Rabdentse
Encyclopedia
Rabdentse was the second capital of the former kingdom of Sikkim
from 1670 to 1814. The capital city was destroyed by the invading Nepal
ese army and only the ruins of the palace and the chortens are seen here now. However, the ruins of this city are seen close to Pelling
and in West Sikkim
district in the Northeastern Indian state of present day Sikkim; Pemayangtse Monastery
is one of the oldest monasteries in Sikkim which is close to the ruins. From the vantage point of this former capital, superb views of the Khanchendzonga ranges can be witnessed. This monument has been declared as of national importance by the Archaeological Survey of India
. It was first established in 1670 by Chadok Namgyal son of Phuntsog Namgyal by shifting from the first capital of Yuksom that was consecrated in 1642.
The Rabdentse ruins are part of Buddhist religious pilgrimage circuit starting with the first monastery at Yuksom
known as the Dubdi Monastery
, followed by Norbugang Chorten
, Tashiding Monastery
, the Pemayangtse Monastery
, the Sanga Choeling Monastery
, and the Khecheopalri Lake
.
Phuntsog Namgyal
, the first Chogyal or King of Sikkim, who was consecrated as king of Sikkim at Yuksom, was succeeded by his son, Tensung Namgyal, in 1670. The reign of the Chogyal was peaceful and saw the capital being shifted from Yuksom to Rabdentse. The Namgyal had three wives – a Tibet
an, a Bhutan
ese and a Limbu
girl. The Limbu girl, daughter of the Limbu chief Yo Yo-Hang had inducted seven girls from her family who all got married into noble families of Sikkim. Many of them became councillors to the King and given the title Kazis, which gave them enormous powers and privileges.
The king's second wife's son Chador Namgyal, took over the reign's of power in Sikkim, after his father’s death, in 1700. He was a minor at that time. This outraged his elder half-sister Pendiongmu (daughter of first wife of Tensung Namgyal), of Bhutanese descent opposed the succession and with help from Bhutan evicted Chador. Chador fled to Tibet
(Yungthing Yeshe, a loyal Minister escorted the minor king to Lhasa
) 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 also became the state astrologer to the Sixth Dalai Lama. During his exile, the Sixth Dalai Lama pleased with the erudition of Chador Namgyal had conferred on him exclusive rights to an estate in Tibet. During this period, the son of Yugthing Yeshe (who had saved Chador and taken him to Tibet) was imprisoned by the Bhutanese in Rabdentse. Tibet intervened in the matter and also prevailed on King Deb of Bhutan to withdraw from Sikkim. Chador Namgyal then returned to Rebdantse and the small forces of Bhutan which remained were forced to withdraw. During this period, Sikkim lost some areas in its south-eastern region since Bhutan had colonized the area.
Pedi, the Chogyal’s half sister, had not given up on her enmity against her half brother Chador. With the help of a medicinal man from Tibet she got Chador Namgyal murdered in 1716 through a mysterious blood letting from a main artery while the king was on a holiday at the Ralang hot water spring. Immediately, the royal armed forces executed the Tibetan doctor and also put Pedi to death by strangling her with a silk scarf.
Gurmed Namgyal succeeded his father Chadok in 1717. Gurmed's reign saw many skirmishes between the Nepalese and Sikkimese. He got Rabdentse fortified to checkmate invasions by the Gurkhas (Nepal
ese) and Bhutanese. In addition, a local Magar chieftain Tashi Bidur had also rebelled, but was subdued. Gurmed died in 1733 at a young age of 26. Since he did not have any legitimate children, on his death bed he conveyed that a nun at Sanga Cheoling
was carrying his child (this is said to be the story concocted by the Lamas to perpetuate the Namgyal Dynasty). Subsequently, the nun gave birth to a male child who was accepted as heir to Gurmed and was given the name Phuntsog, after the first temporal and the spiritual head of Sikkim.
Phunstog Namgyal II, the illegitimate child of Gurmed, succeeded his father to the throne in 1733. His reign was tumultuous as he was faced with attacks by the Bhutanese and the Nepalese, apart from rebellions within Sikkim from Magars and the Tsongs in 1752. Since Namgyal II was a weak king, the Nepalese had made 17 invasions against Sikkim. Bhutan had also attacked Sikkim and occupied areas east of Tista River; however, they later withdrew to present frontiers after negotiations held at Rhenock
.
Tenzing Namgyal
, the next king was also a weak ruler, and his sovereignty saw most of Sikkim being appropriated by Nepal. The Chogyal was forced to flee from Rabdentse to Lhasa where he died in 1780. Tshudpud Namgyal
, his son returned to Sikkim in 1793 to reclaim the throne with the help of China
. Finding Rabdentse too close to the Nepalese border, he shifted the capital to Tumlong
. Consequent to the repeated attacks by the Bhutanese and Nepalese over the many invasions, the capital city was reduced to ruins by the invading army of Nepal.
