Samuel Turner (diplomat) facts for kids
Samuel Turner (born April 19, 1759 – died January 2, 1802) was an English explorer and traveler in Asia. He was also a cousin of Warren Hastings, who was a very important leader for the British in India.
Early Life
Samuel Turner was born in a place called Gloucestershire, England.
Adventures in India and Tibet
In 1780, Samuel Turner joined the East India Company (EIC), which was a powerful British trading company. He started as a cadet and slowly moved up the ranks, becoming a lieutenant in 1781 and a captain in 1799.
In 1782, news reached the EIC headquarters in Calcutta that a new Panchen Lama had been born in Tibet. The Panchen Lama is a very important spiritual leader in Tibetan Buddhism. Warren Hastings, the leader of the British in India, thought it would be a good idea to send a special trip to Tibet to congratulate the new Panchen Lama. This was to help build friendly connections, just like George Bogle had done during his visit in 1774.
The leaders of the East India Company agreed, and Samuel Turner was chosen to lead this trip to Tibet on January 9, 1783. He went with Samuel Davis, who was an artist and map-maker.
Turner followed the same path Bogle had taken before. He arrived in Bhutan in June 1783 and stayed there until September 8. Then, he continued his journey and reached Shigatse in Tibet on September 22, 1783. On December 4, he had the chance to meet the young Panchen Lama.
Turner returned to the Governor-General's camp in Patna in 1784. He reported that even though he couldn't visit Lhasa, the capital of Tibet, he had received a promise that merchants from India would be welcome there. For his hard work in Bhutan and Tibet, the East India Company gave him £500.
Turner also showed great bravery during a big battle called the first Siege of Seringapatam in 1792. He led a group of soldiers who protected the Governor-General, Lord Cornwallis. Later, he went on another special trip to meet Tipu Sultan, a powerful ruler in India.
Samuel Turner became quite wealthy while in India. After serving as a captain in the EIC's army, he went back to Europe. He bought a large house in the countryside of Gloucestershire.
On January 15, 1801, he became a member of the Royal Society, a famous group for scientists and thinkers. Sadly, on December 21 of the same year, while walking in London, he had a stroke. He was taken to a nearby workhouse and passed away on January 2, 1802. He was buried in St James's Church, Piccadilly. His property in Gloucestershire went to his sisters.
His Book
Samuel Turner wrote a book called An Account of an Embassy to the Court of the Teshoo Lama in Tibet, containing a Narrative of a Journey through Bootan and part of Tibet. It was published in London in 1800. The book was later translated into French and German.
Turner's book was very important because it was the first time a British person had written about visiting Tibet. The stories from Bogle and Manning, who also visited Tibet, were not published until much later, in 1875.
