Chronology of the British Political Officers to Bhutan from 1905-1947

 

Bhutan’s relationship with British India was further strengthened when the first King Ugyen Wangchuck offered his service as the ‘go-between’ British India and Tibet during Sir Francis Younghusband’s expedition to Tibet in 1904. Although Bhutan and British India had a cordial friendship, from 1905 to 1947, the British government did not station a permanent British representative in Bhutan, unlike Sikkim and Tibet. The political officers stationed at Gangtok were responsible to manage relations with Bhutan. As per the historical records, political officers from Sikkim maintained contact with Bhutan through correspondence, and physical visits were seldom.

1.     John Claude White (1853-1918)

John Claude White (Source: Bhutan and Sikkim: Twenty-one years on the North East Frontier (1887-1908) by John Claude White, 1909) 

since the disastrous mission of Eden in 1864, John Claude White was the first British political officer to visit Bhutan in 1905. Claude represented the British government and conferred the K.C.I.E. to His Majesty in 1905 at Punakha Dzong. By 1905, Claude had become a close acquaintance of the king. At the invitation of the king, Claude also visited Trongsa and Bumthang. Later year in 1906, Claude made a second expedition to eastern Bhutan. Claude passed through Dewathang, Pema Gatshel, Trashigang, Trashiyangtse and Lhuentse and proceeded to southern Tibet and met His Majesty. In 1907, Claude was a representative of the British government during the enthronement of His Majesty King Ugyen Wangchuck as the first hereditary monarch. During his three times visits to Bhutan, Claude forged a strong personal relationship with His Majesty the king and the people of Bhutan. Claude played a pivotal role in strengthening the relationship between Bhutan and the British. Above all, Claude’s photographs of the early 1900s are an important source of information in understanding Bhutan in the context of the twentieth century.

 

2.     Sir Charles Alfred Bell (1870-1945)

 

Sir Charles Alfred Bell in diplomatic uniform (Source: Tibet Past and Present by Charles Alfred Bell, 1924)

Sir Charles Alfred Bell succeeded John Claude White as the political officer in 1908. Unlike his predecessor, Charles emphasised creating alliances with neighbouring countries to promote the interest of British India, rather than through the ‘forward policies.’ Bell proposed the revision of the ‘Treaty of Sinchula 1865’ with Bhutan. Bell visited Bhutan in 1909-10 and the new treaty, the ‘Treaty of Punakha’ was signed on 8 January 1910. The annual subsidy was also increased to Rs.100,000. After the conclusion of the treaty, Bell halted for a few days in Bhutan and cemented a close friendship with His Majesty and his people. There is no record of an official visit by Bell after his first visit.

3.     William Lachlan Campbell (1879-1959)

Major W.L. Campbell with 11^th Chogyal of Sikkim, Sir Tashi Namgyel (Photo: Bridgeman Images)

 William Lachlan Campbell was briefly the British Political Officer in Sikkim, Bhutan and Tibet from 1918-19. Campbell had earlier visited Bhutan in 1907 with John Claude White during the enthronement of His Majesty the first king. Though there is a dearth of information regarding his visit to Bhutan during his tenure, Peter Collister in his book, “Bhutan and British, 1987” wrote that Campbell had unsuccessfully tried to recruit soldiers for the Indian army from the Nepalese settlers in Bhutan.

 

4.     Sir William Frederick Travers O'Connor (1870-1943) and David Macdonald

After W.L. Campbell, Sir W.F. O’Connor briefly became the political officer in 1921. Later, David Macdonald was the acting political officer in 1921 besides his role as the trade agent in Gyantse. However, there are no records of their official visits to Bhutan.

 

Sir W.F. O’Connor with young 9^th Panchen Lama (Source: Tibet Past and Present by Charles Alfred Bell, 1924)

5.     Lt. Colonel Frederick Marshman Bailey (1882-1967) 

Lt. Colonel F.M. Bailey was appointed as a political officer to Tibet, Sikkim and Bhutan in 1921. During his tenure, bailey visited Bhutan in 1922 to confer the insignia of the ‘Grand Cross of the Indian Empire (G.C.I.E)’ to king Ugyen Wangchuck. After the presentation of the G.C.I.E to His Majesty on 28 July 1922 at Kuje Lhakhang, Bailey proceeded to southern Tibet after crossing Monlakarchung Pass. His entire journey was explicitly described in the journal, “Through Bhutan and Southern Tibet 1924.” Being a passionate explorer, Bailey described every place, vegetation, plant and animal he encountered on his journey to Bhutan. Earlier in 1913, during his expedition to the Tsangpo river in Tibet, Bailey passed through a few of the eastern Dzongkhags on his way to Assam.

In 1924, Bailey visited Bhutan for the second time during the installation of Gongzim Sonam Tobgye as the governor of Haa. Although Bailey’s proposal to increase the annual subsidy was rejected by the British government, Bailey succeeded in securing training opportunities. At the cost of Rs. 50,000, British India offered training for three teachers, two doctors two veterinary assistants, four forest rangers; three boys in agriculture and dairy, one each in weaving, tanning, mining, engineering and civil engineering (Collister, 1987). Bailey made his last visit to Bhutan in 1927 to represent British India during the coronation of the second king Jigme Wangchuck. During his tenure, Bailey played a significant role in taking Bhutan’s development forward.

 

Lt. Colonel F.M. Bailey (Photo: Wikimedia Commons)

6.     Major J.L.R. Weir

Major J.L.R succeeded F.M. Bailey as the political officer in 1928. In his report between 1928-1931, Weir mentioned the outbreak of cholera in Bhutan which claimed 500 lives and the world trade depression had not affected the country. In January 1931, Weir visited Bhutan to confer the insignia of the K.C.I.E to His Majesty Jigme Wangchuck. The presentation of the insignia of the K.C.I.E took place at the temple of Bumthang Kuje. Weir and his party spent two months long in Bhutan. Weir returned via Dewathang on the road. He reported lengthy observations about Bhutan’s administration, economy, and people.

