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{{Use Indian English|date=September 2016}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2016}}
[[File:Gururinpochen.jpg|thumb|240px| Statue of [[Guru Rinpoche]]]]

The '''history of Sikkim''' begins with the indigenous [[Lepcha people|Lepcha's]] contact with early [[Tibetan people|Tibetan settlers]].<ref>
{{Cite web |url=https://www.academia.edu/30464639 |title=Locating society, economy and polity in Pre monarchical Sikkim |author=Jigme Wangchuk Bhutia |access-date=24 December 2021}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=iY4bVR9--XAC&dq=blood+brotherhood+halfdan+sieger&pg=PA6 |title=History, Culture and Customs of Sikkim |isbn=9788121209649 |last1=Subba |first1=J. R. |year=2008|publisher=Gyan Publishing House }}</ref> Historically, [[Sikkim]] was a sovereign [[Monarchy|monarchical]] State in the eastern [[Himalayas]]. Later a protectorate of India followed by a merger with India and official recognition as a state of India. Lepchas were the main inhabitants as well as the Rulers of the land up to 1641.<ref>{{Cite web| title=Sikkim - contents | url=https://www.censusindia.gov.in/2011-documents/lsi/lsi_sikkim/2Sikkim%20pg-i-xvii%20pg-1-23.pdf | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111026165318/http://www.censusindia.gov.in/2011-documents/lsi/lsi_sikkim/2Sikkim%20pg-i-xvii%20pg-1-23.pdf | archive-date=2011-10-26}}</ref> Lepchas are generally considered to be the first people, Indigenous to Sikkim.

The establishment of the Buddhist kingdom under the [[Chogyal]] in the 17th century was followed by [[British rule]] in Sikkim and thereafter inclusion in India as an official state of the nation post- independence. [[Sikkim]] emerged as a polity in its own right against a backdrop of incursions from Tibet and Bhutan, during which the kingdom enjoyed varying degrees of independence. In the early 18th century, the [[British Empire]] sought to establish trade routes with [[Tibet]], leading Sikkim to fall under [[British India|British suzerainty]] until independence in 1947. Initially, Sikkim remained an independent country, until it [[1975 Sikkimese monarchy referendum|merged with India]] in 1975. Many provisions of the [[Constitution of India|Indian constitution]] had to be altered to accommodate the international treaties and treaties between Sikkim and India.

==Ancient history==

===Vedic era: Kirata people ===

According to [[mahabharta]], the [[Kirata|Kirati people]] are ancient tribes of Sikkim.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.repository.cam.ac.uk/bitstream/id/637247//|title=Bulletin of Tibetology seminar Volume 1995}}Sikkim Research Institute of Tibetology Gangtok, Sikkim
India</ref> According to the [[Hindu texts]], Lord [[Shiva]] is said to have appeared in the form of hunter ''Kirateshwar'' or ''Lord of the Kiratas'' to [[Arjuna]] in the very spot where the ancient [[Kirateshwar Mahadev Temple|Kirateshwar temple]] lies in [[Legship]], [[West Sikkim district|West Sikkim]].<ref>
{{Cite book |title=Society and Economy of Sikkim Under Namgyal Rulers (1640–1890) |year=2014 |last=Gautam |first=Keshav |pages=10–11 }}
</ref><ref>
{{cite web |url=https://www.onlinetemple.com/pages/kirateshwar-mahadev-temple |title=Kirateshwar Mahadev Temple |access-date=8 August 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170809211025/https://www.onlinetemple.com/pages/kirateshwar-mahadev-temple |archive-date=9 August 2017 }}
</ref> Dr A. C. Singh (1983) stated that "Sikkim is known as the home of the Kirati tribesmen from the pre-historic times".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://14.139.206.50:8080/jspui/bitstream/1/4203/1/Population%20of%20sikkim%20a%20geographical%20analysis.pdf|title=Population of Sikkim: A Geographical Analysis}}</ref> When the Kirat king [[Yalambar]] captured outer [[Nepal]] in 1,500 B.C his kingdom extended from the river [[Trishuli River|Trisuli]] in the west to the river [[Teesta River|Teesta]] in the east.{{sfn|Chemjong|2014|loc=chapter 1, The term 'Kirat' and its origin}}<ref name="KRUK">
Kirat Yoyakhha {{cite web |url=http://www.kryuk.org/history.html |title=History of Kirat |access-date=January 26, 2017 |url-status=unfit |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160130004734/http://kryuk.org/history.html |archive-date=30 January 2016}}</ref>

