Simla Conference Research Articles

The Sikkim–Tibet Convention of 1890 and the Younghusband Mission of 1904

The controversy surrounding the Simla Conference of 1913–1914 and the legality of the McMahon line, which was produced by the Conference, has been at the centre of the boundary dispute between India and China. Amidst the diverging opinions amongst scholars and political commentators, the main issue rest on the unresolved question of Tibet’s political status. Was Lhasa authorised to sign treaties for Tibet? Was China the sovereign over Tibet? The answers to such questions are murky and complicated, made more so by the politics and conflicts in the post colonial period. This study attempts to highlight the complicated nature of political authority in Tibet through a study of British policy in Tibet towards the end of 19th and early 20th centuries. The signing of the 1890 Convention with China and the 1904 Convention with Tibet represents two extremes in British foreign policy which attest to the confounding situation presented before the British and the diverging opinions within the British official circles. The period between these two conventions provides a glimpse of the historical background in which the relations between British India, China and Tibet developed subsequently.

Tibet in the Era of 1911 Revolution

This article seeks to clarify the political activities of a variety of Tibetan groups and leaders during the 1911 Revolution. After the collapse of the Qing dynasty, China planned to incorporate Tibet and Mongolia into Chinese territory by declaring the “the Republic of Five Races”. In opposition to this, the Dalai Lama Government attempted to achieve full independence as the country integrating all areas in which Tibetan people lived. During this process, the question of political status of Tibet and a border dispute between Tibet and China arose. This territorial issue developed into a controversial topic at the Simla conference between Tibet, China and Britain in 1913–1914. However, the political attitudes of the indigenous leaders and the Tibetan Buddhist priest, who living in the Tibetan border areas of Kham and Amdo, were quite varied. Their political activities were not dependent on their agreement with the principle of the “the Republic of Five Races” or Tibetan Nationalism. Thus more attention should be given to the historical relationships to both the Chinese and Dalai Lama governments that were built during the Qing period.

シムラ会議の意味をめぐって

シムラ会議の意味をめぐって

‘An Untouchable in the Presence of Brahmins’ Lord Wavell's Disastrous Relationship with Whitehall During His Time as Viceroy to India, 1943–7

The release of Peter Clarke's biography of Sir Stafford Cripps in 2002, with much of its focus on the protagonist's time in India, meant that a thorough reappraisal of Lord Wavell's time as Viceroy to India was clearly needed. By giving an impartial account of Wavell's relationship with Whitehall during his time as Viceroy this article will also focus on such significant events as the 1945 Simla Conference, the 1946 Cabinet Mission and Wavell's dismissal in late 1946/early 1947. It is hoped that by the end of this article readers will be able to judge Wavell's overall performance as Viceroy and decide for themselves whether he deserved to be replaced by Mountbatten or not.

Tibetan Account of the Simla Conference 1913–14

Tibetan Account of the Simla Conference 1913–14

The Sino-Indian Border Dispute: A Legal Study.

This study explores the roots of the Sino-Indian border dispute and proposes a settlement that might be acceptable to both China and India. Lu provides the historical perspective necessary for a complete understanding of the problem, beginning with the seventh century, when China and Tibet first made contact. He argues that a settlement of the dispute is necessary not only for the peace of the Indian subcontinent but for other parts of the world as well. He explains why and how Great Britain came to be involved in Sino-Tibetan relations and pays particular attention to the failure of the Simla Conference of 1913-1914 between Britain, China, and Tibet to define a common boundary between China and India. The author explores Indian involvement in Sino-Tibetan relations and why India intervened against China's reoccupation of Tibet. He traces the border incidents and military clashes between China and India and the failure of the two powers to negotiate a settlement of their differences. Finally, he discusses the Sino-Indian border dispute from the perspectives of international law, effective occupation, and watershed. In conclusion, he offers some reasonable, practical measures based on international law and political reality that could be taken to settle the border dispute.

