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
'TIBETAN TITLE TO SUPPORT 425
4
4 them on behalf of the Tibetans in 1890 ; and we acquired the right to deal directly with the Tibetans by the expenditure we were put to in 1888 and in 1904.
These direct relations, within the assigned limits, we
ki should studiously maintain. The touch and contact may be light, but it should never be allowed to drop, for we
~'' have many instances of bad blood and estrangement arising through dropping a people and letting them lapse back into isolation once we have been forced into relationship with them. The Tibetans want to preserve what they themselves call the right of direct relations with us, and it is to our interest to preserve it.
How far the Tibetans are entitled to our support is a more delicate question. We who fought against them would probably like to go farther in this direction than those who have had no personal contact with them. We had a square stand-up fight, and we made friends afterwards. We should always, therefore, like to see a guiding and N~ protecting hand extended to them. And what especially rankles with us is that, when we had knocked them over, ti and while they were still down, the Chinese should have proceeded to kick them. While the Tibetans were strong
ë the Chinese did nothing. Even after they were down 1 the Chinese did not touch them while we were about ; ;i only after we had left Chumbi did the kicking commence. ip And I do not myself see why we should have regarded e+ the process so placidly.
if One thing, however, we can stand up for is that
an effective Tibetan Government should still be maintained — a Government with whom we could, when necessary, treat in the manner provided for in the Treaties with the Tibetans and Chinese. This, on Lord Morley's suggestion, was what Sir Edward Grey pressed on the Chinese Government in February, 1910, reminding them, at the same time, that the Lhasa Treaty made with the Tibetans was confirmed by them, and that, in consequence, we had a right to expect that the Tibetan Government should be maintained. The Chinese Central Government have themselves assured us that they have no desire to interfere with local autonomy in Tibet, and
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