Younghusband the Last Great Imperial Adventurer

Sir Francis Younghusband was born into a British military family at Murree, British India. In 1882, he was commissioned as subaltern in the 1st King's Dragoon Guards. On leave, 1886-87, he went on expedition across Asia and carried out numerous scientific observations which brought him under notice of the Royal Geographical Society (RGS), London. He firstly explored the Manchuria region of China and established the height of the tallest peak, Baekdu Mountain. Then, crossed the Gobi Desert to Chinese Turkestan and pioneered a route from Kashgar to India through the uncharted Mustagh Pass. For this achievement he was elected the youngest member of the RGS, received the Society's gold medal and was later President of the Society. In 1904, Lieut. Colonel Younghusband led a military assault into Tibet which resulted in a massacre of the Tibetans. Younghusband's letters, documents and journals are in the collection of the India Office Library in London.