Rajadom of Sikkim

History

• The earliest recorded event in the history of Sikkim is the passage of the Buddhist saint (known as Padmasabhavana in Tibet) through the land in the eighth century. The Guru is reported to have blessed the land, introduced Buddhism to the country, and foretold the era of monarchy that would arrive centuries later.
• In the 14th century, according to legend, Guru Tashi, a Bhutia prince from the Minyak House in Wikipedia:KhamhaM in eastern Tibet, had a divine revelation one night instructing him to travel south to seek his fortunes. He traveled south with his five sons and settled down in the Chumbi Valley in Sikkim. His descendants were later to become the royal Chogyal family of Sikkim.
  • During their journey the family came across the Sakya Kingdom in which a monastery was being built at that time. The workers had not been successful in erecting pillars for the monastery. The elder son of Guru Tashi raised the pillar single handedly and thereby came to be known as Kheye Bumsa, meaning the superior of ten thousand heroes.
  • The Sakya king offered his daughter in marriage to Kheye Bumsa. When his father, died Kheye Bumsa settled in the Chumbi Valley and it was here that he established contacts in Gangtok with the Lepcha Chieftain Thekong Tek who ruled Sikkim south of the Chumbi Valley. Kheye Bumsa being childless went to Sikkim to seek the blessing of the priest king Thekong Tek. Not only was he blessed with three sons but Thekong Tek also prophesied that his successors would be the rulers of Sikkim. In due course the friendship resulted in a treaty between the two chieftains at a place called Kabi Longtsok. This treaty brought about new ties of brotherhood between the Lepchas and the Bhutias.
• Mipon Rab, the third son of Khye Bumsa, assumed the chieftainship after the death of his father. He had four sons and the four principal clans of Sikkim are said to have sprung from these four sons.
• The fourth son, Guru Tashi, succeeded Mipon Rab and moved to Gangtok. The Lepchas, after the death of Thekong Tek, had separated into minor clans who gradually turned to Guru Tashi for protection and leadership. Guru Tashi appointed Sambre, a Lepcha, as his chief adviser and lieutenant. Guru Tashi's rule marked the absorption of the foreign Bhutia ruling house into the native soil and also paved a way for a regular monarchy. This way Guru Tashi became the first ruler of Sikkim and was crowned as such. He was followed by Jowo Nagpo, Jowo Apha and Guru Tenzing, all of whom pursued a policy of amicable relations with the Lepchas.

