Confidential letter of the Great 13th Dalai Lama revealed [Wednesday, 7 July 2010, 4:48 p.m.]

Dr Jampa Samten, Central University of Tibetan Studies, Sarnath. Photo / Sherab Woeser / Tibet. Net

Dharamshala: Dr Jampa Samten from the Tibetan history section of the Central University of Tibetan Studies, Sarnath (CUTS), delivered an interactive lecture on a confidential letter sent by the Great 13th Dalai Lama to the Russian Czar here, Monday. The confidential letter, written in 1912 by the 13th Dalai Lama upon his return from temporary exile in India, was procured by Dr Samten during one of his extensive field studies.Dr. Samten began by giving a detailed background on the prevalent geo-political dynamics of the late 19th and early 20th centuries when Tibet was forced into the ‘Great Game’ of strategic rivalry and conflict between the British and the Russian empires for supremacy in Asia. He noted that although the Manchus collapsed in 1912, which would result in Tibet’s declaration of independence the following year, the 13th Dalai Lama exercised great wisdom in his endeavours to seek political endorsement of Tibet’s sovereign status by trying to forge diplomatic and military relations with the neighbouring empires.The confidential letter was amongst the many important steps that the 13th Dalai Lama took in shaping policies regarding Tibet’s foreign diplomacy and political governance.Dr. Samten pointed out that the most important attribute of the letter sent through the Russian born monk Agvan Dorjiev was a request by the 13th Dalai Lama for a legally binding treaty between Russia and Tibet. The letter also divulged in detail on building formal military ties between the two countries with exchange of military intelligence and purchase of arms and ammunitions. The letter also made specific references to the long-standing friendly relationship that the two countries shared.  Dr Samten argued that the letter raising numerous bi-lateral issues showed the distinctive characters of a sovereign and a forward-looking nation led by an independently functioning government.The talk was organised by the Library of Tibetan Works and Archives (LTWA) at its new annexe building. The Central Tibetan Administration had in February commemorated the centenary of the 13th Dalai Lama’s exile from Manchu’s invading forces to British protectorate in India in 1910 and announced commemorative programmes in Darjeeling, Kalimpong and Calcutta, places where the 13th Dalai Lama spent his days during exile.