===6th-13th century CE: Lepcha migration and battles with Kirats ===

By the 6th century the [[Lepcha people|Lepchas]] occupied the Lapchan area of [[Nepal]] (present [[Ilam, Nepal|Ilam]] region), present [[Sikkim]], ''Har Chu Valley'' and ''Ammo Chu Valley'' (present South Western [[Bhutan]]) and most of Eastern part of Greater Sikkim up to the [[Chumbi Valley]]. Meanwhile, the [[Limbu people|Limbu]] inhabited the Western part of Greater Sikkim (present [[Limbuwan]] region).{{citation needed|date=June 2020}} A part of Limbuwan is still retained in present [[Sikkim]] in the [[West Sikkim district|West district]], [[South Sikkim district|South district]] and a part of [[North Sikkim district|North district]].<ref>
{{cite book |title=Sikkim: Geographical Perspectives |first=Maitreyee |last=Choudhury |publisher=Mittal Publications |year=2006 |pages=25–28 |isbn=81-8324-158-1 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=W9EwNfXkxZwC }}
</ref> The Lepchas spoke the [[Himalayish]] language [[Lepcha language|Lepcha]], and were believers of ''Boongthism'' and ''Munism'' or [[Animism]] by faith. The Limbus spoke the [[Limbu language]] and were believers of Yumaism or [[Yuma Sammang]], a form of [[Kirat Mundhum]].{{citation needed|date=June 2020}}

In the 7th century, Thekung Adek consolidated the [[Lepcha people|Lepcha]] tribes and declared himself a ''Panu'', a Tribal Religious and Administrative chief or king. Similarly, the [[Limbu people|Limbu]] tribes were ruled by 10 elected chiefs or ''Hangs'' from each of their clans to form a social and administrative body called ''Thibong Yakthum Tumyanghang'' (tribal republic council or Ten Limbus Council). {{citation needed|date=June 2020}}

Around 870 A.D. Na Hang, the chief of [[Daramdin]], [[West Sikkim district|West Sikkim]] was incited by the Chilikchom people to fight against the [[Kirati people|Kirati]] [[Limbu people|Limbu]] king of [[Limbuwan]], Mabo Hang. Na Hang was defeated and the Chilikchom were banished from Limbuwan.{{sfn|Chemjong|2014|loc=chapter 3, Mawrong Hang}} Sikkim also finds mention in many Hindu texts because the [[Buddhist saint]] [[Guru Rinpoche]] or [[Padmasambhava]] is said to have passed through the land in the 9th century.{{citation needed|date=February 2021}} According to legend, the Guru blessed the land, introduced [[Buddhism]] to Sikkim and also foretold the era of the monarchy in the state, which would arrive centuries later.{{citation needed|date=April 2021}}

===13th-17th century: local chieftains ===

There are numerous stories regarding the migration of Tibetans into Sikkim and the establishment of the Sikkimese monarchy. The most popular states that in the 13th century, [[Guru Tashi]], a prince from the Minyak House in [[Kham]] in Eastern [[Tibet]], had a divine revelation one night instructing him to travel south to seek his fortunes. Guru Tashi settled down in the [[Chumbi Valley]].<ref>
{{cite journal |first=Saul |last=Mullard |title=Brag dkar bra this things kyi sku 'bum: the text, the author, the stupa and its importance in the formation of religious politics in Sikkim |journal=Bulletin of Tibetology |year=2003 |issue=1, 2 |pages=13–24}}
</ref><ref>
{{cite journal |first=Saul |last=Mullard |title=Brag dkarbraa this things kyi sku 'bum: the text, the author, the stupa and its importance in the formation of religious politics in Sikkim |journal=Bulletin of Tibetology |year=2005 |issue=1, 2}}
</ref> The population and linguistic survey were not held during this period but the region was certainly inhabited by the [[Lepcha people|Lepchas]], the [[Limbu people|Limbu]]s, the [[Magars]] and some [[Bhutias]] in the later periods.{{citation needed|date=June 2020}}

