SIKKIM AND ITS HISTORICAL BACKGROUND AND POLITICAL DEVELOPMENTS

SIKKIM AND ITS HISTORICAL BACKGROUND AND 

POLITICAL DEVELOPMENTS

Sikkim is a small hilly state situated in the Eastern Himalayas. It is a basin surrounded on three sides by steep mountain walls. It extends for approximately 114 km from north to south and 64km from east to west. The state is a part of the inner ranges of the Himalayas and as such it has no open valley or plains. Within a distance of 80 km, the elevation rises from 200 metres in the Teesta river valley to 8598 metres at Kanchenjunga, India’s highest peak and the world’s third highest. The 31 km long Zemu glacier lies on the western side of the peak. Besides the Kanchenjunga, other major Peaks in the state include Jongsang (7459m), Tent Peak (7365m), Pauhunri (7125m), Sinioulchu (6887m), Pandim (6691m), Rathong (6679m),Talung (6147m) and Koktang (6147m). The Singalila range forms the barrier between Sikkim and Nepal in the west, while the Dongkya range is at the border with China on the east. There are many passes across this range that allow access to the Chumbi Valley.

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND 

The early history of Sikkim starts in the 13th century with the signing of a blood-brotherhood treaty between the Lepcha Chief Thekong Tek and Tibetan prince Khye-Bumsa at Kabi Lungtsok in North Sikkim. This follows the historical visit of three revered Lamas to Yuksam in 1641 in West Sikkim where they consecrated Phuntsog Namgyal, a sixth generation descendent of Khye-Humsa as the first Chogyal of Sikkim, thus heralding the beginning of the Namgyal dynasty in Sikkim. With the march of history, events in Sikkim saw the State pass through the process of democratisation and become an integral part of the Indian Union in 1975. Guru Padmasambhava blessed Sikkim enroute to Tibet.

POLITICAL DEVELSOPMENT

 1642 - A young man named Phuntsok (later named Namgyal) was crowned the king; he was endowed with the title of  Chogyal or religious king. The Namgyal dynasty ruled over Sikkim as hereditary rulers for about 332 years.

 1670 - Phuntsok Namgyal’s son, Tensung Namgyal, succeeded his father, moved the capital to Rabdentse. Tensung’s son,   Chador Namgyal made his mark as a scholar of Buddhist learning and Tibetan iiterature. He even became a state astrologer to the sixth Dalai Lama.

 1775 - A peace treaty was signed, whereby Gurkhas promised to refrain from attacks and also stay away from collaborating with the Bhutanese. 􀂙 1814-16 - The British defeated Nepalese forces in the Anglo-Nepalese War.

 1817 - British India signed the Treaty of Titalia with Sikkim.

 1835 - Sikkim gifted Darjeeling to British India

 15 May, 1975 - Sikkim became the 22nd state of the Indian Union.