Strolling About the Roof of the World: The First Hundred Years of the Royal Society for Asian Affairs

256 Pages·2002·22.35 MB·English

by  Hugh Leach

STROLLING ABOUT ON THE
ROOF OF THE WORLD

This volume covers the first one hundred years of the Royal Society for Asian Affairs,
formerly the Royal Central Asian Society. It traces its fons et origo within the Central
Asian Question, and continues through the two World Wars to the present day.
Throughout its pages are glimpses and vignettes of some of its extraordinary, even
eccentric, members and their astonishing adventures. The wealth of historic, and often
amusing, detail makes it a lively account. With its considerable factual content it will
become a work of reference for all interested in Asia. This book is generously illustrated
andincludesmanyoftheSociety’suniquearchivalphotographsnotpreviouslypublished.
TibetanBoywithheadofOvisPoli,1904
[Frontispiece] [RSAAArchives]
STROLLING ABOUT ON THE
ROOF OF THE WORLD
The First Hundred Years of the
Royal Society for Asian Affairs
(Formerly Royal Central Asian Society)
Hugh Leach
with
Susan Maria Farrington
Firstpublishedin2003
byRoutledgeCurzon
11NewFetterLane,LondonEC4P4EE
SimultaneouslypublishedintheUSAandCanada
byRoutledgeCurzon
29West35thStreet,NewYork,NY10001
This edition published in the Taylor & Francis e-Library, 2003.
RoutledgeCurzonisanimprintoftheTaylor&FrancisGroup
#2003RoyalSocietyforAsianAffairs
2BelgraveSquare,LondonSW1X8PJ
Email:[email protected]
Allrightsreserved.Nopartofthisbookmaybereprintedor
reproducedorutilisedinanyformorbyanyelectronic,
mechanical,orothermeans,nowknownorhereafterinvented,
includingphotocopyingandrecording,orinany
informationstorageorretrievalsystem,withoutpermissionin
writingfromthepublishers.
BritishLibraryCataloguinginPublicationData
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ISBN 0-203-22293-8 Master e-book ISBN
ISBN 0-203-27723-6 (Adobe eReader Format)
ISBN0–415–29857–1 (Print Edition)
Those who founded this Society used to take their
recreational walks strolling about on the Roof of the
World instead of going to the Downs
Admiral Sir Howard Kelly, Chairman
Golden Jubilee Dinner 1951

CONTENTS
List of Illustrations xiii
Foreword by Lord Hurd of Westwell xix
Acknowledgements xxi
Introduction xxiii
PART ONE
The Chronology
I GENESIS, BIRTH AND CONSOLIDATION 1901–1907 3
Tupp conceives idea in Himalayas – Canvasses with friends – Younghusband has
similar idea independently – Joint discussions – Firm proposal – Birth of Society –
Firstpublicmeeting–YounghusbandleavesforIndia–Characterscompared,Tupp
and Younghusband – Penton as Hon. Sec. – First lectures – Geographical remit –
Society’stitle–SirAlfredLyall–Tupp’slettertoYounghusband–Council’sconcern
over 1907 Anglo-Russian Convention – First Annual Dinner – ‘Great Game’
connotations – Penton’s 50-year retrospective – Annex of original members
II THE YEARS OF STRUGGLE 1908–1919 19
Short History by Tupp – Ronaldshay as Chairman – Rules – Poor lecture
attendances; proposed remedies – Problems of recruitment – New members of
interest – Some lecture subjects – Some achievements – Durand as Chairman –
Death of Tupp – Annual Dinners – Budget statistics – Trotter as Chairman – The
TranscaspianMission–CurzonasPresident–LordCarnock–Movetonewoffices
– Yate as Hon. Sec. and ‘saviour’
III FROM LEAN YEARS TO GOLDEN YEARS 1920–1939 31
Successful recruiting campaign – Changes ofPresident, Chairmenand Hon.Secs–
Membership high 1939 – Change of Secretary and premises – The Persia Society –
TheRoyalCharterandCoatofArms–TheAssyrianproblem–Palestine–Various
lectures, dinners and receptions – Budget statistics – War
ix