• In 1642, the fifth-generation descendant of Guru Tashi, Phuntsog Namgyal, was consecrated as the first chogyal (“righteous ruler”) of Sikkim by the three virtuous lamas who had come from the north, west and south in search for the chosen person. Near present day Gangtok, at Norbugang near Yuksom in western Sikkim they found a man churning milk. He offered them some refreshments and gave them shelter. So impressed were they by his deeds that they realised that he was a chosen one and immediately crowned him king.
  • The crowning took place here on a stone slab on a pine covered hill, and he was anointed by sprinkling water from a sacred urn. This marked the beginning of the monarchy as had been predicted by Guru Rinpoche some eight hundred years before. He was given the name Namgyal (“victorious”). This historical gathering of the three virtuous lamas is called Yuksom, which means the 'Three Superior Ones'.
  • He was persuaded by the three lamas to seek recognition from the Dalai Lama of Tibet. The Dalai Lama recognized Phuntsok Namgyal as the ruler of the southern slopes of the Himalayas (Sikkim) and sent him the ceremonial presents of a silken scarf bearing the Dalai Lama's seal, the mitre of the Guru Rimpoche, the devil dagger (phurpa) and the most precious sand image of the Guru. Consequently, the newly established Bhutia principality of the Namgyal Dynasty was tied to Tibetan theocracy and he declared Mahayana Buddhism to be the state religion.
  • The chogyal, along with the three lamas converted the local Lepcha tribes to Buddhism and tactfully kept the Lepchas, Bhutias and Limbus together. He annexed the Chumbi Valley, the present-day Darjeeling district, and parts of eastern Nepal. The new chogyal divided his new kingdom into twelve dzongs (prefectures) and established his capital at Yuksom. At this time Sikkim’s territory included the Chumbi Valley in the north, up to Ha Dzong in Bhutan, as far as the Arun River in Nepal, and much of the Jalpaiguri District of West Bengal.
• In 1670, Phuntsog Namgyal was succeeded by his son, Tensung Namgyal, the second chogyal. The reign of the chogyal was peaceful and he moved the capital from Yuksom to Rabdentse, near Geyzing. He had three wives, a Bhutanese, a Tibetan, and a Limbu, and was succeeded by his son Chador Namgyal, borne by his second wife.
• In 1700, Chador Namgyal, seized the throne after his father’s death; he was a minor at the time. This outraged his elder half-sister Pendiongmu, daughter of the first wife, who ousted him with the help of the Bhutanese. Chador fled to Tibet where he remained in exile for ten years before returning and reclaiming his lost territory with the help of the Tibetans.
  • While in Lhasa, Chador Namgyal became very proficient in Buddhism and Tibetan literature, and became the state astrologer to Tsangyang Gyatso, the sixth Dalai Lama. Pleased with the erudition of Chador Namgyal, the Dalai Lama conferred on him exclusive rights to an estate in Tibet.
  • During this time, the son of Yugthing Yeshe (the minister who had saved Chador and taken him to Tibet) was imprisoned by the Bhutanese in Rabdentse. Tibet intervened and the Dalai Lama prevailed on King Umze Peljor of Bhutan to withdraw from Sikkim. Chakdor Namgyal then returned to Rebdantse. The small forces of Bhutan which remained were forced to withdraw in 1706, although Sikkim lost Kalimpong and all territories east of it to Bhutan because Bhutan had colonized the area.
  • Chakdor commanded that the second of every three sons of a Bhutia family must be ordained a monk of the Pemiongchi Monastery. He also adapted the religious dances (mystery plays) to keep alive the martial and native traditions and invented an alphabet for the Lepchas.
  • But Pendiongmu had not forgiven her half brother. With the help of a shaman from Tibet she had Chakdor murdered in 1716 by means of a blood letting from a main artery while the chogyal was on a holiday at the Ralang hot water springs. Immediately, the royal armed forces executed the Tibetan shaman and put Pendiogmu to death by strangling her with a silk scarf.
• In 1717, his son Gurmed Namgyal, the fourth chogyal, succeeded him. During his reign there were many skirmishes between the Nepalese and the Sikkimese, which prompted him to fortify Rabdentese. Since he did not have any legitimate children, on his death bed he said that a nun at the monastery of Sanga Cheoling was carrying his child (according to a story concocted by the lamas to continue the Namgyal Dynasty). Subsequently, the nun gave birth to a male child who was accepted as heir to Gurmed.
• In 1733, Phunstok Namgyal II, the fifth chogyal, the illegitimate child of Gurmed, succeeded his father. His father’s treasurer, Tamdang, not only opposed the succession but assumed the powers of the ruler and continued to rule Sikkim for three years despite the opposition by the pro-king faction. The Lepchas backed the baby king and fought the pretender under the leadership of Chandzod Karwang. Tamdang was defeated and fled to Tibet to seek guidance and help. But in order to keep Sikkim under their supervision, the Tibetan authorities favoured the minor king.
  • A convention representing all levels of the Sikkimese people was held which defined the functions, powers and responsibilities of the government. A system of annual taxation was also introduced to augment the state treasury.
  • The rise of the Gurkhas also posed a threat for Sikkim. During the later years of Phuntsok II they invaded Sikkim under the leadership of Raja Prithvi Narayan Shah of Nepal. Bhutan also invaded Sikkim and captured the land east of the river Tista. They later withdrew to the previous borders after negotiations at Rhenock. The Gurkhas were beaten back seventeen times. A peace treaty with Nepal was signed in 1775 and the Gurkhas promised to abstain from further attacks and collaboration with Bhutanese. Later, however, they violated the treaty and occupied western Sikkim. Phuntsok II had three queens; his successor son, Tenzing Namgyal, was born from his second queen in 1769.
• In 1780, Tenzing Namgyal, the sixth chogyal, succeeded his father. He was a weak ruler, and during his reign, Gurkha forces occupied large parts of Sikkim. They attacked Rabdentse and he had to flee to Tibet where he died. The Gurkha excursions emboldened them to penetrate even into Tibet. This led to Chinese intervention and Nepal was defeated. In the Sino-Nepal treaty, Sikkim lost some of its land to Nepal, but the monarchy was allowed to be restored in the country.
  • In 1791, China sent troops to support Sikkim and defend Tibet against the Gurkhas. Following Nepal's subsequent defeat, the Qing Dynasty established control over Sikkim.
• In 1793, Tenzing’s son Tshudpud Namgyal, the seventh chogyal, returned to Sikkim to reclaim the throne with the help of China. Rabdantse was now, considered too insecure because of its proximity to the Nepal border and Tshudphund Namgyal shifted the capital to a place called Tumlong.