Before and after the transfer of power: Two review articles

Nicholas Mansergh, Editor‐in‐chief; E.W.R. Lumby, Assistant Editor (for Volumes I ‐IV); and Penderel Moon, Assistant Editor (Volumes V and VI), Constitutional Relations Between Britain and India: The Transfer of Power, 1942‐7. Volume I: The Cripps Mission, January ‐April 1942 (London, HMSO, 1970), lxiii, 928 pp. £7.00, $US25.20; Volume II: “Quit India”, 30 April ‐ 21 September 1942 (1971) lxxxx, 1044 pp. £9.00; Volume III: “Gandhi's Fast and the Succession to the Viceroyalty, 21 September 1942 ‐ 12 June 1943 (1971), lxxxv, 1095 pp. £10.00; Volume IV: The Bengal Famine and the New Viceroyalty, 15 June 1943 ‐ 31 August 1944 (1973), xcix, 1295 pp. £13.00; Volume V: The Simla Conference, Background and Proceedings, 1 September 1944 ‐ 28 July 1945 (1974), xcii, 1346 pp. £17.50, $US54; Volume VI: The Post‐War Phase; New Moves by the Labour Government, 1 August 1945 ‐ 22 March 1946 (1976).

The Transfer of Power 1942–7. Volume V: The Simla Conference, 1 September 1944–28 July 1945. Edited by Nicholas Mansergh. London: Her Majesty's Stationery Office, 1974. xcii, 1346 pp. Illustrations, Glossary, Indexes, Map. £17.50

The Transfer of Power 1942–7. Volume V: The Simla Conference, 1 September 1944–28 July 1945. Edited by Nicholas Mansergh. London: Her Majesty's Stationery Office, 1974. xcii, 1346 pp. Illustrations, Glossary, Indexes, Map. £17.50

The Transfer of Power 1942–7. Volume V: The Simla Conference, 1 September 1944–28 July 1945. Edited by Nicholas Mansergh. London: Her Majesty's Stationery Office, 1974. xcii, 1346 pp. Illustrations, Glossary, Indexes, Map. £17.50

The Transfer of Power 1942–7. Volume V: The Simla Conference, 1 September 1944–28 July 1945. Edited by Nicholas Mansergh. London: Her Majesty's Stationery Office, 1974. xcii, 1346 pp. Illustrations, Glossary, Indexes, Map. £17.50

Reviews

The Central Records of the Church of England: a Report and Survey presented to the Pilgrim and Radcliffe Trustees CIO Publishing, 1976 iv + 100 pp. £3 International Directory of Archives (Archivum, Vols. XXII‐XXIII) Paris, Presses Universitaires de France, 1975 480 pp. £19.75 Morton on Archives : the writings of Margaret Cross Norton on Archival and Records Management Edited by Thornton W. Mitchell, foreword by Ernst Posner Southern Illinois University Press, 1975 xxi + 288 pp. $10. Proceedings of an International Seminar on Automatic Data Processing in Archives Edited by L. Bell and M. Roper H.M.S.O., 1975, 348 pp. £8.50 Britain before the Norman Conquest. Scale 1 :625000 about ten miles to one inch Published by the Director General of the Ordnance Survey, Southampton, 1974, 68 pp., 2 maps in pocket at end of volume. £4.50 The Ecclesiastical History of Or aerie Vitalis, vol. 5 : Books IX and X Edited and translated by M. Chibnall Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1975 xix +413 pp. £15 Gascon Register A (Series of 1318–1319), from British Museum Cottonian MS. Julius E.i Edited by G. P. Cuttino with the collaboration of J.‐P. Trabut‐Cussac London, Oxford University Press for the British Academy, 1975. 2 vols, continuously paginated, lxxviii + 718 pp., 3 plates, 1 map. £16 Calendar of Inquisitions Post Mortem , vol. xvi, 7–15 Richard II London, H.M.S.O., 1974 xliv + 607 pp. £16.20 English hawking and hunting in ‘The Boke of St. Albans’ A facsimile edition of sigs. a2‐f 8 of The Boke of St. Albans (1486) Edited by Rachel Hands Oxford English Monographs, Oxford University Press, 1975. £15 A Biographical Register of the University of Oxford, A.D. 1501 to 1540 A. B. Emden Oxford, Clarendon Press, 1974 xxiv + 742 pp. £18 A Catalogue of Printed Books (pre‐1751) in the Library of St. George's Chapel, Windsor Castle Compiled by John Callard Historical Monographs relating to St. George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, Vol. 15 Windsor, 1976. xxxvi + 282 pp. £23 (obtainable from W. S. Maney & Son Ltd., Hudson Road, Leeds LS9 7DL) The Printed Maps of Hertfordshire, 1577–1900 Donald Hodson London, Dawsons of Pall Mall, 1975 251 pp. £10 A Calendar of Cornish Glebe Terriers, 1673–1735 Edited by Richard Potts Devon and Cornwall Record Society, New Series, vol. 19, 1974. xxxiv + 209 pp. £3 (obtainable from the Assistant Secretary, 7 The Close, Exeter) Abstracts of Wiltshire Tithe Apportionments Edited by R. E. Sandell Wiltshire Record Society, Vol. XXX, for the year 1974, Devizes, 1975 viii + 164 pp. (obtainable from M.J. Lansdown, 53 Clarendon Road, Trowbridge, £5 excluding postage) The Days That We Have Seen George Ewart Evans London, Faber & Faber, 1975 224 pp., 24 plates. £4.95 History of Birmingham, Volume III, Birmingham 1939–1970 Anthony Sutcliffe and Roger Smith London, Oxford University Press for Birmingham City Council, 1974 xv + 514 pp. £12 Constitutional Relations between Britain and India. The Transfer of Power, 1942–7. Vol. V. The Simla Conference, background and proceedings, 1 Sept 1944–28 July 1945 Editor in Chief Nicholas Mansergh Assistant Editor Penderel Moon London, H.M.S.O., 1974 1440 pp. £17.50 The American Territorial System Edited by John Porter Bloom Ohio University Press, 1973 xv + 248 pp. $10 The National Archives and Foreign Relations Research Edited by Milton O. Gustafson Ohio University Press, 1974 xvii + 292 pp. $10 Histoire économique de la Belgique, traitement des sources et état des questions Edited by H. Coppejans‐Desmedt Actes du Colloque de Bruxelles 17–19 Novembre 1971. Brussels, 1973. $20. 600 francs The Fifteen Compiled by G. W. Hogg and J. C. Tyson University of Newcastle School of Education, Archive Teaching Unit, No. 10, 1975. £2 The Slave Trade in Liverpool, 1707–1807 Edited by M. Cook J. E. Blyth and R. R. Grogan Liverpool Education Committee, Teaching Unit No. 2, 1973. £1 The Growth of London : 16th Century : Beginning of Expansion Edited by B. Price Inner London Education Authority, 1974. No price given Agriculture in Essex, 1840–1900 Compiled by R. G. E. Wood Essex County Council, 1975. £1.20 19th Century Posters Commentary by K. C. Leslie West Sussex County Record Office, Prints from the Past, No. 1, 1974 45p. + 1 op. postage The Record Interpreter Compiled by Charles Trice Martin Kohler & Coombes (facsimile of the 2nd edition published by Stevens & Sons, 1910), 1976 xv + 464 pp. £6 BS 5195 : Part 1: 1975. Recommendations for Bibliographical references to maps and charts. Part 1. References in accessions lists British Standards Institution, 1975 7 pp. £2.10 BS 1629: 1976. Recommendations: Bibliographical references British Standards Institution, 1976 11 pp. £ 3.10

