One of the most picturesque places in India is Darjeeling, which is situated at an elevation of roughly 6710 feet. The Tibetan words “Dorje,” which means thunderbolt (and was originally Indra’s sceptre), and “Ling,” which means land, are the basis of the name Darjeeling. Darjeeling’s name translates to “the land of thunderbolt.”
The history of the Darjeeling Hills, Terai, and Dooars reveals that this area was never a part of mainland India, but rather a fiercely fought territory between the three traditional kingdoms of Sikkim, Bhutan, Tibet, and Nepal. Before the British arrived, indigenous clans including the Limbus, Lepchas, Rajbanshis, Rai, Mangar, and many others called this place home. Even though Darjeeling was initially a part of Sikkim, the fact that it joined India far earlier than Sikkim can be perplexing.
In 1975, Sikkim was integrated into Indian territory. Up until that point, the Namgyal Dynasty was in charge of this sovereign monarchy. Previously, the king was referred to as Chogyal. Sikkim was a convenient alternative for the Nepalese Gorkha Dynasty when it sought to expand its realm. To further their development, the Gorkha army often invaded Kumaon, Garhwal, and Sikkim. Chogyal had to flee to Tibet when Gorkha conquered Sikkim in the eighteenth century. However, Nepal was defeated in the Anglo-Nepalese War of 1814.
The Treaty of Sugauli was signed in 1816, and Nepal was bound to offer the British East India Company sovereignty over Kumaon, Garhwal, and Sikkim. The East India Company was required to return to Sikkim all the areas that Nepal had conquered under the Treaty of Titalia, which was signed in 1817 between the British and Sikkim. At this point, the East India Company began to show interest in the Darjeeling Hills, which at the time were a part of Sikkim.
British settlers began to take notice of Darjeeling at the beginning of the 19th century because they needed to get away from the summertime heat of the Indian plains, and Darjeeling’s climate would provide the ideal respite. The company’s main objective was to transform Darjeeling into the ideal vacation spot.
Ten years following the ratification of the Treaty of Titalia, border disputes between Sikkim and Nepal broke out, with “Antu Dara” serving as the main trigger. Lord William Bentick, the British Governor General, dispatched Captain George Lloyd and J.W. Grant to Sikkim to settle the problems. The two officers spent roughly six days in Darjeeling and fell in love with the atmosphere. Back then, the place was referred to as the “Old Gorkha Station of Darjeeling.” The location wasn’t anything like it is now. It was a desolate area with mountains and dense woods. The two officers informed Lord William Bentick about Darjeeling’s idea to build a sanatorium at this lovely hill location in 1829.
The Chogyal of Sikkim agreed to transfer Darjeeling to the East India Company on a lease through a deed that was written in 1835 by the company. Because the deed was written in Lepcha, which he did not understand, Chogyal Tsugphud Namgyal signed it without fully reading or comprehending the clauses. Darjeeling was given to the company for a six-thousand-rupee annual lease. The Company acquired the hill of Darjeeling that they desired, but they were unable to move around without a permit from Sikkim because the hill was landlocked between Sikkim and all roads leading to Darjeeling would have to pass via Sikkim’s territory.
In 1839, Dr Archibald Campbell, a British resident in Nepal and Superintendent of Darjeeling, was appointed head of the Darjeeling Administration and given responsibility for managing relations with Sikkim on a political level. Between 1839 and 1849, when he was in charge, Darjeeling’s population increased from 100 to 10,000. During these ten years, roads were built, peace and order were upheld, and bonded slavery in Darjeeling was abolished.
There were disputes between Sikkim and the East India Company when development in Darjeeling began. According to one of our sources, the growth of Darjeeling caused losses for a prominent business community in Sikkim led by Dewan Namguay. At the time, Dewan Namguay was engaged in monopolistic trading. Business in Sikkim became increasingly challenging as bonded workers from Sikkim also began to migrate in great numbers to Darjeeling to live a free life under British rule.
Dr Archibald Campbell and botanist Joseph Dalton Hooker visited Sikkim in 1849 but were detained. Sikkim put out several demands to the East India Company in exchange for their freedom, but the company ignored them. On December 24, 1849, both were released.
However, there is more to this story. The company wanted a different route because any alignment of transit to Darjeeling, as was previously mentioned, had to go through Sikkim. To do this, they sent Dr Campbell and Joseph Hooker to measure the lengths and widths of Sikkim. However, they were both detained because they were travelling without a visa.
Joseph Hooker, Dr Campbell, and the East India Company all refused to acknowledge that they were travelling without a permit and in violation of the law. After nearly 130 years, a Lepcha script was discovered in 1980, and it was initially thought that this might be the permit that Hooker had mentioned. However, after being sent to Professor R.K. Sprigg in Kalimpong for verification, it was discovered that the script was simply the daily expense list of Hooker, which had been written by one of his Lepcha servants.
Note: The writing on the photograph reads: “General View, Darjeeling, 1912.”
Although the two studies differ slightly, there is no question that Hooker and Campbell were detained. The East India Company had justification to invade Sikkim after this arrest, and they went on to seize several parts of south Sikkim. Following the invasion, the yearly lease payment of 6,000 rupees was halted, and Darjeeling eventually joined the East India Company.
By that time, Darjeeling had evolved into much more than a simple vacation destination. Tea plantations and tourism began to prosper, and Darjeeling began to show its value in a variety of ways.
The relationship between Sikkim and the East India Company further deteriorated when the Chogyal of Sikkim gave over control of his administration to Dewan Namguay. The British employees were abducted and sold as slaves in Sikkim. The British invaded Sikkim once more after talks and negotiations failed to settle the differences.
With 2600 soldiers, Sir Ashley Eden and Colonel Gawler raided Tumlong, the capital of Sikkim, in 1861, and Dewan Namguay left the state. With the signing of the Treaty of Tumlong, British diplomats and Chogyal’s son put an end to all cross-border disputes. Darjeeling joined the East India Company in full after the Tumlong Treaty and later became part of independent India. The Darjeeling Himalayan Railways were established in 1881, providing a practical means of connecting the hills and the plains.
Watch the exclusive summary of the History of Darjeeling in Hindi:
