INTEODUCTION. XI 



would suffice to bring about a peaceful settlement. But it is a far cry 

 from Pekin to Lhassa ; the wheels of State move slowly in China, and 

 no effective action appears to have been taken. In default, therefore, 

 of any means of introducing the Tibetans themselves to civilised 

 methods of settling international disagreements, it was decided to send 

 an ultimatum to the troops at Lingtu, w^arning them that if they did 

 not abandon the post by the 14th of March they would be driven 

 out by force of arms. Meanwhile, lest it should be supposed that even 

 then we were not in earnest, the 32nd Pioneers, a very fine regiment 

 of low-caste Sikhs, were sent forward to bridge the Rongli river, and 

 His Excellency the Viceroy addressed a letter to the Dalai Lama, 

 explaining the reasons which had induced him to take so decided a 

 line of action. 



Now this letter to the Dalai Lama raises, and in some degree 

 answers, the very questions which the average English politician, with 

 one eye on the fortunes of our Indian empire and the other on the 

 prejudices of jealous or wavering constituencies, will naturally be 

 forward to ask. What was there really to fight for ? What is this 

 Sikhim that it should become the Belgium of Asia? Why spend 

 money and squander lives to maintain our influence in a petty sub- 

 Himalayan princedom, merely because the chapter of accidents 

 involved us in diplomatic relations with it seventy years ago? Are 

 treaties so sacred in Europe that they must be deemed inviolable 

 under the shadow of the Himalayas ? If Tibet wants to have Sikliim, 

 why should we not jump at the chance of cutting ourselves loose 

 from uncomfortable obligations, and leave our barbarian neighbours 

 to settle their differences within their own borders in their own 

 way ? 



The answer to these questions, pertinent enough from certain 

 o It wards poi^^^s of view, involves the consideration of our 

 the ^eIsi ^Himalayan general policy towards the East Himalayan States 

 States. with which we come more or less into contact. 



Counting from the east, those States are— Tibet, Bhutan, Sikhim, and 

 Nepal. In discussing our relations with them, the ground may be 

 cleared by stating that under no circumstances now easily conceivable 

 can we desire to annex any of the group. Concerning Tibet in parti- 

 cular, we may add, without much fear of contradiction, that the 

 Government of India, as such, wishes to have as 

 Tibet. little to do Avith it as possible. It lies on the other 



side of a great wall, which we, as the rulers of India, have not the 

 smallest ambition to climb over. But here supposed commercial 

 iiiterests come in, and it is urged, on the strength of somewhat 

 conjectural data, that Tibet offers a great market for certain articles 

 of English manufacture. The Tibetans will take from us, we are told, 