Great Britain, China and the Status of Tibet, 1914–21

The decade preceding the First World War, with the Younghusband expedition, the Chinese forward movement in Tibet of 1909–11, and the Simla Conference of 1913–14, is naturally the period of Anglo-Tibetan relations that has been most thoroughly covered by historians. It could indeed be argued that, on the surface at least, the relationship forged between British India and Tibet by the conclusion of the Simla Conference remained unchanged and largely unchallenged until the transfer of power to an independent Indian Government. This seeming stability, however, masks a debate over Tibetan policy within the British and Indian Governments that was particularly intense during the years 1919–21, and which reflected Britain's nervousness over the political instability of north Asia as a whole during and after the First World War. Before the First World War, the ‘problem’ of Tibet was largely a parochial issue for the British Indian Government, but at the conclusion of the First World War this ‘problem’ had become an important ingredient of a much wider debate on the overall direction of post-war British policy in Asia.

Nicholas Mansergh and Penderl Moon, editors. <italic>The Transfer of Power, 1942–7</italic>. Volume 5, <italic>The Simla Conference: Background and Proceedings, 1 September 1944–28 July 1945</italic>. (Constitutional Relations between Britain and India). London: H.M. Stationary Office; distrib. by Pendragon House, Palo Alto, Calif. 1974. Pp. xcii, 1346. £17.50

Nicholas Mansergh and Penderl Moon, editors. <italic>The Transfer of Power, 1942–7</italic>. Volume 5, <italic>The Simla Conference: Background and Proceedings, 1 September 1944–28 July 1945</italic>. (Constitutional Relations between Britain and India). London: H.M. Stationary Office; distrib. by Pendragon House, Palo Alto, Calif. 1974. Pp. xcii, 1346. £17.50