The episode surrounding the sale of Darjeeling to the British East India Company in 1835 did not take place *there* so that Darjeeling remains a part of the Rajadom of Sikkim.

• In 1863, Sedkeong Namgyal, the eight chogyal, succeeded his father Tshudpud.
• In 1874, Thutob Namgyal, the ninth chogyal, succeeded his half-brother. In 1894, he moved the capital from Tumlong to Gangtok, building a new palace and government buildings.
• In 1914, Sedkegong Tukul Namgyal, the tenth chogyal, succeeded his father. He only reigned eleven months, from February 10th to December 5th, dying of heart failure.
• In 1914, Tashi Namgyal, the eleventh chogyal, succeeded his half-brother. He was crowned by the 13th Dalai Lama. He died in 1963.
• In 1965, Palden Thondup Namgyal, the twelfth chogyal, succeeded his father. The coronation was delayed for two years after his father’s death in order to find an auspicious date.

In 1982, Wangchuk Namgyal, the 13th chogyal, his father’s second son, succeeded to the throne. His elder brother Tenzing had been killed in a road accident.

Toponymy

The most widely accepted origin of the name Sikkim is that it is a combination of two words in the Limbu language, su, meaning "new", and khyim, meaning "palace" or "house". This refers to the palace built by the rajadom's first ruler, Phuntsog Namgyal. The name for Sikkim in Tibetan is Denjong, which means the "valley of rice". The name in Lepcha is Nye-mae-el, meaning "paradise", and in Bhutia it is Beymul Demazong, meaning "hidden valley of rice".

Government

• Sikkim is a constitutional hereditary monarchy. The monarch is known as a raja, and the monarchy as a rajadom.
• Sikkim has eight dzongs, or prefectures, (the smallest adminstrative unit), each overseen by an elected official, the dzongpo, who is in charge of the administration of the prefecture. There are seven towns and numerous villages.
• The eight districts are Darjeeling, Gangtok, Geyzing, Kalimpang, Karsiyang, Mangan, Namachi, and Siliguri. These prefectures are named after the town which is the administrative center of the prefecture.
• Sikkim has a unicameral legislature.

The Namgyal Rajas of Sikkim

1642	Phuntsop Namgyal	The 1st chogyal of Sikkim
1670	Tensung Namgyal, succeeded his father	The 2nd chogyal of Sikkim
1700	Chakdor Namgyal, succeeded his father	The 3rd chogyal of Sikkim
1717	Gurmed Namgyal, succeeded his father	The 4th chogyal of Sikkim
1733	Phunstok Namgyal II, succeeded his father	The 5th chogyal of Sikkim
1780	Tensing Namgyal, succeeded his father	The 6th chogyal of Sikkim
1793	Tshudpud Namgyal, succeeded his father	The 7th chogyal of Sikkim
1863	Sedkeong Namgyal, succeeded his father	The 8th chogyal of Sikkim
1874	Thutob Namgyal, succeeded his half-brother	The 9th chogyal of Sikkim
1914	Sedkegong Tukul Namgyal, succeeded his father	The 10th chogyal of Sikkim
1914	Tashi Namgyal, succeeded his half-brother	The 11th chogyal of Sikkim
1965	Palden Thondup Namgyal, succeeded his father	The 12th chogyal of Sikkim
1982	Wangchuk Namgyal, succeeded his father	The 13th chogyal of Sikkim

