Home > Indian History > History of India > Foreign Policy of Curzon
Foreign Policy of Curzon
The foreign policy of Curzon was primarily intended to safeguard the British supremacy in India.

Share this Article:

Foreign Policy of CurzonThe need for suitable land frontiers had always been a keen subject for the British, colonized in India. To hold the administrative as well as the political control of India, the British viceroys from the very beginning tried to strengthen the land frontiers. Hence all of them maintained a regular foreign policy in order to build up a strong frontier. Lord Curzon being a shrewd diplomat gave to the problems of frontier a scientific basis and developed a strong British Empire in India.

Britain`s special interest in the Persian Gulf began long before in the 17th century when Britain conquered some important stations of the area and the adjoining regions. British established their colony in those regions. The British Residents in the Gulf acted as the arbitrary dictators and always with strife with the chiefs of the Arabian coasts. Later the British navy suppressed the revolt of the Arabian chiefs and established peace. Though initially Britain did not aim for any colonial empire in the Gulf, she would not tolerate the territorial interest of any other power in the Persian Gulf. In the last quarter of the 19th century the European powers were competing in the race of establishing colonies. Right at that moment Russia was trying to move southward to establish a port in the Persian Gulf. Germany was planning to extend her Berlin Baghdad railway project to the gulf. Moreover Turkey was trying to re-install her suzerainty over Kuwait. In due course France expressed its resentment against the increasing claims of England over Persian Gulf and tried to put an end to it. But England thwarted the attempts of Russia, Germany and Turkey to gain a favorable position in the Gulf. After visiting to the Persian Gulf, in 1903 Curzon declared that to let Russia to establish a port in this region was to damage the status quo of great Britain. Curzon also thwarted the Russian intrigues in the Perso-Afghan dispute about Seistan. According to the old treaty of 1857, both Persia and Afghanistan had agreed to settle their differences through the good offices of the British government. Hence on the strength of that treaty, Curzon dispatched in 1902 Sir Henry MacMahon to arbitrate in the satisfaction of both the parties. Thus Curzon subdued the growth of any power that could challenge the British supremacy in Persian Gulf.

Trade relation with the neighboring countries was also considered as one of the important foreign policy of the British. In 1774-75, Warren Hastings has sent George Bogle as the company`s envoy into Tibet to develop trade relation with the country. A second envoy was also sent in the year of 1783 for the same purpose. However the trade relation with Tibet was completely damaged after the Chinese occupation of Tibet. The Tibetan-Sikkim disputes worsened the condition. A Sino- British convention of 1890 demarcated the boundaries. The Sino-British agreement also considered the questions pertaining to the trade between India and Tibet, which took shape of the definite agreement in 1893. However nothing substantial was resulted from this Agreement. Thus when Curzon arrived in India, the relations with Tibet had reached to a point of complete deadlock. The Chinese suzerainty over Tibet was ineffective. Moreover Russian interference was increasing which alarmed Curzon. Hence he could not remain indifferent to the Russian advances in Tibet.

In such circumstances Curzon in 1903,with the permissions of the Home Authorities sent colonel Younghusband with a small Gorkha contingent on a special mission to Tibet. The motto of the mission was to somehow oblige the Tibetans to come to an agreement with the British. However the Tibetans refused to negotiate and offered non-violent resistance. Younghusband pushed his way reaching Gyantse on April 11 and Lhasa on 3rd August 1904. Consequently Tibet came into the complete control of the British. Thus Curzon strengthened their position in the northeast frontier. Later in the clause provided it was declared that Tibet would not grant any concession for railways, roads, telegraphs etc to any foreign state. However according to that very clause Great Britain was entitled to have some control over the foreign affairs of Tibet. It can be said that the vigorous and determined foreign policy of Curzon counteracted all Russian schemes in Tibet.

