Item number: M348

Year: AD 1905

Material: Bronze

Size: 97.5 x 36.2 x 3.1 mm

Weight: 38.8 g

Provenance: Spink 2024

This is a bronze “Tibet Medal,” awarded on February 1, AD 1905, to recognise those who participated in the Tibet Expedition of AD 1903–1904. The Tibet Medal was issued in two versions: silver for combat personnel and bronze for support staff. Participants in the Battle of Gyantse were additionally awarded a clasp inscribed with “Gyantse.”

The obverse of the medal features a side profile of King Edward VII in a field marshal’s uniform, designed by G.W. dae Saulles. Surrounding the portrait is the Latin inscription “EDWARDUS VII KAISAR-I-HIND” (Edward VII, Emperor of India). Beneath the portrait, on the lower right, are the initials of George William dae Saulles, “DES.”

The reverse of the medal, designed by Ernest Gillick, features a depiction of the Potala Palace in Lhasa, the residence of the Dalai Lama, symbolising Tibet. Below the palace on the lower right are the initials of Ernest Gillick, “E.G,” and directly beneath the design are the words “TIBET 1903-04,” marking the region and expedition years. The medal is attached to a swivel scroll suspension with claw and rivet, which connects to a ribbon with a central maroon stripe flanked symmetrically by white and green stripes.

The edge of the medal is inscribed with the recipient’s title, name, and unit: “COOLY BUDDHIMAN LIMBU S&T CORPS.” The term “Cooly” originated as a pidgin word combining English and local Asian languages, primarily used by Western powers entering Asia—especially South China and India—to describe indigenous labourers earning their livelihood through physical work. The “Supply and Transport Corps” was restructured in AD 1901 as a military unit tasked with assisting the British Indian Army’s logistical operations, primarily staffed by local Indian personnel.

In the year AD 1903, concerns about Russian expansion towards Tibet posing a threat to the security of British India led the then Governor-General of India, Lord Curzon, to commission his close friend Colonel Francis Younghusband to lead a diplomatic mission towards Lhasa. By the end of December, in the midst of harsh winter, Colonel Younghusband commanded a force primarily composed of Gurkha and Sikh soldiers, totalling over a thousand men, to advance towards Lhasa for diplomatic purposes.

On March 31st, AD 1904, the British Indian Army encountered around two thousand Tibetan soldiers stationed at Chumi Gong, who were hindering their progress. A misunderstanding during negotiations led to the British Indian Army, equipped with Maxim machine guns, attacking the less equipped Tibetan forces, resulting in the loss of 628 Tibetan lives. By April 11th, the British Indian Army reached the strategic pass at Gyantse en route to Lhasa, facing fierce resistance from Tibetan forces. The conflict lasted for about a hundred days before ending in victory for the British Indian Army.

As Colonel Younghusband prepared to enter the “Forbidden City” of Lhasa, the spiritual and political leader of Tibet, the 13th Dalai Lama, fled to the Mongolian capital of Urga (now Ulaanbaatar). Ultimately, in the absence of Tibetan leadership, Tibet was compelled to sign the Lhasa Convention with Britain, placing itself under British influence.

Afterward, the political situation in Tibet became increasingly complex due to changes in surrounding geopolitics and the internal order of the Qing Empire. Following the overthrow of the Qing Empire during the Xinhai Revolution, the 13th Dalai Lama returned to Tibet and immediately expelled Qing representatives and Han Chinese residents, signalling its departure from Chinese control. Tibet then maintained a de facto independent status until the military invasion by the People’s Liberation Army in the year AD 1950.

物件編號: M348

年代: 公元 1905 年

材質: 青銅

尺寸: 97.5 x 36.2 x 3.1 mm

重量: 38.8 g

來源: 斯賓克拍賣行 2024

這是一枚公元1905年2月1日頒布，茲在獎勵那些參加公元1903至1904年西藏遠征行動的銅質「西藏獎章」。西藏獎章有銀質和銅質兩種版本，銀質頒予戰鬥人員，銅質則是後勤人員。江孜戰役參與者則額外獲得一條刻有「江孜」字樣銘牌。

獎章正面是喬治·威廉·德·索雷斯雕刻的英王愛德華七世著陸軍元帥服側身像，周圍則刻上拉丁銘文「EDWARDUS VII KAISAR-I-HIND」(愛德華七世 印度皇帝)。人像的右下側是喬治·威廉·德·索雷斯的姓名縮寫「DES」。

獎章背面是歐內斯特·吉利克雕刻的西藏代表建築，即達賴喇嘛居住的拉薩布達拉宮。於宮殿右下角是歐內斯特·吉利克的姓名縮寫「E.G」，正下方則刻有西藏之地名和遠征年份「1903-04」字樣。獎章頂端是帶有鉚釘的帶爪螺旋式懸掛，以此銜接酒紅色為中心，兩側依序向外對稱的白色和綠色綬帶。

獎章側邊鐫刻得獎人的頭銜、姓名和所屬單位「COOLY BUDDHIMAN LIMBU S&T CORPS」(苦力 布希曼·林布 供應運輸兵團)。「苦力」為西方勢力進入亞洲，尤其是中國華南和印度之後，結合英文和當地語言形成的洋涇浜詞彙，主要指稱靠勞力賺取所需的土著工人。「供應運輸兵團」為改制於公元1901年，協助英印軍後勤事務的軍事單位，人員主要由印度當地人組成。

公元1903年，擔憂俄國向西藏方向的擴張將威脅英屬印度的安危，時任印度總督的寇松委託摯友榮赫鵬上校於12月底隆冬之際，指揮一批以廓爾喀人和錫克人為主，多達一千多人的隊伍向拉薩前進展開外交任務。公元1904年3月31日，英印軍跟駐紮在曲美辛古阻擋其前進的兩千名藏軍在交涉過程中發生誤會，致使英印軍以馬克沁機關槍攻擊裝備落後的藏軍，導致後者628人喪命。4月11日，英印軍推抵通往拉薩的要隘江孜時，面臨藏軍激烈的反抗，戰鬥持續約一百天以英印軍勝利告終。當榮赫鵬準備進入「禁城」拉薩的前一天，身為西藏精神和政治領袖的達賴十三世逃往蒙古首府烏爾格(今 烏蘭巴托 )。最終在領袖缺席的情勢下，西藏被迫和英國簽訂《拉薩條約》將自身置於英國影響之下。

此後西藏的政治局勢，隨著周遭地緣政治和清帝國內部秩序變化變得更為複雜。當清帝國於辛亥革命被推翻後，回到西藏的達賴十三世立即驅逐清廷駐藏代表和漢人居民，標示其脫離中國的掌控。西藏便維持實質獨立狀態直到公元1950年中共軍事入侵為止。