 

7.     Frederick Williamson (1891-1935)

Frederick Williamson succeeded Weir in 1933. Williamson visited Bhutan in June 1933. He was accompanied by his wife Margaret Williamson who later wrote, ‘Memoirs of Political Officer’s Wife in Tibet, Sikkim and Bhutan (1987). Williamson and his wife passed through Haa, Paro, and Wangdiphodrang and reached Trongsa. They were accompanied by Gongzim Sonam Tobgye. On the way, they visited Paro Taktshang and Punakha Dzong. Before travelling to Trongsa, Williamson halted for a few days in Paro where Penlop Tshering Penjor hosted the party. Williamson noted that Penlop at the time was thirty-four and unmarried. Interestingly, Williamson wrote that he had given a cinema show of Charlie Chaplin which Penlop and people greatly enjoyed. At Trongsa, Williamson and his wife were warmly treated with utmost hospitality and Williamson wrote that his wife had become close friends with the royal family. At Trongsa, Williamson joined George Sheriff and Frank Ludlow[1] who were on the botanical expedition on behalf of the British Museum. The duo later departed for eastern Bhutan after spending a month at Trongsa. Williamson returned to Sikkim via Talung in Tibet in July 1933.

Frank Ludlow (standing), Major George Sherriff, and Frederick Williamson, 1933 (Photo: Williamson Collection, Cambridge University Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology)

In 1934, Williamson reciprocated the hospitality he and his wife received in Bhutan from the royal family by taking His Majesty and Queen to Calcutta. Their Majesties took along the seven-year-old prince Jigme Dorji Wangchuck and were accompanied by 200 retainers. His Majesty arrived in Calcutta on 11 December 1934. During their stay in Calcutta, Williamson accompanied His Majesty everywhere from visiting mills to a munition factory. Before returning to Bhutan on 27 January 1935, His Majesty visited the Buddhist shrine near Benaras. Unfortunately, Williamson’s tenure as the political officer was terse and died tragically of kidney disease in November 1935 in Lhasa.

8.     Sir Basil Gould (1883-1956)

 

                       Sir Basil Gould (Photo: The Pitt Rivers Museum, 2006)

After the untimely death of Williamson, Sir Basil Gould succeeded in 1935 and became longest serving political officer. After assuming the post, Gould made his first visit to Bhutan in 1938. After crossing Haa and Paro, Gould arrived at Bumthang and met His Majesty. He was accompanied by the medical officer and Gongzim Sonam Tobgye. Gould was impressed by the king and the hospitality received in Bhutan. He wrote about the king as, “A man of entire openness and honesty of mind and naturally inclined to seek the good of his people.” Like his predecessors, Gould insisted and proposed the government to increase the annual subsidy to fund developmental activities. Unlike his predecessors, he succeeded in securing another one hundred rupees for the annual subsidy in 1942.

Gould officially visited Bhutan again in 1941 and 1943. Gould made his last report before the end of his tenure in 1945. Gould recommended the government return Dewangiri (Dewathang) which Bhutan lost to the British in 1865.  He suggested that with the return of Dewathang, Bhutan could construct a motor road to Trashigang and Bumthang and bring it closer to Assam, thus promoting the country’s development. The recommendation he made did not materialise on the ground that the area holds the immense prestige of the British empire.

 

9.     Arthur Hopkinson (1894-1953)

Arthur Hopkinson became the last British political officer to visit Bhutan after succeeding Sir Basil Gould in 1945. Accompanied by his wife, Hopkinson visited Bhutan in 1947, shortly before Indian independence to confer the insignia of the Knight Commander of the Order of the Star of India (K.C.S.I) to His Majesty king Jigme Wangchuck. Like his all predecessors, he was a firm supporter of Bhutan and wrote to the new government of India to continue the friendly relationship. Hopkinson was officially succeeded by Indian successor Harishwar Dayal in September 1948. Hopkinson marked the end of centuries of the British empire’s influence and interest in Bhutan.

                          Arthur Hopkinson (Photo: The British Museum, 2006)

 

From 1905 to 1947, although there was no permanent resident, more than nine political officers represented British India from their base in Sikkim. All the political officers in their capacities have strengthened the cordial relationship between the two governments. Bhutan greatly benefited from the presence of political officers in moving the country forward. Although it was not forthcoming, all officers who visited Bhutan have proposed the increase of subsidies and aid in the developments. Regarding the historical aspects, the journals of the visiting officers provided first-hand information about Bhutan’s journey from the medieval to the twenty-first century. Medical officials accompanying every political officer’s visit to Bhutan have benefited thousands of people through their medical assistance. Their contributions are significant in the history of the Anglo-Bhutan relationship which will go down the line in Bhutanese history.

 

Bibliography

McKay, A. (2004). British-Indian Medical Service Officers in Bhutan, 1905-1947: A historical outline. Thimphu: Centre for Bhutan Studies.137-159

Balikci, A. (2008). The British residency in the Himalayan State of Sikkim: A heritage building restored to Its former glory. Bulletin of Tibetology, 171-180.

Collister, P. (1987). Bhutan and the British. London: Serindia Publications.

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[1] Bhutan’s national butterfly, the Ludlow Bhutan Glory (Bhutanitis Ludlow) was first discovered by George Sheriff and Frank Ludlow in 1933-1934 from Trashiyangtse valley during their botanical expedition in 1933-34. After the rediscovery of the butterfly in 2011 from Tobrang, Trashiyangtse, it has been named Bhutan’s national butterfly in 2012.