THE PUNDITS: BRITISH EXPLORATION OF TIBET AND CENTRAL ASIA. Waller, Derek. 1990 1st edition DJ (Waller, Derek. )

Item #: BK1631
THE PUNDITS: BRITISH EXPLORATION OF TIBET AND CENTRAL ASIA. Waller, Derek. 1990 1st edition DJ
By Waller, Derek.
Price: $125.00

Added! Click To View Cart

Add to wish list

Click Here For
Related Selections

Detailed Product Description

KY, 1990, 1st edition. 327 pp, photos. A history of the secret exploration of Central Asia and Tibet carried out by Indians, hired by the British, who wandered around disguised as pilgrims and brought back some of the best early information about the forbidden land north of the Himalaya. DJ, as New.

Pundit

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

In the second half of the 19th century, the term pundit was used to denote native surveyors who explored regions to the north of India for the British.

One of the greatest projects of nineteenth century geography was the Great Trigonometric Survey of India. The English also wanted geographical information on the lands furthernorth. This was not just out of scientific curiosity: The Russians were expanding their empire into Central Asia, and the English feared that they might have set their eyes on India.Thus, the Russians and the English both tried to extend their influence in Asia. Knowledge of geography of the region was of course of utmost importance in this so-called 'Great Game'.

However, in some regions these surveys seemed impossible. Some of the Indian border countries, in particular Tibet, would not allow westerners to enter their country, let alone a British surveying team. In the 1860s, Thomas G. Montgomerie, a captain in the survey, realised that the solution to this problem would be to train natives from Indian border states such as Sikkim to be surveyors, and have them explore the region. These would raise less suspicion than Europeans, and might be able to make observations disguised as a trader or a lama (holy man). These native surveyors are called pundits.

A number of tricks were developed to enable the pundits to make their observations without being found out. They were trained to make exactly 2,000 paces to the mile. To count them, they used what looked like a Buddhist rosary, called a mala, but instead of the usual 108 beads had 100, every tenth being slightly larger. Every 100 paces a bead was dropped. A prayer wheel did not hold the usual Buddhist prayer om mani padme hum, but maps and notes. Pundit Nain Singhalso found that these could be used to ward off curious co-travelers: Each time someone came too near, he would start whirling the wheel around and thus pretend to be in religious contemplation. Usually this would be enough to stop others from addressing him. Another way of keeping their observation was to turn them into a poem, and recite that during their travels.

The pundits were given extensive training in surveying: They learned to use the sextant, determine height by measuring the temperature of boiling water, and make astronomical observations. They also received medical training. Despite the precautions and tricks, some of them were sent back, tortured or even executed. But with their travels they managed to map the Himalaya, Tibet and surrounding areas with remarkable precision.

Other Items You Might Like

Similar Items Available
Items From This Author
Items From This Category

TRESPASSERS ON THE ROOF OF THE WORLD: THE SECRET EXPLORATION OF TIBET Hopkirk Paperback
By: Hopkirk, Peter.
Price $14.00 - Item # BK677

View Details

Add To Cart

Added! Click To View Cart

TRESPASSERS ON THE ROOF OF THE WORLD: THE SECRET EXPLORATION OF TIBET Hopkirk 1982 1st ed DJ
By: Hopkirk, Peter
Price $35.00 - Item # BK677A

View Details

Add To Cart

Added! Click To View Cart

THE OPENING OF TIBET. AN ACCOUNT OF LHASA AND THE COUNTRY AND PEOPLE OF CENTRAL TIBET AND OF THE PROGRESS OF THE MISSION SENT THERE BY THE ENGLISH GOVERNMENT IN THE YEAR 1903-4. Landon 1990
By: Landon, Perceval, Introduction by F. E. Younghusband;
Price $45.00 - Item # BK958

View Details

Add To Cart

Added! Click To View Cart

TOURNAMENT OF SHADOWS: THE RACE FOR EMPIRE IN CENTRAL ASIA Meyer 1999 Hardcover
By: Meyer, Karl and S. Brysac.
Price $29.95 ~ Regular $32.50, You Save $2.55 (8%) - Item # BK1046

