Hugh Richardson | |
---|---|
Born | |
Died | 3 December 2000 | (aged 94)
Nationality | British |
Occupation(s) | Diplomat, tibetologist |
Spouse(s) | Huldah Rennie, m. 1951 |
Parent | Colonel Hugh Richardson |
Awards | Companion of the Order of the Indian Empire (CIE) Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) Light of Truth Award Honorary Fellow of the British Academy (FBA) |
Hugh Edward Richardson CIE OBE FBA (22 December 1905 – 3 December 2000[2]) was an Indian Civil Service officer, British diplomat and Tibetologist. His academic work focused on the history of the Tibetan empire, and in particular on epigraphy. He was among the last Europeans to have known Tibet and its society before the Chinese invasions which began in 1950.
In fact, Richardson's greatest threat to the Chinese was his objective observation of the labyrinthine world of Tibetan politics and his deep understanding of Tibetan culture. When he argued that Tibet had been an independent state before its occupation by the Chinese, he did so with immense authority.