Francis Younghusband
1863–1942 · British (British India) · Victorian / Edwardian Era
Known for: Led the British invasion of Tibet, crossed the Gobi Desert, then had a mystical experience that turned him from imperialist to interfaith mystic
Younghusband was a Great Game player who crossed the Gobi, explored the Karakoram, and led the controversial 1904 British invasion of Tibet. The Maxim gun massacre at Chumik Shenko killed hundreds of Tibetans armed with matchlocks.
Yet leaving Tibet, he had a mystical experience that transformed him completely. He spent his later years promoting interfaith dialogue, founding the World Congress of Faiths. The imperialist became a pacifist—one of history's most dramatic personal transformations.
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