Book Reviews

Book reviewed in this article:A BIT OF A REBEL: The Life and Work of George Arnold Wood. By R.M. CrawfordAUSTRALIAN THEMES. The Times Literary SupplementTHE ORIGINS OF NEW ZEALAND DIPLOMACY: The Agent‐General in London 1870–1905. By R.M. DalzielJEWS IN AUSTRALIAN SOCIETY. Edited by Peter Y. MeddingTHE GREAT WHITE WALLS ARE BUILT: Restrictive Immigration to North America and Australasia 1836–1888. By Charles A. PriceAUSTRALIAN COMMENTARIES: Select Articles from the Round Table 1911–1942. Edited by L.L. RobsonPATRICK McMAHON GLYNN: Letters to His Family (1874–1927). Edited by Gerald Glynn O'Collins, SJTHE TRANSFER OF POWER 1942–7. Vol. 5. The Simla Conference: Background and Proceedings 1 September 1944–28 July 1945. Edited by Nicholas Mansergh and Penderel MoonTHE LAST DAYS OF UNITED PAKISTAN. By G.W. ChoudhuryHENRY III AND THE JESUIT POLITICIANS. By A. Lynn MartinEDWARD IV. By Charles RossCHANGE AND CONTINUITY IN SEVENTEENTH CENTURY ENGLAND. By Christopher HillTHE POLITICS OF ILLUSION: The Fischer Controversy in German Historiography. By John A. MosesHUME'S PHILOSOPHICAL POLITICS. By Duncan ForbesUP THE MAIN STREAM: A Critique of Ideology in American Politics and Everyday Life. Edited by Herbert G. ReidKEIR HARDIE: Radical and Socialist. By Kenneth O. MorganBRITISH CABINET MINISTERS: The Roles of Politicians in Executive Office. By Bruce HeadeyLÉOPOLD SÉDAR SENGHOR: An Intellectual Biography. By J.L. HymansCHINA'S POLICY IN AFRICA 1958–1971. By A. OgunsanwoSWAZILAND: The Dynamics of Political Modernisation. By C. P. PotholmMOROCCO UNDER COLONIAL RULE: French Administration of Tribal Areas 1912–1956. By R. BidwellTRADITIONAL ATTITUDES AND MODERN STYLES IN POLITICAL LEADERSHIP. Edited by A. R. DavisTHE STRONG BROWN GOD: the Story of the Niger River. By Sanche de GramontTHE FAMILY AND SEX ROLES. By Aida K. TomehTHE INDIAN OCEAN AND THE THREAT TO THE WEST. Edited by Patrick WallCONSERVATIVE POLITICS IN FRANCE. By Malcolm AndersonPROTEST IN PARIS: Anatomy of a Revolt. By Bernard E. BrownTHE LIFE AND TIMES OF SUKARNO. By C.L.M. PendersCHINA AND THE WORLD COMMUNITY. Edited by Ian WilsonTHE SOVIET UNION AND THE ARAB EAST UNDER KRUSHCHEV. By O.M. SmolanskyMILOVAN DJILAS: Parts of a Lifetime. Edited by Michael and Deborah MilenkovitchWOMEN IN EXILE: Wives of the Decembrists. By Anatole G. Mazour

BOOK REVIEWS

The Natiosalisation of British Industry 1945–51. By Sir Norman Chester, C.B.E.Power, Violence, Decision. By W. J. M. Mackenzie.Explorations in Government, Collected Papers 1951–1968. By W. J. M. Mackenzie.Oswald Mosley. By Robert Skidelsky.The Impact of Hitler. British Politics and British Policy 1933–1940. By Maurice Cowling.The Transfer of Power, 1942–47. Edited by Nicholas Mansergh. Volume V, The Simla Conference, September 1, 1944‐July 28, 1945.The Past Masters: Politics and Politicians 1906–1939. By Harold Macmillan.Committees of Inquiry. By Gerald Rhodes.The Parliamentary Ombudsman. By Roy Gregory and Peter Hutchisson.Sociology and Social Policy. By P. Townsesd.Social Policy and Administration Revisited. By D. Donnison et al.The Political Ideas of Marx and Engels: Vol. 1: Marxism and Totalitarian Democracy 1818–1850. By Richard N. Hunt.Marx Without Myth. By Maximilien Rubel and Margaret Masale.Marxian and Post‐Marxian Political Economy. By Arun Bose.Marx and Modern Social Theory. By Alan Swingewood.Marxist Analyses and Social Anthropology. Edited by Maurice Bloch.The Study of Government. By F. F. Ridley.