Along the trek path from the gate, an avenue of chestnut trees with sodden moss leads to a stone throne comprising three standing stones called as “Namphogang”, which was the pulpit of the judges from where judgments were pronounced during the active days of the king's reign from Rabdentse. Further ahead, the 'Taphap Chorten' is seen in semi ruined condition. This was the entry point to the Palace and people seeking access to the palace had to dismount from their horses and remove their hat as a mark of respect to the King here. The palace ruins are at the centre of the fourth courtyard.
The ruins of the palace are seen now in two wings – the northern wing and the southern wing. The northern wing was the residence of the royal family. This wing has an open quadrangle where the “Dab Lhagang”, now in ruins, is also seen; the Royal family used to offer prayers with incense to their deities here. A white marble slab of size 7 feet (2.1 m)x5 feet (1.5 m) (reported to have been shifted from the river, carried by one person only) is also seen at this location, which was once the location of the monastery known as “Risum Gompa".
Next to the ruins of the palace are three chortens, the religious place where members of the royal family offered incense to the deities. The chortens are in a fair state of preservation. On the southern wing, common people were given an audience by the king, which is obvious from the stone throne seen here. The Archaeological Survey of India
has declared Rabdentse as a heritage monument and has undertaken the needed preservation and restoration measures.
Sikkim
Sikkim is a landlocked Indian state nestled in the Himalayan mountains...
from 1670 to 1814. The capital city was destroyed by the invading Nepal
Nepal
Nepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...
ese army and only the ruins of the palace and the chortens are seen here now. However, the ruins of this city are seen close to Pelling
Pelling
Pelling has a helipad ground though there is no regular air service. Helicopters can connect Pelling with Gangtok on request....
and in West Sikkim
West Sikkim
West Sikkim is a district of theIndian state of Sikkim. Its capital is Geyzing, also known as Gyalshing. The district is a favourite with trekkers due to the high elevations. Other important towns include Pelling and Jorethang.-History:...
district in the Northeastern Indian state of present day Sikkim; Pemayangtse Monastery
Pemayangtse Monastery
The Pemayangtse Monastery is a Buddhist monastery in Pemayangtse, near Pelling in the northeastern Indian state of Sikkim, located west of Gangtok. Planned, designed and founded by Lama Lhatsun Chempo in 1705, it is one of the oldest and premier monasteries of Sikkim. It is not only one of the...
is one of the oldest monasteries in Sikkim which is close to the ruins. From the vantage point of this former capital, superb views of the Khanchendzonga ranges can be witnessed. This monument has been declared as of national importance by the Archaeological Survey of India
Archaeological Survey of India
The Archaeological Survey of India is a department of the Government of India, attached to the Ministry of Culture . The ASI is responsible for archaeological studies and the preservation of archaeological heritage of the country in accordance with the various acts of the Indian Parliament...
. It was first established in 1670 by Chadok Namgyal son of Phuntsog Namgyal by shifting from the first capital of Yuksom that was consecrated in 1642.
The Rabdentse ruins are part of Buddhist religious pilgrimage circuit starting with the first monastery at Yuksom
Yuksom
Yuksom is a historical town in Geyzing subdivision of West Sikkim district in the Northeast Indian state of Sikkim. It was the first capital of Sikkim established in 1642 AD by Phuntsog Namgyal who was the first Chogyal of Sikkim. The coronation site of the first monarch of Sikkim is known as the...
known as the Dubdi Monastery
Dubdi Monastery
Dubdi Monastery, occasionally called Yuksom Monastery is a Buddhist monastery of the Nyingma sect of Tibetan Buddhism near Yuksom, in the Geyzing subdivision of West Sikkim district, in northeastern India....
, followed by Norbugang Chorten
Norbugang Chorten
The Norbugang Chorten is situated in the Geyzing subdivision of West Sikkim district in the Indian State of Sikkim. It was erected following the crowning of the first Chogyal of Sikkim in 1642 at Narbugong Coronation Throne near Yuksom. A holy lake known as Kuthok Lake, a serene lake, is also...
, Tashiding Monastery
Tashiding Monastery
Tashiding Monastery is a Buddhist monastery of the Nyingma sect of Tibetan Buddhism in Western Sikkim, northeastern India. It is located on top of the hill rising between the Rathong chu and the Rangeet River, from Gyalshing and to the south east of Yuksam meaning Yuk-Lamas, Sam- Three in Lepcha...
, the Pemayangtse Monastery
Pemayangtse Monastery
The Pemayangtse Monastery is a Buddhist monastery in Pemayangtse, near Pelling in the northeastern Indian state of Sikkim, located west of Gangtok. Planned, designed and founded by Lama Lhatsun Chempo in 1705, it is one of the oldest and premier monasteries of Sikkim. It is not only one of the...
