ABSTRACT
The acquisition of Kumaon and Garhwal following the Anglo-Nepalese War gave Britain a direct border with Tibet for the first time. These territories, and the adjacent kingdom of Ladakh, and its dependencies, Lahul and Spiti, had close commercial, cultural, and some political ties with Tibet. Ladakh, for example, sent regular commercial and diplomatic missions to Lhasa and had close commercial contact with Western Tibet. Pashm, or shawl wool, the fine undercoat of Tibetan sheep and goats, was the major article of trade of this region and was used to make the famous Kashmiri shawls. The economies of both Ladakh and Kashmir were largely dependent on the trade in shawl wool. The East India Company had been interested in the shawl wool trade of Western Tibet for some time, and it was one of the factors that led to their decision to acquire Kumaon and Garhwal following the war with Nepal, and to bring other hill states, such as Bashahr, under their protection. They also hoped that these states would create a buffer area between Nepal and the Sikh State and deter future Gurkha aggression.
