MOUNT MOHSIN OR MOUNT EVEREST?

The highest peak, Mount Everest was first measured in 1856. It was scaled as 8839 m i.e. 29,000 feet high. But it was fixed at 29,002 feet [8840m] high. The arbitrary addition of 2 feet was added to avoid the impression of a rounded calculation. Another Indian survey in the year 1950 concluded the height to be 29.028 feet. In the year 1998, the American Everest Expedition installed a GPS unit on the highest bedrock and a value of 29.035 feet [8850 m] was fixed based on this device. Nepal did not agree to this and holds the view that the height is 8848 m only. The Peoples Republic of China sent an expedition team in May 22^nd 2005. After months of hard work, China’s State Bureau of Surveying and Mapping announced the height of Everest as 8844.43 m. This newest height is based on the actual rock and not on the snow and ice caps. China claims this to be the most accurate measurement.

There is not only lack of consensus in measurement and height, each country has its own name for Mount Everest. Nepal calls it Sagarmatha, thereby revealing the pre-historic fact that Himalayas was once ocean .Sagar means sea, matha means mother. Tibet calls it Chomolangma, the meaning of the word must be found in Tibetan language.

Mount Everest was first discovered in 1852 and till 1865 it was only referred as Peak XV. The British Surveyor General of India Sir Andrew Waugh gave its current name Mount Everest. China continues to oppose this name. China’s People’s Daily in 2002 wanted a colonial name to be removed and the peak known by its Tibetan name. Meanwhile who first measured it stirs another controversy. A claim is made that Radhanath Sikdar, an Indian mathematician and surveyor from Bengal was first to identify the peak in 1852 using trigonometric calculations based on measurements made with telescopic measurements from 24o kilometers away in India.

To ascertain this let us look for other evidences.  The book Great Arc by John Key describes the stupendous scientific expedition undertaken across the Indian sub continent in 19^th century under the British Raj. The Frontline magazine from The Hindu group interviewed John Key, when he came to Chennai to participate in the 200^th anniversary celebrations of the beginning of Great Arc, and to deliver William Lampton Commemoration lecture on Great Trigonometrical Survey. In that interview published in Frontline September 26, 2003 he states:

“The Great Arc has always been presented as a British achievement. Lambton and Everest associated with it were British. One has to remember, as someone said this evening, most of the mathematical work, which is really the most important aspect was done by…… [Interruption by Frontline correspondent: “By Bengalis?]

“Not just Bengalis. Precision engineering, necessary for the instrument used in the Great Arc, is very critical. A lot of these instruments were made in India. The Great Arc’s senior most instrument designer and engineer was in fact from Arcot in Tamilnadu.He was called Syed Hussain Mohsin. He was most brilliant instrument manufacturer. People like Lambton and Everest were heavily indebted to him, and indeed said so.”

During this interview John Key answers a pertinent question: Is it true that George Everest had never seen the peak that is named after him. ?

John Key “He never saw the peak. It was after him because it was his completion of the measurement of the Great Arc that made it possible to measure the altitudes of Himalayan peaks. It was in the course of the measurement of all the peaks visible at that time that the mountain was discovered. So it was named in his honour.”

Saint Thomas Mount was the starting point of the Great Trigonometrical survey. The Great Arc was just a north-south measurement. The GTS measurement went on until about 1880 within India itself. After 1880 it extended east and west to Burma, Afghanistan and so on. It extended into Burma, Thailand and Laos in the last 20 years on 19^th century.

So it becomes evident that Syed Hussain Mohsin, the senior most instrument designer and engineer, with all the experience he gathered from the beginning of survey till it reached Himalayas, has a unique place, since his services are acknowledged by both William Lambton and George Everest. In western countries, any discovery is named after the discoverer. All scientific names in various fields are derived from their inventor’s name. Hence it would be most appropriate to change the name of Mount Everest, a peak on which George Everest never set his foot, to Mount Mohsin, duly acknowledging the brain behind the expedition and discovery. The claims of others have no such impartial endorsement as that of Syed Hussain Mohsin. This demand, I had made in one of my articles in the book written by me in 2006.

Thamizhar Naadum Thani Pannpadum : Available at : Mitra Arts and Creations Private Limited 32/8-10 Arcot Road, Kodampakkam Chennai 600024 Pages 144 Price Rs 50.

N.Nandhivarman