, the Sanga Choeling Monastery
Sanga Choeling Monastery
The Sanga Choeling Monastery, also spelt Sange Choeling Monastery, established in the 17th century by Lama Lhatsun Chempo, is one of the oldest monasteries in the Northeast Indian state of Sikkim. The literal meaning of Sanga Choeling is the “island of esoteric teaching”...
, and the Khecheopalri Lake
Khecheopalri Lake
Khecheopalri Lake, originally known as Kha-Chot-Palri , is a sacred Lake for both Buddhists and Hindus, which is believed to be a wish fulfilling lake. It is located near Khecheopalri village, west of Gangtok and to the northwest of Pelling town in the West Sikkim district of the Northeastern...
.
History
Rabdentse is seen only in ruins now and its troubled history, which caused this situation is narrated.Phuntsog Namgyal
Phuntsog Namgyal
Phuntsog Namgyal was the first chogyal of Sikkim, now an Indian state. He consecrated in 1642 at the age of 38. Phuntsog was a fifth generation descendant of Guru Tashi, a 13th century prince from the Mi-nyak House in Kham in Eastern Tibet.According to legend, Guru Rinpoche, a 9th century...
, the first Chogyal or King of Sikkim, who was consecrated as king of Sikkim at Yuksom, was succeeded by his son, Tensung Namgyal, in 1670. The reign of the Chogyal was peaceful and saw the capital being shifted from Yuksom to Rabdentse. The Namgyal had three wives – a Tibet
Tibet
Tibet is a plateau region in Asia, north-east of the Himalayas. It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people as well as some other ethnic groups such as Monpas, Qiang, and Lhobas, and is now also inhabited by considerable numbers of Han and Hui people...
an, a Bhutan
Bhutan
Bhutan , officially the Kingdom of Bhutan, is a landlocked state in South Asia, located at the eastern end of the Himalayas and bordered to the south, east and west by the Republic of India and to the north by the People's Republic of China...
ese and a Limbu
Limbu people
The Yakthung or Limbu tribes and clans belong to the Kirati nation or to the Kirat confederation.They are indigenous to the hill and mountainous regions of east Nepal between the Arun and Mechi rivers to as far as Southern Tibet, Bhutan and Sikkim....
girl. The Limbu girl, daughter of the Limbu chief Yo Yo-Hang had inducted seven girls from her family who all got married into noble families of Sikkim. Many of them became councillors to the King and given the title Kazis, which gave them enormous powers and privileges.
The king's second wife's son Chador Namgyal, took over the reign's of power in Sikkim, after his father’s death, in 1700. He was a minor at that time. This outraged his elder half-sister Pendiongmu (daughter of first wife of Tensung Namgyal), of Bhutanese descent opposed the succession and with help from Bhutan evicted Chador. Chador fled to Tibet
Tibet
Tibet is a plateau region in Asia, north-east of the Himalayas. It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people as well as some other ethnic groups such as Monpas, Qiang, and Lhobas, and is now also inhabited by considerable numbers of Han and Hui people...
(Yungthing Yeshe, a loyal Minister escorted the minor king to Lhasa
Lhasa
Lhasa is the administrative capital of the Tibet Autonomous Region in the People's Republic of China and the second most populous city on the Tibetan Plateau, after Xining. At an altitude of , Lhasa is one of the highest cities in the world...
) 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
Buddhism
Buddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...
and Tibetan literature
Tibetan literature
Tibetan literature generally refers to literature written in the Tibetan language since the invention of the Indic-style script in the mid 7th century...
, and also became the state astrologer to the Sixth Dalai Lama. During his exile, the Sixth Dalai Lama pleased with the erudition of Chador Namgyal had conferred on him exclusive rights to an estate in Tibet. During this period, the son of Yugthing Yeshe (who had saved Chador and taken him to Tibet) was imprisoned by the Bhutanese in Rabdentse. Tibet intervened in the matter and also prevailed on King Deb of Bhutan to withdraw from Sikkim. Chador Namgyal then returned to Rebdantse and the small forces of Bhutan which remained were forced to withdraw. During this period, Sikkim lost some areas in its south-eastern region since Bhutan had colonized the area.
Pedi, the Chogyal’s half sister, had not given up on her enmity against her half brother Chador. With the help of a medicinal man from Tibet she got Chador Namgyal murdered in 1716 through a mysterious blood letting from a main artery while the king was on a holiday at the Ralang hot water spring. Immediately, the royal armed forces executed the Tibetan doctor and also put Pedi to death by strangling her with a silk scarf.
