The High Road to China

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In 1774, Warren Hastings, head of the East India Company in Bengal, sought to establish trade relations with the elusive court of imperial China. He appointed the young Scotsman George Bogle as the first British envoy to Tibet. Bogle aimed to gain the support of the Panchen Lama to win favor with the Qianlong Emperor, who generally viewed trade unfavorably and held a low opinion of the British Empire. However, Bogle's diplomatic mission evolved into a personal journey as he developed a deep friendship with the Panchen Lama, driven by a mutual desire for understanding. Bogle's reflections on his time in Tibet reveal a sense of enchantment: "When I look upon the time I have spent among the Hills it appears like a fairy dream." His letters and journals, rich in detail and emotion, contributed to the Western myth of Tibet as a Shangri-La. This narrative chronicles the British effort to reach the Qianlong Emperor, highlighting two extraordinary journeys: Bogle's mission and the Panchen Lama's visit to China, upon which British hopes rested. Through Bogle's writings, Tibetan biographies, accounts of a wandering Hindu monk, and the Qianlong Emperor's own words, Kate Teltscher skillfully reconstructs the remarkable convergence of these diverse worlds.