Reviews of Books

Reviews of Books Constitutional Relations between Britain and India. The Transfer of Power1942–7. V. The Simla Conference. Background and Proceedings I September 1944–28 July 1945. Edited by NICHOLAS MANSERGH and PENDEREL MOON (London: H. M. S. O., 1974. £17.50). JUDITH M. BROWN JUDITH M. BROWN University of Manchester Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar The English Historical Review, Volume XCI, Issue CCCLXI, October 1976, Pages 877–879, https://doi.org/10.1093/ehr/XCI.CCCLXI.877 Published: 01 October 1976

Constitutional Relations Between Britain and India. the transfer of power, 1942–7. Vo1. v : ‘The Simla conference’, 1 Sept. 1944–28 July 1945. Eduted by Nicholas Mansergh and Penderel Moon. Pp xcii, 1346. London: Stationery Office. 1974. £17.50.

Constitutional Relations Between Britain and India. the transfer of power, 1942–7. Vo1. v : ‘The Simla conference’, 1 Sept. 1944–28 July 1945. Eduted by Nicholas Mansergh and Penderel Moon. Pp xcii, 1346. London: Stationery Office. 1974. £17.50.

The Transfer of Power 1942–7. Volume V: The Simla Conference: Background and Proceedings, 1 September, 1944–28 July, 1945

The Transfer of Power 1942–7. Volume V: The Simla Conference: Background and Proceedings, 1 September, 1944–28 July, 1945 Get access The Transfer of Power 1942–7. Volume V: The Simla Conference: Background and Proceedings, 1 September, 1944–28 July, 1945. Edited by Nicholas Mansergh with the assistance of Penderel Moon. London: H.M.S.O. 1975. 1346 pp. Illus. Map. Indexes. (Constitutional Relations between Britain and India.) £17.75. P. J. Griffiths P. J. Griffiths Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar International Affairs, Volume 51, Issue 3, July 1975, Pages 451–452, https://doi.org/10.2307/2616671 Published: 01 July 1975

The McMahon Line. A Study in the Relations between India, China and Tibet 1904 to 1914. By Alastair Lamb. Vol. I: Morley, Minto and Noninterference in Tibet, pp. xxxii, 268. Index; Vol. II: Hardinge, McMahon and the Simla Conference, pp. xxviii, 269–656. Index. London: Eoutledge & Kegan Paul; Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1966. £5 5 s.; $17.50 both vols.

The McMahon Line. A Study in the Relations between India, China and Tibet 1904 to 1914. By Alastair Lamb. Vol. I: <i>Morley, Minto and Noninterference in Tibet</i>, pp. xxxii, 268. Index; Vol. II: <i>Hardinge, McMahon and the Simla Conference</i>, pp. xxviii, 269–656. Index. London: Eoutledge &amp; Kegan Paul; Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1966. £5 5 s.; $17.50 both vols.

The McMahon Line: A Study in the Relations between India, China and Tibet, 1904–1914. By Alastair Lamb. London: Routledge &amp; Regan Paul, 1966. Vol. I (Morley, Minto and Non-Interference in Tibet), xi, 267 pp. Index xx, Appendices, Maps. Vol. II (Handinge, McMahon and the Simla Conference), vii, 271–656 pp. Index xx, Appendices, Maps, Bibliography. $17.50.

The McMahon Line: A Study in the Relations between India, China and Tibet, 1904–1914. By Alastair Lamb. London: Routledge &amp; Regan Paul, 1966. Vol. I (Morley, Minto and Non-Interference in Tibet), xi, 267 pp. Index xx, Appendices, Maps. Vol. II (Handinge, McMahon and the Simla Conference), vii, 271–656 pp. Index xx, Appendices, Maps, Bibliography. $17.50.

The McMahon Line: A Study in the Relations between India, China and Tibet, 1904 to 1914. Volume I, Morley, Minto and Non-Interference in Tibet; Volume II, Hardinge, McMahon and the Simla Conference. By Alastair Lamb. [Studies in Political History.] (Toronto: University of Toronto Press. 1966. Pp. xi, 267, xx; vii, 271–656, xx. $17.50 the set.)

The McMahon Line: A Study in the Relations between India, China and Tibet, 1904 to 1914. Volume I, Morley, Minto and Non-Interference in Tibet; Volume II, Hardinge, McMahon and the Simla Conference. By <italic>Alastair Lamb</italic>. [Studies in Political History.] (Toronto: University of Toronto Press. 1966. Pp. xi, 267, xx; vii, 271–656, xx. $17.50 the set.)