Gurmed Namgyal succeeded his father Chadok in 1717. Gurmed's reign saw many skirmishes between the Nepalese and Sikkimese. He got Rabdentse fortified to checkmate invasions by the Gurkhas (Nepal
Nepal
Nepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...
ese) and Bhutanese. In addition, a local Magar chieftain Tashi Bidur had also rebelled, but was subdued. Gurmed died in 1733 at a young age of 26. Since he did not have any legitimate children, on his death bed he conveyed that a nun at Sanga Cheoling
Sanga Choeling Monastery
The Sanga Choeling Monastery, also spelt Sange Choeling Monastery, established in the 17th century by Lama Lhatsun Chempo, is one of the oldest monasteries in the Northeast Indian state of Sikkim. The literal meaning of Sanga Choeling is the “island of esoteric teaching”...
was carrying his child (this is said to be the story concocted by the Lamas to perpetuate the Namgyal Dynasty). Subsequently, the nun gave birth to a male child who was accepted as heir to Gurmed and was given the name Phuntsog, after the first temporal and the spiritual head of Sikkim.
Phunstog Namgyal II, the illegitimate child of Gurmed, succeeded his father to the throne in 1733. His reign was tumultuous as he was faced with attacks by the Bhutanese and the Nepalese, apart from rebellions within Sikkim from Magars and the Tsongs in 1752. Since Namgyal II was a weak king, the Nepalese had made 17 invasions against Sikkim. Bhutan had also attacked Sikkim and occupied areas east of Tista River; however, they later withdrew to present frontiers after negotiations held at Rhenock
Rhenock
Rhenock is a small town in the east district in the Indian state of Sikkim, located at . It lies 63 kilometres east of Gangtok on the way to Jelepla Pass at an altitude of 1,040. The word Rhe-nock means Black Hill...
.
Tenzing Namgyal
Tenzing Namgyal
Tenzing Namgyal was the sixth Chogyal of Sikkim. He succeeded Phuntsog Namgyal II in 1780 and was succeeded himself by Tsugphud Namgyal in 1793.During his reign Chogyal fled to Tibet, and later died there in exile....
, the next king was also a weak ruler, and his sovereignty saw most of Sikkim being appropriated by Nepal. The Chogyal was forced to flee from Rabdentse to Lhasa where he died in 1780. Tshudpud Namgyal
Tshudpud Namgyal
Tshudpud Namgyal was king of Sikkim from 1793–1863. He gained independence from Nepal in 1815 and ruled under a British protectorate from 1861....
, his son returned to Sikkim in 1793 to reclaim the throne with the help of China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
. Finding Rabdentse too close to the Nepalese border, he shifted the capital to Tumlong
Tumlong
Tumlong was the former capital of the Indian state of Sikkim. It is located in North Sikkim district.-History:In 1894, Thutob Namgyal, the chogyal shifted the capital from Tumlong to the current Gangtok. Tumlong was the third capital of Sikkim. The first was Yuksom, which was followed by Rabdentse...
. Consequent to the repeated attacks by the Bhutanese and Nepalese over the many invasions, the capital city was reduced to ruins by the invading army of Nepal.
Structures
The ruins seen now at the Rabdentse consist mainly of “chunky wall stubs” whose heritage value is accentuated by its location on a ridge, near upper Pelling (3 kilometres (1.9 mi) away) from where commanding views of the Kanchendzong hill ranges and surroundings on one side and the mountains and valleys on the other side are visible. The approach to this location is from an ornamental yellow gate near the Pelling–Geyshing road, from where it is a walking distance of about 15 minutes through a lake and forested hills.Along the trek path from the gate, an avenue of chestnut trees with sodden moss leads to a stone throne comprising three standing stones called as “Namphogang”, which was the pulpit of the judges from where judgments were pronounced during the active days of the king's reign from Rabdentse. Further ahead, the 'Taphap Chorten' is seen in semi ruined condition. This was the entry point to the Palace and people seeking access to the palace had to dismount from their horses and remove their hat as a mark of respect to the King here. The palace ruins are at the centre of the fourth courtyard.
The ruins of the palace are seen now in two wings – the northern wing and the southern wing. The northern wing was the residence of the royal family. This wing has an open quadrangle where the “Dab Lhagang”, now in ruins, is also seen; the Royal family used to offer prayers with incense to their deities here. A white marble slab of size 7 feet (2.1 m)x5 feet (1.5 m) (reported to have been shifted from the river, carried by one person only) is also seen at this location, which was once the location of the monastery known as “Risum Gompa".
Next to the ruins of the palace are three chortens, the religious place where members of the royal family offered incense to the deities. The chortens are in a fair state of preservation. On the southern wing, common people were given an audience by the king, which is obvious from the stone throne seen here. The Archaeological Survey of India
Archaeological Survey of India
The Archaeological Survey of India is a department of the Government of India, attached to the Ministry of Culture . The ASI is responsible for archaeological studies and the preservation of archaeological heritage of the country in accordance with the various acts of the Indian Parliament...
has declared Rabdentse as a heritage monument and has undertaken the needed preservation and restoration measures.