In his policy towards the north west frontier Curzon followed a realistic policy quite diplomatically. Curzon drafted a code of frontier policy and applied it with consistency and without violent interruptions throughout the whole region of northwestern frontier. Accordingly Curzon followed the policy of withdrawing the British force from the frontier. He then appointed the tribal forces in defence of the tribal territory. Regular British troops were withdrawn from advanced position in the Tribal areas. Moreover the tribal militia who were entrusted for the defence of the frontiers were trained and commanded by British officers. As support to these tribal levies, mobile columns of British troops were stationed in various strategic positions. Communications in these rears were highly developed to support the new policy. Also a number of strategic railway lines were laid down to build up the proper communication. Besides, a durbar was held at Peshwar in 1902, where nearly all the tribal chiefs attended. In the Durbar Curzon assured the chiefs of the peaceful and non-aggressive British policy but at the same time warned them of the consequences of violating the frontier. Curzon crowned his policy by the creation of a new northwest frontier province consisting of the districts of Hazara, Peshwar, Kohat, Bannu, Dera Ismail Khan and the trans-border tracts lying between the administrative frontiers of the Durand Line. Curzon claimed all successes for his frontier policy. However the northwest frontier policy of Curzon did not bring any long-term peace successfully.

In viceroy`s executive Council here used to be two members representing the Military department. The first one was the commandeer in chief, the executive head of the army in India and the and the second was a military member, an ordinary executive to advise the governor general on the military matters. Lord Kitchener, who came to India in1904, to hold the office of Commander in chief did not like the dual control over the Military department. In short he sought to abolish the office of military executive in the viceroy`s council. Curzon however strongly opposed the proposal-approached by Lord Kitchener. Later with the passage of time situation got worse and there was increasing differences between Lord Curzon and Home over the matters of the foreign policy of Curzon. Ultimately the circumstances led to the resignation of Lord Curzon from the office of viceroy.

Lord Curzon was a great imperialist. Curzon`s foreign and the domestic policies were guided by his dream to establish a strong British empire in India. He tried to keep India as a close preserve for Britain and save her from the onslaught of the other European aggression.


Share this Article:

Subscribe to Newsletter
Learn unknown facts about India from a curated list of informative articles.