View Details

Add To Cart

Added! Click To View Cart

TRESPASSERS ON THE ROOF OF THE WORLD: THE SECRET EXPLORATION OF TIBET Hopkirk 1982 1st ed UK DJ
By: Hopkirk, Peter
Price $85.00 - Item # BK677C

View Details

Add To Cart

Added! Click To View Cart

SIBERIA, OUTER MONGOLIA, CENTRAL ASIA Dr. Christine de Weck 1993 1st edition
By: de Weck, Dr. Christine
Price $19.95 - Item # BK362

View Details

Add To Cart

Added! Click To View Cart

BRITISH INDIA AND TIBET 1766-1910 Lamb 1986
By: Lamb, Alastair
Price $75.00 - Item # OP559

View Details

Add To Cart

Added! Click To View Cart

CONQUEST OF TIBET Sven Hedin 1934 1st edition DJ
By: Hedin, Sven.
Price $150.00 - Item # BK622

View Details

Add To Cart

Added! Click To View Cart

THE MOUNTAINS OF CENTRAL ASIA WITH MAP AND GAZETTEER. No Map
By: Royal Geographical Society.
Price $10.00 - Item # OP1380A

View Details

Add To Cart

Added! Click To View Cart

THE MOUNTAINS OF CENTRAL ASIA WITH MAP AND GAZETTEER.
By: Royal Geographical Society.
Price $45.00 - Item # OP1380

View Details

Add To Cart

Added! Click To View Cart

Sorry, we were unable find any similar items available by this author.

PRISONER IN RED TIBET. SIGNED and Inscribed by Sydney Wignall.
By: Wignall, Sydney
Price $75.00 - Item # OP1321

View Details

Add To Cart

Added! Click To View Cart

A JOURNEY TO THE HEAVENS Anju Poddar 2001
By: Poddar, Anju
Price $25.00 - Item # OP

View Details

Add To Cart

Added! Click To View Cart

MOUNT TUOMUER SCIENTIFIC EXPEDITION [PIK POBEDA] China, 1984 1st ed DJ [Pik Pobeda Tian Shan]
By: Cheng, Tong (ed) ; Zhongguo ke xue yuan
Price $100.00 - Item # OP2395

View Details

Add To Cart

Added! Click To View Cart

MY CLIMBS IN THE ALPS AND CAUCASUS A.F. Mummery 1895 1st USA edition VG
By: Mummery, A.F.
Price $175.00 - Item # OP95A

View Details

Add To Cart

Added! Click To View Cart

SECOND DEATH OF GEORGE MALLORY: THE ENIGMA AND SPIRIT OF MOUNT EVEREST SIGNED by Reinhold Messner 2001 1st edition Hardcover
By: Messner, Reinhold.
Price $75.00 - Item # BK1038A

View Details

Add To Cart

Added! Click To View Cart

TIBETAN REFLECTIONS Peter Gold 1984 1st edition
By: Gold, Peter
Price $10.00

View Details

Add To Cart

Added! Click To View Cart

THROUGH A LAND OF EXTREMES: THE LITTLEDALES OF CENTRAL ASIA [GREAT GAME] Elizabeth and Nicholas Clinch 2011 Paperback
By: Clinch, Nicholas and Elizabeth
Price $21.95 - Item # BK2545

View Details

Add To Cart

Added! Click To View Cart

LAND OF THE LAMAS ADVENTURES IN SECRET TIBET Peter Goullart 1959 1st ed DJ
By: Goullart, Peter
Price $15.00 - Item # OP2354

View Details

Add To Cart

Added! Click To View Cart

FASZINATION KARAKORAM: DIE WILDEN BERGE ASIENS. [KARAKORAM: THE WILD MOUNTAINS OF ASIA]. Steffens 2000 1st edition SIGNED by Reinhold Messner
By: Steffens, Rollo.
Price $125.00 - Item # OP1384

View Details

Add To Cart

Added! Click To View Cart

NOMADS OF WESTERN TIBET THE SURVIVAL OF A WAY OF LIFE Goldstein 1990 1st ed DJ
By: Goldstein, Melvyn C.; Beall Cynthia M.
Price $35.00 - Item # OP2254

View Details

Add To Cart

Added! Click To View Cart