Thomas George Montgomerie
Encyclopedia
Lieutenant-Colonel Thomas George Montgomerie (1830–1878) was a British
surveyor
who participated in the Great Trigonometric Survey
of India as a lieutenant in the 1850's. He was the person to label K2
, the second highest mountain in the world, the K standing for Karakoram
. The label "K2" has stuck and has become, and remains, the mountain's most commonly used name.
Despite being often denied close range access, the 19th century survey work carried out by Montgomerie and the survey of India has been shown to be accurate. The elevations of major summits which they calculated are very close to the elevations which are accepted today.
He was subsequently involved in attempts to extend the survey of India into Tibet
. Tibet was not part of the British Empire
and was closed to foreigners, so he employed and trained Indians, who entered Tibet disguised as travelling Tibetans, and became known as pundits
.
In 1867 Major Montgomerie was assigned to Peshawar
where he was tasked with recruiting native agents to explore Central Asia
. Montgomerie recruited a number of individuals to survey Chitral
and Badakhshan
, including Hyder Shah
, who in 1870 traveled through the princely states of Swat and Dir and Badakhshan
.
. vol. 42, 1872, pp. 180-201 >
British people
The British are citizens of the United Kingdom, of the Isle of Man, any of the Channel Islands, or of any of the British overseas territories, and their descendants...
surveyor
Surveying
See Also: Public Land Survey SystemSurveying or land surveying is the technique, profession, and science of accurately determining the terrestrial or three-dimensional position of points and the distances and angles between them...
who participated in the Great Trigonometric Survey
Great Trigonometric Survey
The Great Trigonometric Survey was a project of the Survey of India throughout most of the 19th century. It was piloted in its initial stages by William Lambton, and later by George Everest. Among the many accomplishments of the Survey were the demarcation of the British territories in India and...
of India as a lieutenant in the 1850's. He was the person to label K2
K2
K2 is the second-highest mountain on Earth, after Mount Everest...
, the second highest mountain in the world, the K standing for Karakoram
Karakoram
The Karakoram, or Karakorum , is a large mountain range spanning the borders between Pakistan, India and China, located in the regions of Gilgit-Baltistan , Ladakh , and Xinjiang region,...
. The label "K2" has stuck and has become, and remains, the mountain's most commonly used name.
Despite being often denied close range access, the 19th century survey work carried out by Montgomerie and the survey of India has been shown to be accurate. The elevations of major summits which they calculated are very close to the elevations which are accepted today.
He was subsequently involved in attempts to extend the survey of India into Tibet
Tibet
Tibet is a plateau region in Asia, north-east of the Himalayas. It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people as well as some other ethnic groups such as Monpas, Qiang, and Lhobas, and is now also inhabited by considerable numbers of Han and Hui people...
. Tibet was not part of the British Empire
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
and was closed to foreigners, so he employed and trained Indians, who entered Tibet disguised as travelling Tibetans, and became known as pundits
Pundit (explorer)
The term pundit or pandit was used in the second half of the 19th century to denote native surveyors who explored regions to the north of India for the British....
.
In 1867 Major Montgomerie was assigned to Peshawar
Peshawar
Peshawar is the capital of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and the administrative center and central economic hub for the Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan....
where he was tasked with recruiting native agents to explore Central Asia
Central Asia
Central Asia is a core region of the Asian continent from the Caspian Sea in the west, China in the east, Afghanistan in the south, and Russia in the north...
. Montgomerie recruited a number of individuals to survey Chitral
Chitral
Chitral or Chetrar , translated as field in the native language Khowar, is the capital of the Chitral District, situated on the western bank of the Kunar River , in Pakistan. The town is at the foot of Tirich Mir, the highest peak of the Hindu Kush, high...
and Badakhshan
Badakhshan
Badakhshan is an historic region comprising parts of what is now northeastern Afghanistan and southeastern Tajikistan. The name is retained in Badakhshan Province which is one of the thirty-four provinces of Afghanistan, in the far northeast of Afghanistan, and contains the Wakhan Corridor...
, including Hyder Shah
Hyder Shah
Hyder Shah was a member of the British Indian Army who in 1870 traveled as a secret agent through the princely states of Swat and Dir and Badakhshan.-1870 expedition:Hyder Shah was a Pashtun Muslim from the town of Kohat south of Peshawar...
, who in 1870 traveled through the princely states of Swat and Dir and Badakhshan
Badakhshan
Badakhshan is an historic region comprising parts of what is now northeastern Afghanistan and southeastern Tajikistan. The name is retained in Badakhshan Province which is one of the thirty-four provinces of Afghanistan, in the far northeast of Afghanistan, and contains the Wakhan Corridor...
.
List of publications
T. G. Montgomerie, “A Havildar's Journey through Chitral to Faizabad in 1870,” Journal of the Royal Geographical Society of LondonJournal of the Royal Geographical Society of London
The Journal of the Royal Geographical Society of London was a scholarly geographic journal published by the Royal Geographical Society from 1831 to 1880....
. vol. 42, 1872, pp. 180-201 >