Related Articles

More Articles in History of India

History of Indian Drama
History of Indian Drama is rich with Vedas and Indian epics and has gradually changed with time and remains unaffected by any foreign influence.
History of Khajuraho Temple
Located in the Chhatarpur district of Madhya Pradesh, Khajuraho is country’s most magnificent groups of temples.
History of Ayurveda
History of Ayurveda dates back to 5,000 years old and is widely considered to be the oldest form of health care in the world.
History of Uttar Pradesh
The state was the heart of Mahabharata war and the history of Uttar Pradesh is very much the history of India. The place finds its mentions in Hindu epics Ramayana and Mahabharata.
History of Indian Photography
An overview of the development of photography, through the various stages in India.
History of Delhi
History of Delhi began with the advent of Indian regal dynasties. Delhi witnessed the rise and fall of Hindu dynasties, Muslims and the British as well.
History of Indian Radio
History of Indian Radio dates back to late 1930s with the first establishment of All India Radio in 1936 that improved further after independence.
History of Punjab
History of Punjab dates back to the 16th century; however its formation is traced in the great epic Mahabharata.
History Of Archaeology In India
History of archaeology in India contributes a lot to define the past history and the social life of India.
History of Maharashtra
Maharashtra, the land of charismatic Marathas, unfolds the legend of diverse culture and tradition, keeping in pace with the modernity. The gallant history of Maharashtra is still echoed amidst its historical relics and archeological wonders.
History of Kerala
History of Kerala can be interpreted from the inscriptions of Ashoka, Mauryan Emperor. History of Kerala is as interesting as its wide-ranging geographical features that make the land a place of versatile appeal.
History of Bihar
History of Bihar goes back to the very dawn of the human civilizations. Many eminent personalities and leaders from Bihar contributed for India’s freedom struggle.
History of Assam
In the ancient Indian epics like Ramayana and Mahabharata, Assam was known as `Kamarupa` or `Pragjyotish`. In the Mahabharata, the Puranas, the Tantras there are references of Assam as Kamrupa kingdom.
History of Andaman and Nicobar Islands
History of Andaman and Nicobar Islands dates back to the settlement of the East India Company in the territory of the Islands.
History of West Bengal
History of West Bengal is rooted in richness and is an important episode in the history of India. The history of Bengal played an important role in shaping the history of India.
History of Jharkhand
One of the fairly newer states, Jharkhand was carved out of the southern portion of Bihar in 2000. The history of Jharkhand is seeped with a variety of cultural significances starting from the Vedic era to Mughal period and finally the British administration.
History of Sikkim
History of Sikkim declares the pre historic culture and the colonial era hilly politics and the rules of Sikkim.
History of Nagaland
The history of Nagaland mainly revolves around and deals with the customs and economic activities of the Naga Tribes and how the state has evolved since the Indian Independence.
History of Mizoram
History of Mizoram includes the various historical events and incidents which occurred during the various ages, right from before the age of the Mughals.
History of Jammu & Kashmir
History of Jammu and Kashmir involves a series of political and geographical transformations from every ancient era to the modern times also. Even now, Jammu and Kashmir has its political tension between Pakistan and India.
History of Puducherry
Puducherry was invaded by different invaders in different times. The invaders include Pallava Kingdom of Kanchipuram, dynasties of the South, Cholas of Thanjavur, Pandyas and Muslim invaders.
History of Chandigarh
In 1947, the British India was partitioned into India and Pakistan. Punjab was also included in this partition. So, there was a need for a new capital for Punjab, as the old capital Lahore became part of Pakistan during the partition. So, in 1948, under the leadership of chief architect Mr. P.L. Verma the construction of Chandigarh city began.
History of Daman and Diu
During the early stage, i.e. from 8th to 13th century, Daman and Diu was part of Goa.
History of Lakshadweep
History of Lakshadweep defines the first settlement on these islands under the Union Territory of India that was ruled by Cheraman Perumal, who was the last king of Kerala.
History of Karnataka
History of Karnataka comprised of the different rulers of different dynasties of various religions like Hindus, Buddhists, and later the Muslims.
History of Goa
History of Goa dates back to the 3rd century BC and reflects the rule of the mighty rulers and gained its independence under Jawaharlal Nehru.
History of Arunachal Pradesh
Arunachal Pradesh possesses a rich historical heritage of culture of the ancient tribes. Being a bordering state of India, Arunachal Pradesh also has a history of military unrest since ancient Indian age.
History of Andhra Pradesh
History of Andhra Pradesh traces its origin back to the 5th century BC. According to the inscriptions, Kuberaka, the oldest Kingdom in South India had an empire in the coastal Andhra during that period.
History of Himachal Pradesh
History of Himachal Pradesh narrates about the various settlements and dynasties that emerged in the region over time.
History of Uttarakhand
History of Uttarakhand finds mention in the early Hindu scriptures as Kedarkhand, Manaskhand and Himavat. Uttarakhand is called as the Land of the Gods (Dev Bhoomi) because of its various holy places and shrines.
History of Rajasthan
The history of Rajasthan is dotted with tales of valor, chivalry, camaraderie and romance.
History of Tamil Nadu
History of Tamil Nadu reveals that this ancient place in South India was ruled by various kingdoms like the Pandyas Dynasty, Cholas Dynasty, Nayakas Dynasty and Pallavas Dynasty.
History of Haryana
History of Haryana depicts various events and influences that have cast a profound effect on the culture and people of the district. The place gained statehood on 1st of November 1966
History of Odisha
History of Odisha goes back a rather long way. Most of the history of the state is replete with the dynastic as well as tribal struggle for territorial superiority. Odisha is a place where one can find the religion, culture and history flow in away that lead to cultural amalgamation of early India.
History of Manipur
History of Manipur can be traced back to the prehistoric ages and this was followed by a number of rulers who reigned the land from age to age till it came under British rule and later joined the union of India.
History of Gujarat
History of Gujarat can be dated back to the 14th century that later witnessed the supremacy of many powerful dynasties.
History of Tripura
History of Tripura is dealing with the early mythological history and the history of British rule in North eastern part of India.
History of Meghalaya
The history of Meghalaya predominantly comprises of the three tribes of the state- Garo, Khasi and Jaintia tribes. Later on Meghalaya was formed by carving out two districts from the state of Assam.
History of Chhattisgarh
History of Chhattisgarh dates back to the era of epics and traces through the reign of powerful dynasties in India like Marathas. The area developed a rich cultural heritage during British era.