George Scott Robertson: Difference between revisions

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2012}}

In 1893, after his travels in Kafiristan, Surgeon Major Robertson was reassigned to the then-independent [[State of Chitral]], this time as a political agent. In 1895 he brought a force of around 400 soldiers, under the direct command of Captain [[Charles Vere Ferrers Townshend]], from Gilgit to oversee the transfer of power in Chitral following the death of its ruler, [[Aman ul-Mulk]]. After his arrival, Robertson engaged in a series of complex political and military maneuvers, during which hostility from local tribesmen led to his forces to move into [[Chitral Expedition|Chitral Fort]] for protection. The six-week siege that followed included an unsuccessful sortie on 3 March 1895, when the British led forces took heavy losses.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Much Sounding of Bugles: The Siege of Chitral|last=Harris|first=John|date=1975|publisher=Hutchinson|pages= 47–59}}</ref> The siege was raised on 19 April when a relief force, under Colonel Kelly, arrived and dispersed the armed tribesmen. For his service during the famous [[Chitral Expedition|siege]] Robertson was made a [[Knight Commander of the Order of the Star of India]]<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=  26644|date= 16 July 1895|page=4021|city= London}}</ref> and appointed British agent in Gilgit. It was he who took the important decision of installing and recognising [[Shuja ul-Mulk]] as the provisional Mehtar of [[Chitral (princely state)|Chitral]], subject to approval of the Government.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IH2-BAAAQBAJ&q=aman%252520ul%252520mulk%252520chitral&pg=PA1|title=The Chitral Campaign|last=Thomson|first=H. C.|date=2012-11-19|publisher=Andrews UK Limited|isbn=9781781513491|pages=3–9|language=en}}</ref> He later wrote a book by the title ''[[Chitral; the Story of a Minor Siege]]'' recounting the intense and dramatic events in Chitral.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BlUwAQAAIAAJ&q=chitral+the+story+of+a+minor+siege|title=Chitrál: the story of a minor siege|last=Robertson|first=Sir George Scott|date=2001|publisher=Bhavana Books & Prints|isbn=9788186505526|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Syg9jwEACAAJ&q=chitral+the+story+of+a+minor+siege|title=Chitral the Story of a Minor Siege|last=Robertson|first=George Scott|date=2016-01-02|publisher=Ishi Press|isbn=9784871875288|language=en}}</ref>

Robertson continued in the Indian Service until his retirement in 1899.  He then returned to Great Britain where he made an unsuccessful bid for political office as a [[Liberal party (UK)|Liberal party]] candidate in [[Stirlingshire (UK Parliament constituency)|Stirlingshire]] at the [[1900 United Kingdom general election|1900 general election]],<ref name="craig1885-1918">{{cite book|last=Craig|first=F. W. S.|author-link= F. W. S. Craig|title=British parliamentary election results 1885–1918|orig-year=1974|edition= 2nd|year=1989|publisher= Parliamentary Research Services|location=Chichester|isbn= 0-900178-27-2|page=561}}</ref> but later was elected in [[Bradford Central (UK Parliament constituency)|Central Bradford]] in [[1906 United Kingdom general election|1906]].<ref>Craig, op. cit., page 79</ref> He held his seat in the [[House of Commons of the United Kingdom|House of Commons]] until his death on New Year's Day, 1916.<ref>{{Rayment-hc|b|4|date=March 2012}}</ref>