EVENTS

Imperial Games in Tibet: The Struggle for Statehood and Sovereignty explores the interplay of British, Russian, and Chinese imperial policies that transformed India’s northern border from a region of relative peace into a security concern. The book digs into British archival material and contemporary writings to reveal obscure facts about Anglo-Russian deals on Tibet and other countries of Central Asia. It highlights on the one hand, the similarities between Tibet and East Turkestan (Xinjiang) and the contrast with Mongolia on the other, all colonies of the Manchu Empire. It critically examines the Chinese discourse on the ‘century of humiliation’ in the light of the assistance it received from Britain and France, as also Russia and the United States. The historical backdrop to the Anglo-Russian convention of 1907 legitimising Chinese rule in Tibet, and Britain’s difficulties in upholding its provisions after the collapse of the Manchu dynasty are also scrutinised. The author has mined archival material to understand the debate within India when the PRC invaded Tibet. It examines China’s claim to Tibet and concludes with the Tibetan resistance to Chinese rule and the challenges ahead for the Tibetan people. The seminar, based on this book, examines each of these facets and assesses their impact on India.

About the Speaker

Dilip Sinha writer and former diplomat, joined the Indian Foreign Service in 1978. As a career diplomat he has served at various diplomatic positions in different countries and international organisations. He worked in the Prime Minister's Office during the term of Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha Rao. He was also the Chairman of the Manipur Public Service Commission. He has authored two books namely Legitimacy of Power – The Permanence of Five in the Security Council, published by the Indian Council of World Affairs, and Imperial Games in Tibet – The Struggle for Statehood and Sovereignty, published by Pan Macmillan.

About the Chair

Sonika Gupta is an Associate Professor of Global Politics at the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai, India. Her research interests include the Tibetan Exile Community in India, State-making in India’s Himalayan Borders and Cosmopolitanism and International Relations Theory. The ongoing work of her research group,Tibetscapes, is accessible at https://tibetscapes.wordpress.com/.

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