Tibet Expedition

Tibet Expedition
Dec 1903 – Sept 1904
Chronological list of Wars and Campaigns
Location: Tibet
Combatants:
British Field Force	Tibetan Armed Forces
Result: Anglo-Tibetan Agreement of 1904
Medals: Tibet Medal
Links:
Category: Tibet Expedition

	See our interactive map of Tibet Expedition 1903-04 locations and routes on Google Maps

The Expedition to Tibet in 1903-04, also known as the Anglo-Tibet War.

Summary

At the beginning of the 20th century Britain and Russia were competing for influence in Central Asia. To counter the perceived threat, the British sent an expedition under Francis Younghusband to negotiate with the Tibetans. The first excursion with Claude White, the Political Officer for Sikkim, to Khamba Jong was rebuffed and a field force was dispatched through the Jelep Pass. The Tibetans were defeated at two major battles and the expedition reached Lhasa in August 1904. The Dalai Lama had fled but Younghusband forced a one-sided treaty on the regent which gave Britain trading rights in Tibet. This was later repudiated by the Tibetans.

Field Forces

First Excursion
British Commissioner to Tibet: Major Francis Younghusband
Political Officer for Sikkim: J Claude White

• 200 32nd Pioneers
• 300 followers
  

Tibet Mission
British Commissioner to Tibet: Major Francis Younghusband
Escort Commander: Brig-Gen James Macdonald CB

• Six Coys 8th Gurkhas Lt-Col Kerr
• Eight Coys 23rd Pioneers Lt-Col Hogge
• Half Coy 2nd Sappers Maj Haycock
• Maxim gun detachment of Norfolk Regiment Lt Hadow
• Two 7-pounder guns of 8th Gurkhas Capt Leeke
• Two 10 pounder guns of No 7 Mountain Battery Royal Garrison Artillery Maj Fuller
• Field Hospital
• Engineer Field Park
• Ammunition Column
• Telegraph, postal and survey detachments
  

Later Reinforcements

• One Wing Royal Fusiliers Col Cooper DSO
• 40th Pathans Lt-Col Campbell DSO
• 19th Punjabis Maj Herbert
• Three Coys Mounted Infantry Capts Otterley & Peterson, Maj Rowlandson
• Maxim gun detachment of Royal Irish Rifles Lt Bowen Colthurst
• Two 7-pounder RML guns of No 30 Mountain Battery Lt Marindin
• Two 10-pounder RML guns of No 27 Mountain Battery Lt Field

Followers

• 10,000 transport drivers
• 8,000 supply and transport coolies
• 10,500 mules and ponies
• 400 donkeys
• 9,225 bullocks and yaks

Chronology

First Excursion

19 June 1903	Mission left Darjeeling
21 June	Reached Gangtok
26 June	Arrived at Tangu
4 July	Claude White (Sikkim Political Officer) left Tangu
5 July	Mr White reached Diagong
7 July	Mr White reached Khamba Dzong
18 July	Younghusband reached Khamba Dzong
11 October	Younghusband left Khamba Dzong for Simla

Mission to Lhasa

5 December 1903	Mission left Darjeeling
12 December	Crossed the border at Jelep Jelep La 4267m
14 December	Arrived at Yadong
20 December	Reached Pagri
7 January 1904	Crossed the Tang La 4,521 m
8 January	Made camp at Tuna
31 March	Battle at Guru
9 April	Action at Tsamdang Gorge
11 April	Reached Gyantse
5 May	Tibetan attack at Gyantse
7 May	Battle of Karo La
26 May	Battle of Palla
6 June	Action at Kangma
6 July	Gyantse Dzong stormed
14 July	Mission left Gyantse for Lhasa
19 July	Reached Nagartse
24 July	Crossed the Kampa La 4,794 m
31 July	Crossed the Bramaputra at Chaksam Ferry
4 August	Reached Lhasa

External links

• British Expedition to Tibet Wikipedia
• The Younghusband Expedition tibettalk.wordpress.com
• Francis Younghusband Wikipedia
• 50 Letters from Capt Mainprise blogspot.com
• Scenes from the film Gyantse 1904: The British Liberation of Tibet

Historical books on-line

• List of Officers on the Lhasa Mission Google Books
• Chronology of the Expedition Google Books
• India and Tibet. A History of the Relations which have Subsisted between the Two Countries from the Time of Warren Hastings to 1910; with a Particular Account of the Mission to Lhasa of 1904 by Sir Francis Younghusband KCIE. Published by John Murray 1910. Archive.org. Another copy of this title is at India & Tibet by Francis Younghusband Google Books (Limited View)
• "Tibet", page 115, The History of the Indian Mountain Artillery by Brigadier-General C A L Graham 1957 Archive.org. This book is also available to read online on the Digital Library of India website, where the print quality is better.
• Sikhim And Bhutan, Twenty-one Years On The North-east Frontier 1887-1908 by J Claude White. Archive.org 1909 edition.
• Lhasa: An Account of the Country and People of Central Tibet and of the Progress of the Mission sent there by the English Government in the year 1903-04 by Perceval Landon 1905 Archive.org Volume 1, Volume 2
• "Across the North East Frontier" by Colonel HC Wylly , page 642 The United Service Magazine Volume 29 New Series April 1904 to September 1904 Archive.org
• "Reminiscences of Tibet". Online report by Frederick Campbell who accompanied the Younghusband Expedition to Lhasa, Tibet, 1904. King’s College London Collections:The Serving Soldier
• "The Gartok Expedition 1904-1905", page 159 The Great Plateau being an account of exploration in Central Tibet, 1903, and of the Gartok expedition, 1904-1905] by Captain C. G. Rawling 1905 Archive.org The terms of the Treaty provided that a trade mart be opened at Gartok and the expedition took place to survey the area and select a suitable location.