Gabriel Bonvalot

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Gabriel Bonvalot photograph by Eugène Pirou.

Pierre Gabriel Édouard Bonvalot (13 July 1853 – 10 December 1933) was a

explorer of Central Asia and Tibet. Bonvalot was born in the commune of Épagne in the Aube department in north-central France. He was the son of Pierre Bonvalot and Louise-Félicie, née Congniasse des Jardins. He attended schooling at Troyes.[1]

Expeditions from 1880-1887

In 1880–82 he visited

natural sciences, and designer Albert Pépin.[1]

They departed from

Alai Mountains. As a European, Bonvalot felt superior to the locals and used threats or force to obtain equipment, supplies, pack animals and porters. He crossed the Pamirs, Chitral, where he was detained for more than a month, and the Karakoram, until he reached Kashmir. He was rewarded for this expedition by the Société de Géographie in Paris.[1]

Expedition of 1889

« De Paris au Tonkin. »
Cover of La Terre illustrée with Bonvalot, March 14, 1891.

In 1889 Bonvalot was one of the first Europeans to visit the

Duke of Chartres and his son, Prince Henri of Orléans.[1]
who accompanied Bonvalot.

Bonvalot's original plan was to cross

Mekong River to Indochina. In total his planned expedition was 9,500 kilometers and traversed lands that were still unknown to Europeans. Bonvalot was accompanied in his travels by a Belgian missionary, Father De Deken (1852-1896, who spoke Chinese and joined the expedition to reach Shanghai with his Chinese servant), an Uzbek assistant, Rachmed, who joined the expedition in Russia, Abdoullah a translator, and Prince Henri of Orléans
, who acted as his photographer and botanist.

The expedition began with relative comfort and did not become difficult until they reached the border between Russian and Chinese

Qing controlled territory. They finally reached Hanoi in late September 1890.[1]

Later career

Gabriel Bonvalot wanted by his expeditions financed by the French government in order to demonstrate French power in the eyes of the world. After a trip to French Algeria in 1893 Bonvalot embraced nationalism and became a fervent supporter of the idea of colonialism which was unanimously supported by the Republican politicians of that time

Menilek II, and quit the expedition before they reached Sudan.[1]
In 1898 Bonvalot founded the journal
Parliament of France from 1902 to 1906.[1] From 1912 to 1920 Bonvalot was the mayor of Brienne-le-Château in his home department of Aube.[4]
In 2005 an exhibition on the life of Bonvalot was organized in the library at Brienne-le-Château. Bonvalot died in Paris on 10 December 1933.[1]

Publications

Most of his books were translated in English.

In popular culture

Literature

Further reading

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Pierre Gabriel Édouard Bonvalot
  2. The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition Copyright© 2004, Columbia University Press
  3. ^ Except a few far left activists and rare monarchists
  4. ^ Brochure sur Brienne-le-Château, éditée par le Conseil général de l'Aube

External links

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