Lot 23
A 1947 letter from the 14th Dalai Lama to Sir Basil Gould.
4 June 2025, 16:00 BST
London, New Bond Street£600 - £900
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A 1947 letter from the 14th Dalai Lama to Sir Basil Gould.
The letter details that Tsepon Shakabpa (Finance Minister) and his assistant Khanchung Changkimpa are being sent on a trade mission to the USA, England and China to purchase gold and silver for importation to Tibet. The letter requests that Sir Basil assist them on this mission.
Dated "25th of the 8th month of the Tibetan Fire Pig Year" (10th October 1947).
In both Tibetan and English text and bears the seal of the 14th Dalai Lama. Together with an envelope addressed in Tibetan to Sir Basil Gould, (2).
Dated "25th of the 8th month of the Tibetan Fire Pig Year" (10th October 1947).
In both Tibetan and English text and bears the seal of the 14th Dalai Lama. Together with an envelope addressed in Tibetan to Sir Basil Gould, (2).
Footnotes
In August of 1947 Surkhang Dzasa (the de facto Tibetan Foreign Minister) was looking to develop sovereign Tibetan links outside the influences of the Government of China and the newly independent Government of India.
The Mission referred to in this letter travelled to China, arriving at Nanking in January 1948 and Hong Kong in June 1948 and finally arrived in Washington DC in July of the same year. They then visited London in November 1948 where they were received by HM. King George VI.
The main achievement of the Mission was that which Surkhang Dzasa had most hoped. To the American, British and other countries Tibet had now made what amounted to an unqualified declaration of independence from China.
A similar letter of the same date addressed to President Truman of the USA can be found in the archives of the Office of the Historian, USA.