Geography

• The rajadom is characterized by mountainous terrain in the northern four prefectures. Elevations range from 280 metres (920 ft) to 8,585 metres (28,000 ft). Kangchenjunga, the world's third-highest peak, is located on the border of Sikkim with Nepal. For the most part, the land is unfit for agriculture because of the precipitous and rocky slopes. However, certain hill slopes have been converted into farm lands using terrace farming techniques.
• Nepal lies in the Eastern Himalayan alpine shrub and meadows, an area of 121,300 square kilometres (46,800 sq mi), extending along the north and south faces of the Himalaya Range from the Kali Gandaki Gorge in Lo eastwards through Tibet, Sikkim, Bhutan, and on into India's Arunachal Pradesh state, and northernmost Myanmar.
• The alpine shrub and meadows lie between approximately 4,000 and 5,500 metres (13,000 and 18,000 ft) elevation. Permanent ice and snow lie above 5,500 metres (18,000 ft). The Eastern Himalayan subalpine conifer forests lie below 3,000 metres (9,800 ft) along the southern slopes of the range, from Lo to Bhutan.
• The Tista River, known as the "lifeline of Sikkim", originates at Cholamo Lake, the most sacred lake in Tibet, at an altitude of 5,330 m. The river is then fed by numerous snow-fed streams which have carved out river valleys in the west and south of the rajadom. The river then flows past the village of Rangpo where it forms part of the the border between ??? and ???. At Kalimpong the river is met by its main tributary, the Rangit River. At this point, it changes course southwards flowing entirely into Bangal. The river meets the plains at Sevok and finally merges with the mighty Brahmaputra.
• About a third of the land is heavily forested. The Himalayan ranges surround the northern, eastern and western borders of Sikkim in a crescent. The Lower Himalayas in the southern reaches of the rajadom are the most densely populated. The rajadom has 28 mountain peaks, more than 80 glaciers, a number of hot springs, and more than 100 rivers and streams. Eight mountain passes connect the rajadom to Tibet, Bhutan and Nepal.
• Sikkim's hot springs are known for medicinal and therapeutic values. They have a high sulphur content and are located near river banks. Some also emit hydrogen. The average temperature of the water in these hot springs is 50°C (122°F).

Borders

Sikkim is bordered by on the:

North: Tibet
East: Tibet, Bhutan, Bangal
South: Bangal
West: Bangal, Nepal.

The episode surrounding the sale of Darjeeling to the British East India Company in 1835 did not take place *there* so that Darjeeling remains a part of the Rajahdom of Sikkim. Thus, the rajadom is contiguous with *here's* Indian state of Sikkim and the Darjeeling District of the State of West Bengal.

Climate

The climate ranges from sub-tropical in the south to tundra in the northern parts. The tundra-type region in the north is covered with snow for four months a year though the temperature drops below 0°C (32°F) almost every night. The peaks of north-western Sikkim are perpetually frozen. Most of the inhabited regions of Sikkim, however, have a temperate climate, with the temperatures seldom exceeding 28°C (82°F) in summer or dropping below 0°C (32°F) in winter. The mean monthly temperature in summer is 15°C. The rajadom has five seasons: winter, summer, spring, and autumn, and a monsoon season between June and September. The average annual temperature for most of Sikkim is around 18°C (64°F). Sikkim receives regular snowfall. The snow line ranges from 20,000 ft in the north to 16,000 ft in the south. During the monsoon, heavy rains increase the possibility of landslides. The record for the longest period of continuous rain is 11 days. In the northern region, because of the high altitude, temperatures drop below −40°C (−40°F) in winter. Fog also affects many parts of the rajadom during winter and the monsoons, making transportation perilous.

