Dehradun, March 12
Sunday evening saw experts from the field of history debating the enigmatic personality of William Moorcroft, a multi-faceted British citizen, who had travelled across the areas presently known as Uttarakhand on his way to Central Asia and perhaps also Tibet some 200 years back. Participating in the discussion held in the Lake City were none other than Moorcroft’s biographer Garry Alder, who is known for his book “Beyond Bokhara” and Daniel E. Jantzen, who came up with the path-breaking work”The Moorcroft Mystery.”
Moorcroft’s death remains a mystery just as his life was full of adventure as he proved to be an expert in several disciplines at one point of time. Ironically, nothing has been done on him in terms of academic research by the Indians despite the fact that he spent a major part of his life in the subcontinent. The discussion was organised by eminent historian from Kumaon region Shekhar Pathak on behalf of the organisation Pahad.
The discussion began with Alder going on to describe the distinguished personality of Moorcroft. He described Moorcroft as an “Early Jim Corbett” in Indian context and said: “His life is a play with different acts.”
He began by relating that Moorcroft was a medical surgeon in the 18th century who had decided to change course and become a veterinary surgeon instead. He was the first qualified veterinary surgeon in England.
The East India Company had sought his services as it required quality horses for its constant battles with enemies and Moorcroft was appointed as a Superintendent of Bengal Stud. Alder related that he had gone on to start a breeding farm near Patna but had only had partial success
in his endeavour though his success was rated quite high by the experts of
those times.
In was in 1812 that he had undertaken an expedition to Mansarovar travelling via what is now known as Uttarkhand and other parts of the Himalayan region. He could not make it to Tibet and was in fact imprisoned by the Gurkhas on his way back.
His release had come with he intervention of the Company.
Not satiated, he once again decided to embark on another journey while looking for quality horses in the mountain regions in 1818. Alder said that this time he travelled right up to Bokhara with a caravan. On his way back, he got separated from the caravan in North Afghanistan and is learnt to have died of fever.
However, Jantzen in his address pointed out to the theory that Moorcroft had faked his death and had travelled to Tibet in the guise of a Kashmiri trader. This aspect of his presence in the area around Lhasa had later been written about by two French missionaries who had gone to the region.
According to this account, he was killed in 1835 by bandits near Mansarovar. Jantzen has been working on this theory and has been trying to collect material on Moorcroft from Taipei and
Beijing.
Alder had related that Moorcroft was seen as a good human being who used to help the locals wherever he went conducting surgeries on both humans and animals.
“He had planned his retirement in the hills of India where he had wanted to help the locals. I was surprised when an old man in a remote corner of Afghanistan had narrated tales of Moorcroft that he had heard from his family,” he disclosed.
Former Chief Secretary of Uttarakhand and a history scholar RS Tolia, too, came up with his observations on the issue of Moorcroft’s death.
He was of the opinion that Moorcroft had probably died of fever only. However, Jantzen came up with logical points to contend that the theory of his having gone to Tibet carries more ground.
Sunday evening saw experts from the field of history debating the enigmatic personality of William Moorcroft, a multi-faceted British citizen, who had travelled across the areas presently known as Uttarakhand on his way to Central Asia and perhaps also Tibet some 200 years back. Participating in the discussion held in the Lake City were none other than Moorcroft’s biographer Garry Alder, who is known for his book “Beyond Bokhara” and Daniel E. Jantzen, who came up with the path-breaking work”The Moorcroft Mystery.”
Moorcroft’s death remains a mystery just as his life was full of adventure as he proved to be an expert in several disciplines at one point of time. Ironically, nothing has been done on him in terms of academic research by the Indians despite the fact that he spent a major part of his life in the subcontinent. The discussion was organised by eminent historian from Kumaon region Shekhar Pathak on behalf of the organisation Pahad.
The discussion began with Alder going on to describe the distinguished personality of Moorcroft. He described Moorcroft as an “Early Jim Corbett” in Indian context and said: “His life is a play with different acts.”
He began by relating that Moorcroft was a medical surgeon in the 18th century who had decided to change course and become a veterinary surgeon instead. He was the first qualified veterinary surgeon in England.
The East India Company had sought his services as it required quality horses for its constant battles with enemies and Moorcroft was appointed as a Superintendent of Bengal Stud. Alder related that he had gone on to start a breeding farm near Patna but had only had partial success
in his endeavour though his success was rated quite high by the experts of
those times.
In was in 1812 that he had undertaken an expedition to Mansarovar travelling via what is now known as Uttarkhand and other parts of the Himalayan region. He could not make it to Tibet and was in fact imprisoned by the Gurkhas on his way back.
His release had come with he intervention of the Company.
Not satiated, he once again decided to embark on another journey while looking for quality horses in the mountain regions in 1818. Alder said that this time he travelled right up to Bokhara with a caravan. On his way back, he got separated from the caravan in North Afghanistan and is learnt to have died of fever.
However, Jantzen in his address pointed out to the theory that Moorcroft had faked his death and had travelled to Tibet in the guise of a Kashmiri trader. This aspect of his presence in the area around Lhasa had later been written about by two French missionaries who had gone to the region.
According to this account, he was killed in 1835 by bandits near Mansarovar. Jantzen has been working on this theory and has been trying to collect material on Moorcroft from Taipei and
Beijing.
Alder had related that Moorcroft was seen as a good human being who used to help the locals wherever he went conducting surgeries on both humans and animals.
“He had planned his retirement in the hills of India where he had wanted to help the locals. I was surprised when an old man in a remote corner of Afghanistan had narrated tales of Moorcroft that he had heard from his family,” he disclosed.
Former Chief Secretary of Uttarakhand and a history scholar RS Tolia, too, came up with his observations on the issue of Moorcroft’s death.
He was of the opinion that Moorcroft had probably died of fever only. However, Jantzen came up with logical points to contend that the theory of his having gone to Tibet carries more ground.
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