Boundaries and Borderlands: A Century after the 1914 Simla Convention

Description

The Simla Convention of 1914, held between Great Britain, China, and Tibet, demarcated the border between India and Tibet and gave birth to the McMahon Line. This volume critically examines the legacy of the 1914 Convention and explores its relevance in scholarly discourse about the status of Tibet and Sino-Indian relations more than a hundred years later. The book discusses the significance of the Simla Convention, both in terms of the geopolitics of boundaries as well as the people and the liminal borderlands they occupy, encapsulating the culture and diversity of the trans-Himalayan regions. The book explicates how colonial legacies, namely, the 1914 Simla Convention, have become virtual straitjackets, hardening the positions on the boundaries between India and China. It also looks at the debilitating consequences of the nation-state framework on more substantial investigations of the borderlands. Rich in archival material and drawing from the authors’ fieldwork in the Himalayan regions, this book analyses muted voices of the inhabitants of the region to bring into focus the larger question of the political, economic, religious, ecological, and social life of the Himalayan peoples, which has enormous implications for both India and China. This volume will be of interest to students of history, international relations, sociology, strategic studies, Asian studies, and anthropology. Cover Half Title Title Page Copyright Page Table of Contents Figures Maps Contributors Foreword Introduction Notes Part 1 Simla Convention: Historical Perspectives 1 The Simla Convention: Almost Aborted, Never Signed But Still Relevant A Bit of History The Position of Tawang Suzerainty and Sovereignty Preparing the Simla Convention Tortuous Negotiations The McMahon Line Notes References 2 The 1914 Simla Convention: British Diplomacy and Strategy The Making of the Simla Convention The Meeting Mcmahon’s Negotiating Strategy Conclusion Notes References 3 Toward Simla: Proposing Provinces and Claiming Territory On the Tibetan Plateau Imperial Proposals Republican Actions Almost a Province Notes References 4 The Nationalist Government’s Reactions to Sino-Indian War and the Border Issue: An Analysis of ROC Diplomatic Archives … Introduction India-China Border and the Issue of Tibet: Views From Taipei Nationalist Government’s Reactions to the India-China War India-ROC Government Contacts 1963–1964 Conclusion Notes References Part 2 Boundaries 5 What Happened to the McMahon Line?: British Handling of the Boundary, 1914–1947 Prologomenon Eastern Section Western Section Nevill’s Visit to Tawang Later Events British Attitude Towards Tawang Note References 6 The Abors of NEFA: A Historical Perspective Abors in the British History of India Where Is ‘Aborland’? The Abor’s Relations With Other Tribes and the British Anglo–Abor War: Conflicting Suzerainty Anglo-Abor War (1911–1912): Local Expressions of Sino-British Expansionism The Abors in NEFA – a Post–1949 Assessment Notes References 7 The McMahon Line: View From the Ground Introduction The McMahon Line Tibet’s Role in Tawang India in Tawang The Takeover of Tawang Dalai Lama Enters India 1962 Border War Conclusion Notes References 8 Simla, MCMahon Line, and South Tibet: Debates in China On Losing Territory to India Introduction Importance of the Public Debates in China’s Foreign Policy Decision-Making 1962 Boundary War: ‘Self-Defensive Counter-Attack’ Should China Seriously Consider Abandoning ‘South Tibet’? Chinese Views On the Historical Background to the Boundary Dispute ‘South Tibetization’ of Chinese Territory Conclusion Notes References Part 3 Borderlands 9 Zhemengxiong as Depicted in Qing Official Documents: Exploring Sikkim’s Cultural and Commercial Ties With Tibet in Light … Introduction An Understanding of the Geopolitics of Asia at the Dawn of the Nineteenth Century Consolidating Cartographic Traditions and Intelligence Gathering Glimpses of Qing China’s Early Eighteenth-Century Understanding of British India Eighteenth-Century British India’s Perspectives On Tibet and the Sub-Himalayan Regions Bogle’s Mission Eighteenth-Century Reflections of British India’s Approach to Qing China Macartney Mission The Mission of Lord Macartney, One of Britain’s Most Experienced and Able Diplomats, to China in 1793–1794 Has Been Studied … Intricate Balance in Tibet’s Eighteenth-Century Understanding of British India and Qing China Tibet: British Protectorate Or Qing Suzerain State? Tibet’s Fate in the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries Exploring Sikkim’s Political Ties With Tibet in the Light of Changing Asian Perceptions During the Eighteenth and ... The Anthropology of the Ancient Tea Horse Trade Route: Yunnan, Tibet, and Sikkim The Sikkim Connection Reassessment of Asian Diplomacy in the Wake of the Simla Convention Revisiting the Simla Convention Notes References 10 Reimagining the Himalayan Borderland: A Case Study of the Himachal Sector Introduction Research Setting and Methods Critique of the Governance of the Border Areas Importance of Cross-Border Socioeconomic Connections Historical Exchanges Arbitrariness and Confusion of Maps Conclusion Notes References 11 Minorities in India and China: Conceptual and Historical Considerations Building a Conceptual Framework Historicizing the Fundamental Issues: Borders and Minorities The Simla Accord of 1914 and Contesting Ideas of Territoriality in Tibet Conceptualizing Minorities and Autonomy in India and China Conclusions The Party System Notes References Part 4 Postscript 12 A Brief Historical Account of the Delimitation of the Sino-Tibet Boundary and the Demand for ‘Greater’ Tibet The Contention of the CTA (a) Article 4 of the Constitution (b) Preamble of National Regional Autonomy Law ‘Memorandum On Genuine Autonomy for the Tibetan People’ Chinese Contention Historical Background Principal Semi-Independent Native States and Lama Principalities of Eastern Tibet Chinese Campaigns and Advance to Lhasa – 1905–1910 1912–1914: Chinese Driven Out of Tibet as Far as the Mekong Simla Agreement 1914 1917–1918 Chinese Aggression in East Tibet 1919 Chinese Proposal for a Settlement 1931–1932 Tibetans Attack and Reach Kanze The 1934 Visit of General Huang Mu Sung 1942–1943: Tensions and Troop Movements On the Tibet-Xinghai Border 17-Point Agreement of 1951 Summary of History Conclusion Notes References 13 Could Confucius Resolve the ‘Tibet Question’? Confucius Reborn What Is the ‘Tibet Question’? Background to the Tibet Conundrum Winners and Losers Enter … Confucius Problem-solving and ‘The Rectification of Names’ The Non-Negotiable Core Issues, and the Negotiating Strategy Thoughts On the ‘Middle Path’ Formula: No ‘Greater Tibet’ . . . . . . but a Number of Little Ones Instead? Confucius and Good Governance Confucius and Tibetan Buddhist Spirituality Self-immolations and the Concepts of ‘Ren’ and ‘Shu’ Engaging With the Dalai Lama How to Bell the Cat? Why Xi Should Move Now On the ‘Tibet Question’ Finale … and Confucius Moves On References Part Tribute 14 Professor Parshotam Lal Mehra (15 July 1920– 16 December 2013): A Personal Tribute Index