==17th-20th century CE: Kingdom of Sikkim==
[[File:Sikkim.jpg|thumb|240px| Map of Sikkim, [[Central Intelligence Agency]], 1981.]]
[[File:Norbugang 4.jpg|240px|thumb|Throne of Norbuganag.]]
[[File:Rabdantse 6.jpg|240 px|thumb|[[Rabdentse|Rabdantse]], ruins of the second capital of Kingdom of Sikkim near [[Pelling]] in present day [[Gyalshing district]].]]
{{main article|Kingdom of Sikkim}}

By 1641 the [[Lepcha people|Lepchas]], the [[Limbu people|Limbu]]s and the [[Magars]] were ruling in different villages independently.{{sfn|Chemjong|2014|loc=chapter 5, Kirat Kings of Namgyal Dynasty}} The Limbu and the Magar tribes lived in the remote Western and Southern regions.<ref>
{{Cite book |title=Navigating Social Exclusion and Inclusion in Contemporary India and Beyond: Structures, Agents, Practices (Anthem South Asian Studies) |year=2014 |last=Skoda |first=Uwe |publisher=Anthem Press |isbn=978-1783083404 |page=137 }}
</ref> In the early 17th century Tibetan migrants (called "Bhutias" locally) were forced to take refuge in Sikkim due to the conflict between followers of the ''[[Gelug|Yellow hat]]'' and the ''[[Red Hat sect|Red hats]]'' in Tibet. The Bhutias tried to convert the Sikkimese ''[[Animism|worshippers of nature]]'' to [[Tibetan Buddhism]] and succeeded to an extent.<ref name=History>
{{Cite web |url=http://www.sikkim.nic.in/sws/sikk_his.htm |title=History of Sikkim |publisher=Government of Sikkim |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091214234707/http://www.sikkim.nic.in/sws/sikk_his.htm |archive-date=14 December 2009 }}
</ref> The Tibetan Lamas sought to establish Sikkim as a Buddhist Kingdom thereby electing a [[Lhoba people|Lhopa]] King of Tibetan origin.{{sfn|Chemjong|2014|loc=chapter 5, Kirat Kings of Namgyal Dynasty}}

===1642 CE: the first king of Sikkim===

In 1642, the fifth generation descendant of [[Guru Tashi]], [[Phuntsog Namgyal]] was consecrated as the first Denjong Gyalpo or the [[Chogyal]] (king) of Sikkim by Lhatsun Chhenpo, Nga-dag Lama and Kathhog Lama, three great Lamas who came from the north, west and south to [[Yuksom]] Norbugang in [[West Sikkim]].{{sfn|Bareh|2001|page=2}}<ref>
{{cite news |last1=Datta |first1=Rangan |title=Next weekend you can be at ... Yuksum |newspaper=The Telegraph |date=6 March 2005 |url=https://www.telegraphindia.com/west-bengal/next-weekend-you-can-be-at-yuksum/cid/1272304}}
</ref> The event, ''Naljor Chezhi'', was as predicted by [[Guru Rinpoche]] some eight hundred years before. The [[Dalai Lama]] sent the new Chogyal a silk scarf, the mitre of Guru Rinpoche and a [[Sand mandala|sand image]] of him as a coronation present.{{sfn|Bareh|2001|page=2}} However, the Magar chiefs refused to accept the rule of the Chogyal who had to bring in Tibetan soldiers to subdue them.{{sfn|Chemjong|2014|loc=chapter 5, Kirat Kings of Namgyal Dynasty}}<ref>
{{Cite journal |last=Gautam |first=Keshav |title=Society and Economy of Sikkim under Namgyal Rulers (1640–1890) |journal=University |publisher=Gauhati University/Shodhganga |year=2014 |url=https://shodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in/handle/10603/64249 |page=21|hdl=10603/64249 }}
</ref>

This historical gathering of the three virtuous lamas is called Yuksom, which in [[Lepcha language|Lepcha]] means 'The Place where the Three monks met' as in Lepcha a lama is called a "Yukmun" and the word for three is "Som". The Chogyal, along with the three lamas proselytised the Lepcha tribes into Buddhism and annexed the Chumbi Valley, the present-day [[Darjeeling]] district and parts of today's eastern [[Nepal]].{{Citation needed|date=April 2021}}

