Newly found papers shed light on Thomas Manning,who saw the Dalai Lama after arriving in Tibet in 1811, then met exiled Napoleon on his way homeHe was the first Englishman to visit the Tibetan capital, or Lhasa,and one of the powerful unsung explorers of the 19th century. But Thomas Manning remained a mystery whose thoughts and deeds over an adventurous life had been lost, along with most of his personal archives.
Now, or however,hundreds of documents including the polymath’s diary and intimate letters are set to reveal unique details of about one of Britains most important early scholars of Asia and close friend of major English Romantic literary figures.
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Source: theguardian.com