Sikkim History

Located in the mountains between India and Tibet is a beautiful place named Sikkim. Today Sikkim of course is a part of the 29 states of India but are you aware of the history behind the accession of Sikkim in 1975 to India? How did Sikkim become a part of the Indian landmass? If you are unaware then let us walk you through the ancient history of Sikkim including the, the ancient curses, foreign consorts, tribal rivalries, Sikkim food, the political history of Sikkim, and much more.

Here is a brief about how Sikkim was a land governed by a monarchy until 1975 and how it eventually became a part of India:

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The Curse of the Namgyals and the monarchical rule in Sikkim

The last ruler of Sikkim, Palden Thondup Namgyal, became a king because of a tragic accident at the western end of the Himalayan range. Crown Prince Paljor, the elder brother, who was also a Royal Air Force pilot and the King in line was killed in a plane crash in Peshawar on 20th December 1941.

According to an ancient curse on the Namgyal family, it is believed that the firstborns never make it to the throne. Many people in Sikkim thought that the crash might have occurred because of the curse.

Many in Sikkim believed it was the result of an ancient ‘curse’ on the Namgyal family, according to which the firstborn rarely succeeded to the throne. Sikkim’s three main communities comprised the Lepchas, the Bhutias, and the ethnic Nepali who had rivalry within themselves before 1642 CE.

Sikkim was a Buddhist kingdom that was ruled and governed by the Namgyal-Chogyal dynasty from about 1642-1975. Till the 20th century, the people of Sikkim got adapted to what the analysts refer to as ‘monarchical psychology’, the reason behind so was the Chogyals ruling over them for about 333 years.

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The first ruler of Sikkim was Phuntsong Namgyal. He had full control over the Chumbi Valley which today is a part of China and present-day Darjeeling. During those years the kingdom enjoyed a varying degree of independence.

The Buddhist Namgyal kingdom accepted the religious jurisdiction of Tibet for centuries.

Sikkim monarchy
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This is how the land was named Sikkim

The matrimonial and cultural ties of the Sikkimese court were very close with Tibetan aristocrats. The source of China’s claim over Sikkim as an extension of Tibet was strengthened by these medieval links.

The region’s traditional Tibetan name was ‘Denjong’ or the ‘Valley of Rice’. The name ‘Sikkim’ is derived from ‘Su Khyim’ which in the language of the Limbu tribe means the ‘New Palace’ of the Namgyal. Eventually, the entire kingdom was known as Sikkim.

Maharani_of_Sikkim
wikimediacommons

When the East India Company came into India

In 1706, a series of conflicts with the neighboring regions of Nepal, Bhutan, and Tibet arose. By the early 17th century the East India Company came into India. With constant battles between Sikkim and the neighboring regions and the East India Company supporting the Chogyals, the area of Darjeeling was handed over to the Englishmen in the year 1835 as a ‘sanitorium’ for British officers.

Namgyal-Chogyal dynasty
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The treaty of Tumlong

With the East India Company establishing its supremacy in India and control over Sikkim a treaty was signed between Great Britain and the Kingdom of Sikkim in 1861 named the Treaty of Tumlong. The purpose of the treaty was to ensure the protection of travelers and free trade to Sikkim. The British were interested in Sikkim because the easiest route to the heart of Tibet was through the region. They knew the strategic importance of the place.

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In 1861, the British seized southern Sikkim, after further disturbances. They took over the regions Morung and Terai and made Sikkim a ‘British Protectorate’. This Treaty of Tumlong was to govern relations between Sikkim and India till 1975. This is a very important point in Sikkim history.

The-three-ancient-chorten-in-Rabdentse-site-Pelling-West-Sikkim
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Sikkim after 1947 when India became Independent

Sikkim was a protectorate of British occupied India for a long time but after India’s independence in the year 1947, the authorities decided to redefine the relationship between Independent India and the Kingdom of Sikkim under the Chogyals.

During that time within the three main communities in Sikkim, the majority were ethnic Nepalese but they were poor peasants and laborers who were under the oppression of
the Lepcha-Bhutia zamindars.