Shortly after his coronation the new Chogyal appointed 12 ''kalon'' or ministers from the [[Bhutia]] community and split his kingdom into 12 ''Dzongs'' or administrative units, which each contained a fort. Individual Dzongs were headed by a ''Dzonga'' drawn from amongst the Lepchas. The lands of Sikkim were leased as gifts to ''Kazis'' and ''thikadars'' who in turn leased sub-plots to peasants at high rents. ''Mandals'' (headmen) and ''karbaris'' (assistants to the mandals) were employed by the kazis and thikadars as rent collectors and dispute mediators. Out of Sikkim's 104 revenue estates, 61 were leased to Kazis and thikadars for fixed sums, five were given to monasteries and fifteen were retained by the Chogyal for his private use.{{sfn|Arora|2008|page=4}}<ref>
{{cite book |title=Area handbook for Nepal (with Sikkim and Bhutan) |author1=George L. Harris |author2=Jackson A Giddens |author3=Thomas E. Lux |author4=Frederica Muhlenberg |author5=Farancis Chadwick Rintz |author6=Harvey H. Smith |publisher=Foreign Areas Studies Division, [[The American University]] on behalf of the [[US Army]] |year=1964 |location=Washington, D.C. |url=https://archive.org/details/areahandbookforn00amer |page=[https://archive.org/details/areahandbookforn00amer/page/368 368]}}
</ref> The Limbu chiefs or the [[Limbu people|Subbas]] were also given full autonomy of their districts under the King.{{sfn|Chemjong|2014|loc=chapter 5, Kirat Kings of Namgyal Dynasty}}

Thus [[Phuntsog Namgyal]] became the first King of the [[Kingdom of Sikkim]] and all the [[Limbu people|Kirat]] chiefs agreed to regard him as the supreme ruler. However, the [[Magars]] did not get along with the [[Bhutia]] and left Sikkim after they were defeated in a battle. The King called all the Kirat chiefs and proclaimed that [[Bhutia]]s or Lhopsas, Tsongs or the [[Limbu people|Limbu]]s and the Mempas or the [[Lepcha people|Lepchas]] were all part of one family known as the ''Lho-Mehn-Tsong'' with the King as the father, the Lepchas as the mother and the Limbus as the sons and they were forbidden to fight amongst themselves.{{sfn|Chemjong|2014|loc=chapter 5, Kirat Kings of Namgyal Dynasty}} The signing of this tripartite treaty of ''Lho-Mehn-Tsong Tsum'' was overseen by eight [[Bhutia]] tribal leaders, twelve [[Limbu people|Limbu]] tribal leaders and four [[Lepcha people|Lepcha]] tribal leaders in present [[West Sikkim district|West Sikkim]].{{citation needed|date=June 2020}}

===1700-1800 CE: invasions from Bhutan and Nepal ===

Phuntsog Namgyal was succeeded by his son, [[Tensung Namgyal]] in 1670. The reign of this Chogyal was peaceful and saw the capital move from Yuksom to [[Rabdentse]]. [[Chakdor Namgyal]], the king's second wife's son, took over the throne from him in 1700. This outraged his elder half-sister Pendiongmu, who ousted him with the help of the [[Bhutan]]ese. From 1700 to 1706, when Chakdor Namgyal was a minor, most parts of it were occupied by Deb Naku Zidar, the king of Bhutan. Chakdor Namgyal went into exile in Tibet. The Tibetan people subsequently expelled the Bhutanese army, and called Chakdor Namgyal back to Sikkim.<ref name=Extensive>
{{cite journal |title=III. A Brief History of Sikkim |journal=Journal of Qinghai Nationalities Institute |date=April 1978 |volume=III |pages=34 |url=http://epub.cnki.net/grid2008/detail.aspx?filename=QHMS197804003&dbname=CJFQ1979 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110723043800/http://epub.cnki.net/grid2008/detail.aspx?filename=QHMS197804003&dbname=CJFQ1979 |archive-date=23 July 2011}}
</ref>

Chakdor's son [[Gyurmed Namgyal]] succeeded him in 1717. Gyurmed's reign saw many skirmishes between the Nepalese and Sikkimese. [[Phuntsog Namgyal II]], the illegitimate child of Gyurmed, succeeded his father in 1733. His reign was tumultuous in the face of attacks by the Bhutanese and the Nepalese who managed to capture the capital Rabdentse.

