During peacetime, Holdich was largely occupied with the survey of India. He was the chief surveyor on the Afghan Boundary Commission of 1884–86. The Commission soon found itself in the midst of a crisis, inflamed by the Panjdeh incident; when this nearly led to war with Russia, Holdich was put in charge of fortifying Herat against a potential Russian invasion.[3] He later served on the Tasmar Boundary Commission of 1894, the Pamir Boundary Commission of 1895 and the Perso-Baluchistan Boundary Commission of 1896. He was awarded the Founder's Medal of the Royal Geographical Society in 1887 in recognition of his work on the Afghan frontier.
On his retirement to half-pay in 1898, he thanked "that providence which had been good to me in that during that last year of my Indian career I had been able to put a round finish on the last of our frontier maps". He was placed on the Retired list with an Indian pension 13 February 1900.[5]
In later years, he wrote and lectured extensively on geographical issues, and served as president of the Royal Geographical Society from 1917 to 1919. He also served as President of the Geographical Association between 1917 and 1918. He contributed a number of entries to the eleventh edition of the Encyclopædia Britannica.
Boundaries are the inevitable product of advancing civilisation; they are human inventions not necessarily supported by nature's dispositions, and as such they are only of solid value so long as they can be made strong enough and secure enough to prevent their violation and infringement. – Sir Thomas Hungerford Holdich (1916)[6]
His thought on international boundaries emphasized a need for them to be, or have the potential to become, militarily strong.[7]
Holdich died in 1929 at his home at Parklands in Merrow, Surrey, near Guildford, at the age of 86.
List of publicationsEdit
T H Holdich. (Editor). Peru-Bolivia Boundary Commission Report 1911-1913. 1918.
T H Holdich. Boundaries in Europe and the Near East, 1918.
T H Holdich. Frontiers and Boundary Making, 1916.
T H Holdich, Leonard Arthur Bethell and Hamilton Bower. The Abor Expedition: Geographical Results: Discussion. Geographical Journal, Feb., 1913, vol. 41, no. 2, pages 109–114.
T H Holdich. Gates of India, Being an Historical Narrative of Early Relations Between the East and the West, 1910.
T H Holdich. England's Strength in Asia. Proceedings of the Central Asian Society, 1904.
T H Holdich. Indian Borderland 1880–1900, 1901.
M. G. Gerard, T. H. Holdrich, R. A. Wahab, A. W. Alcock. Report on the proceedings of the Pamir Boundary Commission. Calcutta: Office of the Superintendent of Government Printing, India. 1897.
T H Holdich. Notes on the Antiquities, Ethnography and History of Las Bela and Makran, 1894.
"The Frontier Question" . The Empire and the century. London: John Murray. 1905. pp. 651–662.
FamilyEdit
Holdich was married to Ada Vanrenen, and had two daughters and two sons. His elder daughter Laura Holdich married in 1898 Major Edmund Peach (1865–1902), Indian Staff Corps.[9]
ReferencesEdit
^Williams, Glyn (1975). "Cwm Hyfryd". The desert and the dream: A study of Welsh colonization in Chubut 1865 – 1915. Cardiff: University of Wales Press. p. 140. ISBN978-0-7083-0579-9.
^"Obituary: Sir Thomas Holdich – A Maker of Frontiers". The Times. 4 November 1929. p. 14.
