Ashley Eden Mission to Bhutan

 

Reflection Paper:  Ashley Eden Mission to Bhutan

 

Introduction

Our group's performance was based on the historical occurrence of the Ashley Eden mission to Bhutan in 1863-1864. The mission by the British East India Company's representative, Ashley Eden, was aimed at resolving matters of the control of the land of Ambari Falakata and creating more secure relations between Bhutan. Our production attempted to capture the nuance of this meeting, from negotiations to the ultimate failure of the mission.

Challenges Encountered

Some challenges were encountered by our team in realizing the Ashley Eden mission on stage. These challenges primarily stemmed from available historical sources' limitations and the inherent constraints of presenting historical events in an authentic and engaging manner.

Lack of Detailed Sources: Perhaps the most important challenge we faced was that there was limited detailed information on the precise conversations and events that took place when the treaty talks were happening. Although history shows us the overall goals and conclusions of the mission, the events are frequently incomplete in the way that a re-enactment would require for drama. Several creative choices we had to make.

We used secondary historical sources to find out about the broader context as well as the British and the Bhutanese perspectives. We created conversation from our understanding of the political context, the people engaged, and the points that would have likely been raised. We tried to make the conversation resonate with the setting in which it took place and with the power relations at the time.

Character Development: Portraying figures from history like Ashley Eden and the Bhutanese royal families required thoughtful consideration of their motivations, drives, and complex political relationships that influenced their actions.

Delivery of the Negotiations: We had to develop a way to present the treaty negotiations in a way that was visually engaging and dramatically compelling.

Historical Insights Gained

Through our research and performance, we were able to gain some interesting insights into the Ashley Eden mission and its broader historical context. We learned that the relationship between British India and Bhutan in the 19th century was far more complex than we had initially assumed. It was marked by a combination of trade, suspicion, and competition over territory and influence.

We discovered that the Ambari Falakata controversy was not a simple border dispute but a bone of contention that reflected underlying political and economic interests. The British wished to secure access to trade routes and dominance over the region, and Bhutan aimed to maintain its sovereignty and territorial integrity. Our study highlighted the necessity of determining the Bhutanese perspective of the mission. The Bhutanese viewed the Eden mission as interference in their domestic affairs, and their distrust of British intentions was a major factor in the mission's failure. We learned that the Bhutanese were not passive recipients but had agency and strategic agendas of their own. We also gained an insight into the cultural differences and misunderstandings that characterized the interface between the British and the Bhutanese. These differences in tradition, etiquette, and views on history worked to establish tension and ultimately derailed the negotiations.

Skills Obtained

Through this project, we had opportunities to obtain and enhance various skills.

Research Skills: We honed our research skills by obtaining information from various sources, including historical documents, scholarly papers, and online sources. We learned skills to determine the accuracy of sources and merge information in a seamless manner.

Creative Writing/Improvisation: The need to create dialogue and scenes when documents were not available forced us to develop our creative writing and improvisation skills. We learned to create dialogue that was historically accurate and theatrically powerful.

Performance Skills: Performing the performance developed our performance skills, including stage presence, character development, and public speaking. We learned to become historical figures and articulate their motivation and feelings before an audience.

Collaboration/Teamwork: We did this project together as a team. We learned how to be a good team, how to delegate workload, and how to resolve problems in a constructive way.

Critical Thinking: We improved our critical thinking by reading history, analysing different perspectives, and creating our own accounts of the events.

Conclusion

As a whole, dramatizing the Ashley Eden mission to Bhutan was challenging but worth the effort. We wrestled with the limitations of sources, accommodated linguistic complexity, and tried to create an engaging and informative performance. Along the way, we learned a great deal about the complexities of Anglo-Bhutanese relations, the significance of Ambari Falakata, and the necessity of considering diverse points of view. We also learned different skills like research, creative writing, performing, working in groups, and critical thinking.

Written by Group 1