British invasion of Tibet (1903–1904): organization, scientific-commercial purposes, medical provision and the robbery of dzongs

The British invasion of Tibet (1903-1904), its organization, scientific and commercial goals, and medical support are considered. For the first time in Russian historiography, the problem is considered comprehensively in the context of the commercial goals of expansion, its military-technical training, medical care and robbery of dzongs. Special attention is paid to the objectives of the invasion, aimed at providing access to mineral deposits, the creation of shopping malls, and the export of cultural property for museums and universities in Britain. All these problems force historians to identify the origins of the centuries-old contradictions between Britain, China and Tibet, the continuity of their international relations and foreign policy. The purpose of this study is to identify the components of the organization of the British invasion of Tibet, its scientific and commercial goals and medical support. Special attention is paid to the role of British doctors, engineers and intelligence officers who infiltrated Tibet. The research is based on the British parliamentary debates, introduced into scientific circulation for the first time, as well as documents of personal origin, the press and the laws of Britain. It is concluded that military intelligence activities and commercial research in Tibet were funded by the British government from funds received through the colonization of India, Nepal, and Sikkim. The expeditionary forces included doctors, engineers, cartographers, photographers and intelligence officers who carried out tasks for the British government and museums. The invasion of the Heart of Tibet opened up the possibility of mining, becoming a robbery of cultural property, which is sold at auctions, stored in museums and universities in Britain.