thomas, holdich, colonel, thomas, hungerford, holdich, kcmg, kcie, frgs, february, 1843, november, 1929, english, geographer, president, royal, geographical, society, best, known, superintendent, frontier, surveys, british, india, arbiter, cordillera, andes, b. Colonel Sir Thomas Hungerford Holdich KCMG KCIE CB FRGS 13 February 1843 2 November 1929 was an English geographer and president of the Royal Geographical Society He is best known as Superintendent of Frontier Surveys in British India arbiter in the Cordillera of the Andes Boundary Case 1 and author of numerous books including The Gates of India The Countries of the King s Award and Political Frontiers and Boundary Making 2 Colonel Thomas Holdich Contents 1 Life 2 List of publications 3 Family 4 References 5 External linksLife EditBorn in Dingley Northamptonshire England to the Rev Thomas Peach Holdich he was educated at Godolphin Grammar School and the Royal Military Academy obtaining a commission in the Royal Engineers in 1862 He saw active service in the Bhutan expedition of 1865 the Abyssinian campaign of 1867 68 and the Second Anglo Afghan War of 1878 79 During peacetime Holdich was largely occupied with the survey of India He was the chief surveyor on the Afghan Boundary Commission of 1884 86 The Commission soon found itself in the midst of a crisis inflamed by the Panjdeh incident when this nearly led to war with Russia Holdich was put in charge of fortifying Herat against a potential Russian invasion 3 He later served on the Tasmar Boundary Commission of 1894 the Pamir Boundary Commission of 1895 and the Perso Baluchistan Boundary Commission of 1896 He was awarded the Founder s Medal of the Royal Geographical Society in 1887 in recognition of his work on the Afghan frontier Holdich was also member of the British tribunal engaged in The Cordillera of the Andes Boundary Case by the governments of Argentina and Chile in 1902 to arbitrate the boundary along the Andes Mountains For this service he was appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George KCMG in December 1902 4 On his retirement to half pay in 1898 he thanked that providence which had been good to me in that during that last year of my Indian career I had been able to put a round finish on the last of our frontier maps He was placed on the Retired list with an Indian pension 13 February 1900 5 In later years he wrote and lectured extensively on geographical issues and served as president of the Royal Geographical Society from 1917 to 1919 He also served as President of the Geographical Association between 1917 and 1918 He contributed a number of entries to the eleventh edition of the Encyclopaedia Britannica Boundaries are the inevitable product of advancing civilisation they are human inventions not necessarily supported by nature s dispositions and as such they are only of solid value so long as they can be made strong enough and secure enough to prevent their violation and infringement Sir Thomas Hungerford Holdich 1916 6 His thought on international boundaries emphasized a need for them to be or have the potential to become militarily strong 7 Holdich died in 1929 at his home at Parklands in Merrow Surrey near Guildford at the age of 86 List of publications EditT H Holdich Editor Peru Bolivia Boundary Commission Report 1911 1913 1918 T H Holdich Boundaries in Europe and the Near East 1918 T H Holdich Frontiers and Boundary Making 1916 T H Holdich Leonard Arthur Bethell and Hamilton Bower The Abor Expedition Geographical Results Discussion Geographical Journal Feb 1913 vol 41 no 2 pages 109 114 T H Holdich Gates of India Being an Historical Narrative of Early Relations Between the East and the West 1910 T H Holdich Tibet the Mysterious 1906 8 T H Holdich Countries of the King s Award 1904 T H Holdich England s Strength in Asia Proceedings of the Central Asian Society 1904 T H Holdich Indian Borderland 1880 1900 1901 M G Gerard T H Holdrich R A Wahab A W Alcock Report on the proceedings of the Pamir Boundary Commission Calcutta Office of the Superintendent of Government Printing India 1897 T H Holdich Notes on the Antiquities Ethnography and History of Las Bela and Makran 1894 The Frontier Question The Empire and the century London John Murray 1905 pp 651 662 Family EditHoldich was married to Ada Vanrenen and had two daughters and two sons His elder daughter Laura Holdich married in 1898 Major Edmund Peach 1865 1902 Indian Staff Corps 9 References Edit Williams Glyn 1975 Cwm Hyfryd The desert and the dream A study of Welsh colonization in Chubut 1865 1915 Cardiff University of Wales Press p 140 ISBN 978 0 7083 0579 9 Obituary Sir Thomas Holdich A Maker of Frontiers The Times 4 November 1929 p 14 Salisbury Robert 2020 William Simpson and the Crisis in Central Asia 1884 5 ISBN 978 1 5272 7047 3 No 27503 The London Gazette 12 December 1902 p 8589 No 27167 The London Gazette 20 February 1900 p 1173 Political Frontiers and Boundary Making London Macmillan and Co 1916 p 2 Prescott J R V 1965 The Geography of Frontiers and Boundaries Hutchinson University Library p 14 Review of Tibet the Mysterious by Sir Thomas Holdich Journal of the Royal Colonial Institute 3 Session 1906 1907 194 195 February 1907 Obituaries The Times No 36957 London 22 December 1902 p 6 External links Edit nbsp Wikisource has original works by or about Thomas Holdich Biography from the Holdich Family History Society The Geographical Journal Obituary Vol LXXV No 3 March 1930 Works by Thomas Holdich at Project Gutenberg Works by or about Thomas Holdich at Internet Archive Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Thomas Holdich amp oldid 1176605452, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
