How Did Sikkim Become an Indian State?

Many of us are unaware of how Sikkim was not always a part of India, though of the Indian subcontinent but it was an independent monarchy.

The history of Sikkim is quite interesting. A lot many countries have had their eyes on this nation throughout history.

Let us go back to trace a timeline through history to find out how Sikkim ultimately became a part of India.

Legend has it that the 14th-century prince from the Minyak House in Kham in eastern Tibet, Khye Bumsa had a dream in which it was revealed to him that travelling south would give him fortunes. His fifth-generation descendant, Phuntsog Namgyal, went ahead to make an attempt on his ancestor’s dreams and established a monarchy in Sikkim in 1642.

Phuntsog’s successor Tensung Namgyal shifted the capital to Rabdentse (near modern-day Pelling). In 1700, the Bhutanese invaded Sikkim with the help of Tensung’s half-sister Chogyal, as revenge since she had been denied the throne. The Tibetans defeated the Bhutanese and restored the throne to Chogyal 10 years later.

During 1717-1733, Sikkim faced multiple attacks from Nepalese in the west and Bhutanese in the east. The capital was destroyed. In 1791, China sent troops to help the people of Sikkim to defend Tibet against the Gorkha Kingdom. When the people of Gorkha were defeated, the Chinese Qing dynasty took over control of Sikkim.

The British had formed an alliance with Sikkim during the Gorkha war to help keep their common adversary Nepal away. Gradually, ties between Sikkim and Britain grew weaker. They decided to annex the Darjeeling district and Morang to British India in 1853.

Sikkim, over time, became a princely state under the rule of the British Empire. When India gained independence in 1947, Sikkim was offered suzerainty by the Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru. A treaty was signed which meant that in exchange for the independence of Sikkim, India would control its external affairs, defence, diplomacy and communications.

The Sikkim Praja Mandal formed by Lhendup Dorjee was formed. Dorjee was promised by Pandit Nehru in 1954 assistance for progress and economic welfare of Sikkimese people and also support towards political reform in Sikkim.

In the Indo-China war of 1962, China claimed Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim as parts of Tibet. Even though India lost the war, international pressure made China give up those territories from being occupied by them.

The formation of the Sikkim National Congress (SNC) with the combination of all regional parties had its aim to assure Sikkim to be a part of India. They represented all ethnic groups to oppose monarchy. There was a new kind of political tension in Sikkim after the death of the king Tashi Namgyal.

The new King Palden Thondup Namgyal had married Hope Cooke, a socialite from New York who dreamed to be the Queen. She began speaking of Sikkimese independence. There was a power struggle between her and Elisa-Maria Standford, Lhendup Dorjee’s Belgian wife. It was all in the midst of the Cold War. This power struggle between the monarchy and SNC through the women ended when Hope Cooke left after her marriage with the king broke down.

SNC demanded representation of themselves. India’s assistance to Bangladesh’s independence painted them in a favourable picture while King Thondup Namgyal was highly unpopular amongst the masses. Riots began occurring in front of the palace and India was requested formally for protection.

In 1975, Indian Army disarmed the Chogyal’s palace guards. A referendum was held where 97.5% of people were in support of abolishing the monarchy. Finally, on 16 May 1975, Sikkim became the 22nd state of the Indian Union with Dorjee as its Chief Minister.