Culture

• The Sikkimese celebrate all the major Hindu festivals such as Diwali and Dussera. Nepali festivals like Tihar and Bhimsen Puja are common. Losar, Loosong, Saga Dawa, Lhabab the Duechen, Drupka Teshi and Bhumchu are Buddhist festivals.
• Indigenous Nepali and Lepcha music are popular.
• Common sports in Sikkim are soccer and cricket.
• Noodle-based dishes such as thukpa, thanthuk, fakthu, gyathuk and wonton are common in Sikkim. Momos, steamed dumplings filled with vegetables, buff (buffalo meat), or pork, and served with a soup, are a popular snack. Beer, whiskey, rum and brandy are widely consumed.

National symbols

• National mammal 1: red panda (Ailurus fulgens)
• National mammal 2: Himalayan tahr (Hemitragus jemlahicus)
• National bird: blood pheasant (Ithaginis cruentus)
• National fish:
• National reptile: Indian flap-shelled turtle (Lissemys puntata)
• National flower: noble orchid (Cymbidium goeringii)
• National tree: rhododendron (Rhododendron niveum)
• National language: Sikkimese
• National flag:
• National emblem:
• National anthem:
• National sport: khuru (darts)
• National dress:
  • Lepcha men
    • thokro, togo, gyodo
  • Lepcha women
    • dumbon, togo
  • Bhutia men
    • fo-kho,kerak, yentatsi, jaja, thuriskomba, shotsi
  • Bhutia women
    • mo-kho, pangden, hanju, sampo, tsering kengyapk shombu
• National dance: Be Yu Mista
• National instrument: tungna

Public Holidays

Dates in bold print are approximate, based on the lunar calendar.

• January 2 - Winter solstice
• February 21 - The King's Birthday
• February 14 - Losar
• May 27 - The Buddha's Parinirvana
• June 21 - Guru Rinpoche's Birthday
• September 23 - Thri-bab (Blessed Rainy Day)
• October 17 - Dashain
• November 6 - The King's Coronation
• December 17 - King Ugyen Wangchuk's coronation

Economy

• Sikkim's economy is largely agrarian. The British introduced terraced farming of rice. Additional crops include maize, millet, wheat, barley, oranges, tea and cardamom. Sikkim has the highest production of and the largest area dedicated to cardamom in south Asia.
• Because of the hilly terrain, and the lack of a reliable transportation infrastructure, there are no large-scale industries. Brewing, distilleries, tanning reaches of the rajadom, primarily in the villages of Melli and Jorethang.
• Sikkim is a popular tourist destination owing to its culture, scenic beauty and biodiversity. In recent years, the government of Sikkim has extensively promoted tourism. As a result, the rajadom revenue has increased 14 times since the mid-1990s. There is excellent white water rafting on the Tista River. Trekking through the mountains and mountain climbing have proved to be popular.
• A fledgling industry the rajadom has recently invested in is gambling. A casino was opened in March of 2009, the Casino Sikkim. Seven further casino licences are being considered by the government. A national lottery has been a commercial success and operates all over the country.
• Among the minerals mined in Sikkim are copper, dolomite, talc, graphite, quartzite, coal, zinc and lead.
• The opening of the Nathula Pass on July 6, 2006, connecting Lhasa, Tibet, to Bangal is expected to give a boost to the local economy, though the financial benefits will be slow to arrive. The pass was an extension to the south of the ancient Silk Road, which was essential to the wool, fur and spice trade.

Demographics

• The native Sikkimese consist of the Bhutias who migrated from the Kham district of Tibet in the 14th century and the Lepchas who are believed to have migrated from the Far East. A large minority of Sikkim's residents are of Nepali origin who arrived in the 19th century. These have settled mainly in the three southern prefectures that border on Nepal (Darjeeling, Karsiyang, and Siliguri). Tibetans, mainly refugees, reside mainly in the northern Prefecture of Mangan. Immigrant resident communities also include Bengalis who own most of the shops in southern Sikkim and Gangtok.
• Buddhism is the major religion in and the state religion of the rajadom. The particular expression is Vajrayana Buddhism of the Nyingma and Kagya traditions. It is practiced by all but the Nepalis who are Hindus. Sikkim has 75 Buddhist monasteries, the oldest dating back to the 1700s. Many of the Lepcha people are Christians, converted by British missionaries in the late 19th century.
• The people of Sikkim are mainly Bhutia, Lepcha, and Limbu. These are the official languages. Many Nepali live in the Darjeeling District. Their language has become a lingua franca in the rajadom.
• The population density is low, only 76 persons per square kilometre.
• Its growth rate is 32.98%.
• The sex ratio is 875 females to 1000 males.
• The urban population in Sikkim is 13%.
• The per capita income stands at Rs. 11,356, one of the highest in the Confederacy

