IIIF Color HighRes
National Institute of Informatics - Digital Silk Road Project
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| IIIF Color HighRes |
| India and Tibet : vol.1 |
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Citation Information
74 SECURING THE TREATY RIGHTS
with Russia about Tibet. Why not, then, have disre-
garded these idle rumours ? Such lofty disregard is easy
for irresponsible persons at a comfortable distance in
England to display. But the responsible Government
in India cannot dismiss such rumours with so light a
heart. Russia might not have had any agreement
about 'Tibet, and the 'Tibetan Mission might have been
purely religious ; but that she was extremely interested
in Tibet was unquestionable. She had for years been
sending semi-official, semi-scientific expeditions into the
country. 'These had always reported on the richness
of Tibet in regard to gold, and the desirability of getting
concessions there. There was at the very moment one
of these expeditions with an armed escort in Tibet.
Apart from this, the interest of Russiain 'Tibet was
thoroughly natural. The Dalai Lama was regarded with
superstitious reverence by many thousands of Russian
Asiatic subjects. Moreover, at that time it was generally
looked upon as inevitable that Russia would shortly
absorb Mongolia, and all Mongols look upon the
Dalai Lama as a god. It was, indeed, because of his
immense influence over the Mongols that the Chinese had
for centuries, and at great cost to themselves, secured and
maintained a dominant influence in Lhasa. It is easy to
understand, therefore, that the Russians would be glad
enough of any opportunity of gaining an influence with
the Dalai Lama. The mission of the latter to the Czar
might, as the Russian Chancellor said, be mainly religious,
and similar to missions which the Pope sends out. But
even in Europe it is often difficult to distinguish between
religion and politics, and in Asia the two are almost indis-
tinguishable. A religious understanding between the
Dalai Lama and the Czar might by the former be
regarded as a political agreement. And whatever might
have been the intentions of the Russian Government at
the time, they might on some subsequent occasion have
sent a mission to Lhasa, as they had sent a mission to
Kabul in 1879 and caused an Afghan War.
Even so, why should we trouble ? What possible
harm could a few Russians do in Lhasa ? Russia might
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