IIAS | IIAS Newsletter Online | No. 19 | Regions |Central Asia

Dear Editor, In IIAS Newsletter 18 I read R.J. Barendse's critical notes on the discussion between Dr McKay and me (issues 13 and 17). I am grateful for his attention, but I would like to make some remarks. Neither me, nor McKay, I suppose, wanted to show our wide erudition in policy and history. Our task was limited, namely to discuss the problem of relations between the World Powers and Tibet during the short period of 1900-1915. Barendse extends the discussion to Afghanistan, Mashad, Marw, Napoleon's plans for an Indian and Persian expedition in 1809, the Treaty of Tilzit, and so forth. I did not wish to discuss these themes as they are beyond the scope of Tibet, and certainly beyond the scope of my book Russia's Tibet File. Moreover comparisons and extrapolations from other cases demand great accuracy and carefulness. Analogies do not prove a case; they merely illustrate it. Barendse is perhaps convinced that the so-called 'Russian threat to Tibet' and 'the Great Game' were British India's main concerns. Nevertheless he asks himself: 'Why was Tibet included in the negotiations leading to the 'Triple Entente'?' At the beginning of the twentieth century Tibet became subject to outside forces: Younghusband's military expedition and the aggressive troupes of Chao Erfang. The Tibetans then decided to take destiny into their own hands. Lhasa first tried to establish political ties with Russia, but was turned down by the Russian government. Goldstein (in A History of Modern Tibet, 1989, p. 47) wrote: 'The tsar was not interested in getting entangled in the Tibetan situation and returned a polite answer, but no more.' Lhasa then turned to other European countries for support and attracted the attention of the press and the public. Tibet was included in the Anglo-Russian negotiations, not to eliminate the so-called 'Russian threat', but to confirm that there was no Russian threat to Tibet. I am always happy to read any critical remarks as they help me to fine-tune my arguments on this theme. Nicolai Kuleshov Moscow

   IIAS | IIAS Newsletter Online | No. 19 | Regions |Central Asia