The Namgyals of Sikkim

The North-East Indian State of Sikkim was once known as Denzong, which means the Valley of Rice. In the Seventeenth Century, a Tibetan Buddhist Monk called Lama Letsun Chembo left his homeland and arrived in Denzong. He, a Monk of the Red Hat Sect, had wearied of the rifts that had developed between the Red Hat Sect and the other Yellow Hat Sect of Tibetan Buddhism, and hoped to find a better life in Denzong. He reached Norbugang in Denzong and here he met two other monks, Sempa Chembo and Rinzing Chembo. It was a meeting of like-minded souls and together they decided to embark on a mission of unitinbg the various clans of Denzong into one single monarchy - a Buddhist Monarchy, of course. The place where they met and made this decision has ever since been known as ‘Yuksum’, or the meeting place of the three superior ones. Eventually, of course, their mission was successful and Phunstok Namgyal from Gangtok, the first of the Namgyal Dynasty, became the first King of Denzong in 1642. His capital was established at Yuksum and he was given the title of 'Chogyal' or the King who rules with righteousness.

As it turned out the three monks had chosen the right man. Phunstok Namgyal proved to be a very capable King and under his rule Denzong extended its borders to include the Chumbi Valley, Darjeeling, and parts of Nepal and Bhutan. Due to these new acquisitions, Denzong now came to be known as Sikkim or New House. Phunstok Namgyal brought about internal peace within his New House by successfully persuading the independent Lepcha people to convert to Buddhism.

In 1670 Phunstok Namgyal 's son Tensung NamgyaL succeeded him and moved the capital from Yuksum to Rabdanste. He in turn, in 1700, was succeeded by his son Chakdor Namgyal.

Chogyal Chakdor Namgyal's reign was remarkable for his artistic personality and his murder at the hands of his ambitious half-sister Pendeogmu. A person more interested in choreographing Lama Chaam Dances (some that are still performed during the Phang Labsol Festival) than in State affairs, Chakdor Namgyal apparently had little or no idea about political intrigues and moreover suffered from ill-health. He was killed by hired assailants while taking a hot spring cure.

After his father was murdered and his aunt subsequently strangled in punishment, Gyurmed Namgyal came to the throne in 1717. He fortunately seems to have had a less eventful reign and was succeeded by his son Phunstok in 1733.

During the second Phunstok Namgyal's rule, Nepal and Bhutan tried to recover their former territories and so the Sikkimese Forces were kept busy thwarting their attacks. However the next Chogyal Tenzing Namgyal, who succeeded his father Phunstok Namgyal in 1780, was unable to defend his country from the Nepalis. They occupied large portions of Sikkim, including the capital Rabdanste, and the Chogyal had to flee to Lhasa in Tibet. Here, unfortunately, he died.

In 1793, his son Tsudphud Namgyal was able to return to Sikkim for his coronation and he moved his capital from the ravaged Rabdanste to Tumlong.

Later, in 1814, when a two year war broke out between Nepal and British India, Sikkim was quick to back the latter and was rewarded, after the defeat of Nepal, with the return of those territories seized by the Nepalis. This treaty with the British, known as the Treaty of Titalia, which came about in 1817, was to, however, have unfortunate consequences for the Sikkimese. The British, once they had anyone under their obligation, were always quick to put on the pressure, and they did the same thing over here. They decided they wanted Darjeeling and the Chogyal was forced to lease the district to them at a very nominal rate. Later Darjeeling was simply incorporated into British India. The British also began building roads and bringing about development in Sikkim - not a bad thing, of course, but the main idea here was to gain access to the neighboring Tibet.

The Tibetans, sensing this, moved into Sikkim, taking over Lingtu near Jelepla Pass in 1886, and two years later, in May 1888, unsuccessfully attacked Gnathang below Jelepla. Four months later, in September, the British managed to dislodge them from Lingtu as well, and the following year, in 1889, considered it 'advisable' to appoint a Political Officer to look after Sikkim's affairs, since the Chogyal so obviously wasn't up to the task. The man they appointed was Claude White and he brought about some remarkable and much-needed improvements in Sikkim.

The Chogyal, however, found himself deferring to Claude White for almost everything. This was Chogyal Thutob Namgyal, who around this time - with Claude White's approval no doubt - shifted the capital from Tumlong to Gangtok. Thutob Namgyal was the half-brother of the previous Chogyal Sidekong Namgyal who came on the throne in 1863 after Tsudphud Namgyal and died childless in 1874.

Meanwhile the Tibetans, especially with Russian help, were getting to be a bother and to teach them a lesson once and for all, a British Officer called Colonel Younghusband led an expedition to Lhasa, taking a treacherous route through the Jelepla Pass. The Tibetans resisted fiercely, but were defeated and had to sign a Treaty by which the British received the monopoly for conducting trade with Tibet.

There were three more Chogyals after Thutob Namgyal - his son Sidekong Talki, who came on the throne in 1914 and died that same year, his half-brother and successor Tashi Namgyal, who died in 1963, and his son Palden Thondup Namgyal.

Palden Thondup Namgyal was the last Chogyal. In the nineteen-seventies, there was a widespread demand for democracy and Sikkim changed status from a Protectorate to an Associate State.

References :

The Indian Institute of Tibetology, Gangtok.

Sikkim, Darjeeling, Bhutan - a Guide and Handbook, by Rajesh Verma, Published by NBC Press International, March 2004.