Infrastructure

• Sikkim receives most of its electricity from 19 hydroelectric power stations. It has achieved 100% rural electrification.
• The rajadom government has promoted biogas and solar power for cooking but these have received a poor response and are used mostly for lighting purposes.
• 71% of the total households have access to safe drinking water and the large number of streams assures sufficient water supply.

Education

• Literacy in Sikkim is 69.68%, which breaks down into 76.73% for males and 61.46% for females.
• There are a total of 1157 schools, including 765 schools run by the rajadom government, 7 central government schools and 385 private schools.
• Twelve colleges and other institutions in Sikkim offer higher education. The largest institution is the Sikkim Manipal University of Technological Sciences, which offers higher education in engineering, medicine and management.
• It also runs a host of distance education programs in several fields.
• There are two state-run polytechnical schools which offer diploma courses in various branches of engineering.
• Many students, however, migrate to Kolkata, Bangalore and other Bangali cities for their higher education.

Flora and fauna

• Flora
  • The forested regions of the rajadom exhibit a diverse range of flora and fauna. Owing to its altitudinal gradation, the rajadom has a wide variety of plants, from tropical to temperate to alpine and tundra. It is perhaps one of the few regions of the world to exhibit such a diversity within such a small area. Nearly 81% of the area of Sikkim comes under the administration of its forest department. The flora of Sikkim include the rhododendronwith a wide range of species occurring from subtropical to alpine regions.
  • In the Himalayan subtropical broadleaf forests of the lower altitudes of Sikkim, grow orchids, figs, laurel, bananas, sal trees and bamboo.
  • The Himalayan subtropical pine forests are dominated by Chir pine. In the lower elevations are found juniper, pine, firs, cypresses and rhododendrons. Higher up are Eastern Himalayan alpine shrub and meadows, home to a broad variety of rhododendrons and wildflowers.
  • In the temperate elevations above 1500 ft there are eastern Himalayan broadleaf forests where oaks, chestnuts, maples, birches, alders, and magnolias grow in large numbers.
  • The alpine vegetation is typically found between an altitude of 3,500 to 5,000 ft.
  • Sikkim has around 5,000 flowering plants, 515 rare orchids, 60 primula species, 36 rhododendron species, 11 oak species, 23 bamboo species, 16 conifer species, 362 species of ferns and their allies, eight tree ferns, and over 424 medicinal plants. A variant of the poinsettia, locally known as the "Christmas Flower", can be found in abundance in the mountainous rajadom. The orchid Dendrobium nobile is the national flower of Sikkim.

• Fauna
  • The fauna include the snow leopard, the musk deer, the bhoral, the Himalayan tahr, the red panda, the Himalayan marmot, the serow, the goral, the barking deer, the common langur, the Himalayan black bear, the clouded leopard the marbled cat, the leopard cat, the wild dog, the Tibetan wolf, the hog badger, the binturong, the jungle cat and the civet. Among the animals more commonly found in the alpine zone are yaks, reared mainly for their milk and meat and for use as a beast of burden.
  • The avifauna of Sikkim consist of the Impeyan pheasant, the crimson horned pheasant, the snow partridge, the snow cock, the lammergeyer and griffon vulture, as well as golden eagles, quail, plovers, woodcock, sandpipers, pigeons, Old World flycatchers, Old World babbler, and robins. Sikkim has more than 550 species of birds, some of which have been declared endangered.
  • Sikkim also has a rich diversity of arthropods, many of which remain unstudied. Of approximately 1,438 butterfly species found in the Indian subcontinent, 695 have been recorded from Sikkim. These include the endangered kaiser-i-hind, the yellow gorgon and the Bhutan glory.