[[Tenzing Namgyal]], Chogyal from 1780 to 1793, was a weak ruler, and his sovereignty saw most of Sikkim being appropriated by Nepal. In 1788, the Nepali [[Gorkha Kingdom|Gorkha]] Army invaded Sikkim and took [[Limbuwan|Limbuana]] and the former capital Rabdentse by storm. The king of Sikkim went into exile in Tibet for a second time. In 1788, the [[8th Dalai Lama]] stationed him in Chumbi Valley in Rènà [[County (People's Republic of China)|zong]] (also "Rèrì," today's [[Yadong County]]).<ref name=Extensive/><ref>
{{cite web |author=Long Bo (龙波) |title=中国的"邻国"——锡金 |trans-title=China's "Neighbours" – Sikkim |publisher=Guidance for Junior High Students |year=2007 |url=http://www.cnki.com.cn/Article/CJFDTotal-CZFD2007Z5032.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110707014630/http://www.cnki.com.cn/Article/CJFDTotal-CZFD2007Z5032.htm |archive-date=7 July 2011 }}
</ref>

His son [[Tshudpud Namgyal]], returned to Sikkim in 1793 to reclaim the throne with the help of Tibet. Finding Rabdentse too close to the Nepalese border, he shifted the capital to [[Tumlong]].

===19th-21st century CE: Relations with the British Empire===
[[File: British War Memorial, Sikkim.jpg|thumb|A British era war memorial in [[Nathang Valley|Gnathang Valley]] in southeastern Sikkim on India-Bhutan-Tibet tri-junction.]]

With the arrival of the [[the United Kingdom|British]] in neighbouring India, Sikkim allied itself with them as they had a common enemy – the [[Gorkha Kingdom]] of Nepal. The infuriated Nepalese attacked Sikkim with vengeance, overrunning most of the region including the [[Terai]]. This prompted the [[British East India Company]] to attack Nepal resulting in the [[Anglo-Nepalese War]], which began in 1814. Treaties signed between the British and Nepal – the [[Sugauli Treaty]] and Sikkim and British India – [[Treaty of Titalia]], returned the territory annexed by the Nepalese to Sikkim in 1817.

However, ties between Sikkim and India grew sour with the taxation of the area of [[Morang]] by the British. An internal disturbance, which began in 1825, gave the British the opportunity to secure the 1835 cession of [[Darjeeling]] to British Sikkim given its perceived advantages as a [[sanitorium]]. Unhappy with this development, Sikkim's [[Dewan]] often frustrated the cessation by denying aid to the British in capturing escaped criminals and offering amnesty for escaped slaves. As compensation for the loss, the British Government paid the Sikkim Raja Rs. 3,000 from 1841 onwards, a sum that was later increased to Rs. 12,000.{{sfn|Paget|1907|page=41}}

In 1849, British doctor [[Archibald Campbell (doctor)|Archibald Campbell]], then superintendent of Darjeeling, and botanist [[Joseph Dalton Hooker|Joseph Hooker]], ventured into the mountains of Sikkim with the permission of the British and the [[Chogyal of Sikkim]] but strayed across the [[Cho La, Sikkim|Cho La]] into Tibet. They were detained by the Sikkim government at the instigation of the pro-Tibetan "mad Dewan" T. Namguey, which led to a punitive British expedition against the Himalayan kingdom.{{sfn|Arora|2008|page=8}}{{sfn|Paget|1907|page=41}} Although subsequent bloodshed was avoided, the British annexed the whole of the Darjeeling district and the [[Terai]] in 1861. In the same year, the signature of the [[Treaty of Tumlong]] effectively made Sikkim a ''de facto'' protectorate of the British.<ref>
{{cite journal |first1=Anjan |last1=Chakrabarti |title=Migration and Marginalisation in the 'Himalayan Kingdom' of Sikkim |journal=Journal of Exclusion Studies |volume=2 |number=1 |date=February 2012 |url=https://www.academia.edu/10098401 |page=3 |doi=10.5958/j.2231-4547.2.1.002|doi-access=free }}
</ref>

Alongside "British Sikkim", "Independent Sikkim" continued to exist as a rump state centred around the capital at Gangtok ruling over {{convert|2,500|mi2}} of territory.<ref>
{{cite book |last=Temple |first=Richard Carnac |author-link=Richard Carnac Temple |title=Journals Kept in Hyderabad, Kashmir, Sikkim, and Nepal |url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.55440 |year=1887 |publisher=W.H. Allen |page=[https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.55440/page/n190 152] }}
</ref>{{Failed verification |date=October 2021}} The former Chogyal was forced to abdicate in favour of his son, [[Sidkeong Namgyal]] in 1863.