To better the situation, there was a movement that demanded the establishment of democratic rule, the abolition of the Zamindari, and the merger with India.

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There were agitations for the next two years and the situation began to worsen in Sikkim. Under pressure, on 9th May 1948, a democratic government was set up with Tashi Tshering as the Chief Minister. But 28 days later, the government was dismissed by the Chogyal with the support of the Indian government.

Flag_of_Sikkim_(1967-1975)
Sikkim Flag (1967-1975) wikimedia

After this, the Sikkimese people felt betrayed by the Indian government, they sensed that the Indian government had used them by joining hands with the Chogyal.

The Indian government was actually not comfortable with empowering the ethnic Nepalese as around Darjeeling, the ethnic Nepalese demanded ‘Gorkhaland’. This instilled a fear that it could lead to a demand for a ‘Greater Nepal’.

So, the official Indian policy for the next two decades was to support and empower the Chogyal at the cost of democratic parties.

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In 1950 another treaty was signed between Sikkim’s Maharaja Tashi Namgyal and India’s then political officer in Sikkim Harishwar Dayal. This treaty declared that Sikkim will continue to be the protectorate of Independent India with certain provisions of it, (Sikkim) having full autonomy to look after their internal matters on their own. Authorities of both places agreed upon it.

Nehru_Tashi-Namgyal
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Dissent against the Chogyals

By the time the Sikkimese rose in popular discontent against the Chogyal rulers. They were fed up with feudal oppression and had no rights over crucial resources. They badly wanted to bring an end to the monarchical supremacy in Sikkim.

People came in together and formed a party called Sikkim State Congress (SSC) in the year 1947. In 1953 a new constitution was made by the Chogyals saying that 4 general elections will take place in the upcoming years so as to set up a sort of democratic rule. But these elections still did not help much in actually establishing a democracy, which the people of Sikkim wanted.

namgyal dynasty Sikkim, about Sikkim
Chogyal Dynasty Sikkimblogspot

Role of India

In 1973 the royal palace was besieged by thousands of protesters. In order to resolve the issue, the Chogyals were left with no choice but to seek the aid of India.

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In 1974 reformed elections took place in Sikkim under India’s supervision where the Sikkim State Congress leader Kazi Dorji emerged victoriously. In the same year he brought a new refined constitution of Sikkim and India declared Sikkim as an ‘associated state’ of India. The new constitution to a greater extent restricted all the powers that the Chogyals possessed, which made the Chogyals furious. Chogyals declared that they will internationalize the issue.

how sikkim became a part of India
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How Sikkim became a part of India

To come to a unanimous conclusion a Sikkimese monarchy referendum took place in the year 1975, where about 97.55% of Sikkimese voted in favor of abolishing the monarchy and joining India as a state.

From the status of ‘associated state’ Sikkim finally reached the status of ‘full state’ of India. It gained seats both in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha of India.

Therefore, this is how on 16th May 1975 Sikkim became the 22nd state of Independent India.

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how sikkim became part of India
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On 11th March 1978, outside Gangtok, an accident killed the 26-year-old, Cambridge-educated Crown Prince Tenzing who was the eldest son of Chongyal Thondup. The dynasty ended with this which marks a place in the history of Sikkim. The heartbroken Chogyal passed in 1982.

LD Kazi was named the ‘Grand Old Man of Sikkim’ and at the age of 102 he passed away in 2007. He was awarded the ‘Sikkim Ratna’ in 2004. Today, Sikkim is an intimate part of India with new opportunities for the Sikkimese people.

Kazi Lhendup Dorjee
wikimedia

Also read: 15 Sikkim Festivals To Witness For A Lifetime Experience

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An enthusiastic writer with a zeal for writing tales that would linger in the reader's mind—that's how you'd best describe Shivangi. With over 3 years of experience in content writing, it is safe to say that she possesses a skillful touch in crafting lucid content that is well researched and SEO-friendly. She's pursuing her post-graduation in History from Lady Shri Ram College for Women, Delhi University. Thus, her interest lies in writing about historical narratives as well as contemporary happenings and, of course, Bollywood gossip.