign Office. For details, IO to FO, June 19 and FO to IO, July 5, 1928, both in ibid.

19 India Office minute, Walton to Legal Adviser, September 28, 1933 in IOR, L/P&S/10/575. Also see Foreign Department, Simla to Chief Secretary, Punjab, July 1, 1933; Panjab to Foreign Department, June 27, 1933; Chief Secretary, UP, to Foreign Department, June 19, 1933 and FO to IO, August 18, 1933, all in ibid.

20 The Legal Adviser in the India Office was of the view that the Trade Regulations of 1914 “being completed and operative” between India and Tibet “would be sufficient foundation” for an Order-in-Council. Minute, September 29, 1933 in ibid. Also see Viceroy to Secretary of State, January 16, 1934 in ibid.

21 Gould noted that as a result of Williamson's visit to Lhasa, in August-November, 1935, “The attitude of mind engendered. … facilitated a friendly settlement of the Kingdon-Ward escapade which otherwise might have tended to prejudice. …” Gould's report on “British Mission to Lhasa, 1935,” in IOR, L/P&S/12/36/12.

22 Kingdon-Ward, F, “The Assam Himalaya: Travels in Balipara,” JRCAS, XXV, 4, October, 1938, 610–19Google Scholar and XXVII, 2, April, 1940 211–20. Ward's addresses to the RCAS, reproduced in the JRCAS, were based on the earlier (1934–35) travels, referred to in the text.

23 Reid, Robert, History of the frontier Areas Bordering on Assam, 1883–1941 (Shillong, 1942), p. 291.Google Scholar

24 Caroe to Hutton (Chief Secretary, Assam), November 28, 1935, in IOR, L/P&S/i 2/36/23, Part I.

25 Caroe to Battye (Trade Agent, Gyantse), November 28, 1935, in ibid. Also see Williamson to India, June 10, 1935, in ibid.

26 Caroe to Dawson (Chief Secretary, Assam), February 6, 1936 in IOR, L/P&S/12/36/12.

27 Dawson to Caroe, February 28, 1936, in ibid.

28 Caroe to Walton (India Office), April 9, 1936, in ibid.

29 India Office minute by Walton, June 4, 1936, in ibid.

30 India Office minute by Denys Bray, June 8, 1936, in ibid.

31 FO to IO, July 8, 1936 in ibid. Also see IO to FO, June 13, 1936 and Walton to Caroe, July 16, 1936, both in ibid.

32 For the texts of China's protest, April 7, 1936 and of Soviet rejection, April 8, 1936 IOR, L/P&S/i 2/36/23, Part I. The Soviet Union maintained that the new protocol did not change the “formal or actual relations” between China and Outer Mongolia, nor did it affect the “sovereignty” of China “in the slightest degree” for the Peking agreement of 1924 still “retains its force.”

33 India Office minute by Rumbold, July 9, 1936, in ibid. This was just a week before Walton wrote to Caroe according Whitehall's approval to India's proposed course of action.

34 Viceroy to Secretary of State, August 17, 1936 in ibid.