The Chogyals endeavoured to modernize Sikkim in the succeeding decades, along with their army. A state visit to Darjeeling by Sidekong's half-brother, Chogyal [[Thutob Namgyal]] in 1873 failed to yield such results, and he returned to Tumlong disappointed. In 1886, the British, interested in trade with Tibet, launched a brief expedition into Sikkim. The Tibetans occupied several of Sikkim's northern border forts, and the Chogyal and his wife were held prisoner by the British when they came to negotiate at [[Calcutta]]. In 1888, the [[Sikkim Expedition|Tibetans were defeated]] and northern Sikkim came under the rule of British India. The British established new landholdings in Sikkim but released the Chogyal only to have him captured again in 1891. These land estates were given to [[Kazis and Thikadars of Sikkim|Kazis, Thikadars and Lamas]]. In 1894, the capital was shifted to [[Gangtok]].

In 1895, the Chogyal was released, but the British governors in India reneged on an agreement – the [[Ten Clauses Agreement]] – which returned sovereignty to Sikkim. The Political Officer in Sikkim, [[John Claude White]], refused to return any sovereignty, and only let the Chogyal retain the judiciary of Sikkim.

In 1905, the [[Prince of Wales]] – the future King [[George V of the United Kingdom|George V]] – arrived in Calcutta on a state visit during which he met the Chogyal. The two made an excellent acquaintance and the Crown Prince of Sikkim, Sidkeong Tulku was sent to study at [[Oxford University]]. When Sidkeong came to power, he arranged widened sovereignty for Sikkim from King George's government and endorsed sweeping reforms in his short rule as Chogyal, which ended in 1914. In 1918, Sikkim's independence in all domestic affairs was restored, and in the next decade, the kingdom embarked on a policy to end social ills, outlawing [[gambling]], [[child labour]], and indentured service.

===1947-1975 CE: independent monarchy===
[[File:Flag of Sikkim (1967-1975).svg|right|thumb|240px|[[Flag of Sikkim|The Sikkimese National Flag]] ]]
[[File:Bundesarchiv Bild 135-S-03-24-03, Tibetexpedition, Der Maharaja von Sikkim.jpg|thumb|240px|[[Tashi Namgyal]], Chogyal of Sikkim. 1938.]]

Sikkim had retained guarantees of independence from Britain when it became independent, and such guarantees were transferred to the Indian government when it gained independence in 1947. A popular vote for Sikkim to join the Indian Union failed and Indian Prime Minister [[Jawaharlal Nehru]] agreed to a special protectorate status for Sikkim. Sikkim was to be a [[suzerainty|tributary]] of India, in which India controlled its external defence, diplomacy and communication. A state council was established in 1953 to allow for the constitutional government of the Chogyal, which was sustained until 1973.{{citation needed|date=April 2021}}

In 1949, [[Sikkim State Congress]] led a state-wide agitation for democracy leading to the formation of Sikkim's first interim government led by Chief Minister [[Tashi Tshering (Sikkimese politician)|Tashi Tshering]] and his popular ministry. However, the government was dismissed within 29 days.

In the 1950s, Sikkim was used by the American CIA as a base for secret operations supporting Tibetan guerillas opposed to Chinese control of Tibet.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Lhamu |first=Palden |date=2024-01-24 |title=From Kingdoms to Statehood: A Comprehensive History of Sikkim |url=https://www.gangtokian.com/comprehensive-history-of-sikkim/ |access-date=2024-04-29 |website=Gangtokian.com |language=en-US}}</ref> The dramatic 1959 escape of the [[Dalai Lama]] demonstrated Sikkim's value to both India and China. Nehru said the Chumbi Valley,
controlled by China, was a "dagger pointed at the heart of India." During the 1962 [[Sino-Indian War]], Indian troops arrived to block a possible Chinese invasion; there were some skirmishes between Indian and Chinese forces. After the war, India closed the ancient pass; it reopened in 2006. The 50s and 60s marked the emergence of political parties in Sikkim including [[Sikkim State Congress]], [[Sikkim National Party]], [[Sikkim Swatantra Dal]], [[Sikkim Janata Party]] and [[Sikkim National Congress]].<ref>Andrew Duff, "A Himalayan Chess Game" ''History Today'' (2016) 66#1.</ref>

The old ruler [[Tashi Namgyal]] died in 1963 from cancer. The last hereditary ruler, Chogyal [[Palden Thondup Namgyal]], ascended to the throne in 1965. Trouble began to brew for the crown even before the Chogyal assumed the throne, as Nehru, who had carefully preserved Sikkim's status as an independent protectorate, died in 1964. His daughter [[Indira Gandhi]], who became Prime Minister in 1966, had little patience for maintaining an independent Sikkim or its monarchy. The Chogyal, who responded to the increased pressure by drinking, was viewed by India as politically dangerous, especially after his wife, the American socialite [[Hope Cooke]], advocated a return of certain former Sikkimese properties.

In December 1950, by signing the "India - Sikkim Peace Treaty", Sikkim became India's protectorate. On April 9, 1975, the Sikkim Parliament announced the king was deposed and declared Sikkim had become part of India through a [[1975 Sikkimese monarchy referendum|referendum]]. On May 16, the Indian parliament announced that Sikkim officially became a state of India.<ref>Duff, "A Himalayan Chess Game".,</ref> Sikkim is a state in India, which currently has 6 districts. Gangtok is the largest district in terms of population, but Mangan is the largest district in terms of area.{{citation needed|date=July 2024}}

==1975 CE onwards: political history of Sikkim==

The 1979 assembly election saw [[Nar Bahadur Bhandari]] elected Chief Minister of Sikkim. Bhandari held on to win again in 1984 and 1989. In 1994, Assembly politician [[Pawan Kumar Chamling]] became the [[Chief Minister]] of Sikkim. In 1999, 2004, 2009 and 2014 Chamling consolidated his position to sweep the polls. Sikkim voted for its one delegate to the All India Lok Sabha on 3 January 1980. The voters strongly favoured a local listing party, rejecting the candidates from the Janata and Congress.<ref>Satya Narayan Mishra, "RST Parliamentary Election in Sikkim" ''South Asian Studies'' (University of Rajasthan). 1982, 17#1 pp 89-94.</ref><ref>[[Urmila Phadnis]], "Ethnic Dimensions of Sikkimese Politics: The 1979 Elections." ''Asian Survey'' 20.12 (1980): 1236-1252. [https://www.jstor.org/stable/2643629 online]</ref>

[[Sino-Indian relations]] were somewhat bruised in 2000 by an event in Sikkim that challenged China's longstanding claim of Sikkim as an independent country. The unusual event was the escape of [[Ogyen Trinley Dorje]] from Tibet to [[Dharamsala, Himachal Pradesh|Dharamsala]], India. Ogyen Trinley Dorje is one of the two rival claimants who seek recognition as the 17th [[Karmapa]], the head of the [[Karma Kagyu|Black Hat]] branch of [[Tibetan Buddhism]] (see [[Karmapa controversy]]). The two claimants did battle in the Indian court system for control of the considerable funds collected by the 16th Karmapa for the restoration and maintenance of [[Rumtek Monastery]], located in [[Gangtok]], Sikkim. The Chinese, who recognise [[Ogyen Trinley Dorje]] as the true Karmapa, were unhappy about the court outcome which awarded the monastery funds to the other rival. However, the Chinese government was in a quandary{{According to whom|date=December 2025}} as to what to do about it, as any protest to India would mean an explicit endorsement that the high court of India holds jurisdiction over Sikkim.{{Citation needed|date=December 2025}}

In 2003, with the thawing of relations between the two nations, Indian sovereignty over Sikkim was finally recognised by China. The two governments also proposed to open the Nathula and [[Jelepla Pass]]es in 2005.

On 18 September 2011, [[2011 Sikkim earthquake|a magnitude 6.9M<sub>w</sub> earthquake]] struck Sikkim, killing at least 116 people in the state and Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Tibet, China.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.dnaindia.com/india/report_himalayan-quake-toll-climbs-to-116-40-stranded-foreign-tourists-rescued_1589946 |title=Himalayan Quake Toll Climbs to 116, 40 Stranded Foreign Tourists Rescued |publisher=[[Daily News and Analysis|DNA]] online |first=Saibal |last=Gupta |date=21 September 2011 }}</ref> More than 60 people died in Sikkim alone and the city of Gangtok suffered significant damage.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ndtv.com/article/india/earthquake-toll-rises-to-50-in-india-rescue-teams-land-at-quakes-epicentre-mangan-134859 |title=Earthquake Toll Over 80; India 68; as Rescue Teams Reach Quake Epicentre |publisher=NDTV |location=Gangtok |date=26 September 2011 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110925030112/http://www.ndtv.com/article/india/earthquake-toll-rises-to-50-in-india-rescue-teams-land-at-quakes-epicentre-mangan-134859 |archive-date=25 September 2011}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Indigenous peoples of Sikkim]]
* [[Chogyal]]
* [[History of India]]ʃ
* [[History of Bhutan]]
* [[History of Nepal]]
* [[History of Tibet]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

; Bibliography
* {{cite book |last=Arora |first=Vibha |chapter=Routing the Commodities of Empire through Sikkim (1817–1906) |title=Commodities of Empire: Working Paper No.9 |publisher=[[Open University]] |year=2008 |chapter-url=http://www.open.ac.uk/Arts/ferguson-centre/commodities-of-empire/working-papers/WP09.pdf}}
* {{citation |last=Chemjong |first=Iman Singh |author-link=Iman Xin Chemjong |others=Narrator: Amar Nembang |title=Kirat History and Culture |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_7M9AwAAQBAJ&pg=PT85 |year=2014 |publisher=Kirat Yakthung Chumlung |id=GGKEY:PP03Y9PZZBD |asin=B00JH8W6HQ}}
* {{cite book |first1=Hamlet |last1=Bareh |title=Encyclopaedia of North-East India: Sikkim |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jrr7HPr8NAQC |year=2001 |publisher=Mittal Publications |isbn=978-81-7099-794-8}}
* {{citation |last=Mullard |first=Saul |title=Opening the Hidden Land: State Formation and the Construction of Sikkimese History |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=G_1J4tgrYDUC&pg=PA184 |date=2011 |publisher=BRILL |isbn=978-90-04-20895-7}}
* {{cite book |last=Paget |first=William Henry |title=Frontier and overseas expeditions from India |publisher=Indian Army Intelligence Branch |url=https://archive.org/details/frontieroverseas04indi |year=1907}}
* {{citation |editor-last=Risely |editor-first=H. H. |title=The Gazetteer of Sikhim |publisher=Bengal Secretariat Press |location=Calcutta |date=1894 |url=https://archive.org/details/gazetteerofsikhi00beng |via=archive.org}}
* {{citation |last=Sinha |first=A. C. |chapter=Sikkim |title=Sub-Regional Relations in Eastern South Asia: With Special Focus on India's North Eastern Region |publisher=Institute of Developing Economies |editor1=Mayumi Murayama |editor2=Kyoko Inoue |editor3=Sanjoy Hazarika |chapter-url=https://www.ide.go.jp/library/English/Publish/Reports/Jrp/pdf/133_10.pdf |url=https://www.ide.go.jp/English/Publish/Reports/Jrp/133.html}}

==Further reading==
* {{cite book |first=Sunanda K. |last=Datta-Ray |title=Smash and Grab: The Annexation of Sikkim |publisher=Vikas |year=1980 |isbn=0-7069-2509-2 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RCMuAAAAMAAJ}}
* Duff, Andrew. "A Himalayan Chess Game" ''History Today'' (2016) 66#1.
* Forbes, Andrew and David Henley. ''China's Ancient Tea Horse Road''. (Chiang Mai: Cognoscenti Books, 2011) . ASIN: B005DQV7Q2
* Phadnis, Urmila. "Ethnic Dimensions of Sikkimese Politics: The 1979 Elections." ''Asian Survey'' 20.12 (1980): 1236–1252. [https://www.jstor.org/stable/2643629 online]
* Tiwari, Chitra K. "India's Northern Security and the Himalayan States" ''Asian Profile'' 14.5 (1986): 442–49.

==External links==
* [https://www.openstreetmap.org/relation/1791324#map=9/27.5988/88.7622&layers=C Sikkim], OpenStreetMap, retrieved 3 December 2021.

{{History of India by State}}
{{Darjeeling}}
{{Sikkim}}

[[Category:History of Sikkim| ]]

History of Sikkim - Revision history

KrushiN1 at 15:27, 16 March 2026