Sikkim Expedition
Encyclopedia
The Sikkim Expedition was a British military expedition to expel Tibetan forces from Sikkim. The roots of the conflict lay in British-Tibetan competition for sovereignty over Sikkim.
was the religion and the Chogyal
rulers descended from Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyal, a Tibetan saint who unified Bhutan
. In the first half of the 19th century, the British extended their influence to the Himalayas
and Sikkim signed an agreement with the British in 1861. As the British established relations with Nepal
, Sikkim and Bhutan, Tibetan influence wanned and in Lhasa
and Beijing
it was feared that if left unopposed, the British would encroach into Tibet through Sikkim.
Thutob Namgyal
, the 9th Chogyal of Sikkim, looked to the Dalai Lama for spiritual leadership and during his reign the Tibetan government started to regain political influence on Sikkim. By the Anglo-Sikkim treaty of 1861 the Dharmaraja was restricted to spending no more than three months in Tibet but he frequently ignored this provision and in 1887, after having resided for almost two years in Tibet he declined to travel to Darjeling to meet with the Lieutenant-Governor arguing that the Amban
in Lhasa had forbidden him to do so. Meanwhile he had ordered that the revenue collected be sent to Chumbi, a clear sign of his intention not to return to Sikkim.
In 1886 the Indian government prepared to send a diplomatic mission to Lhassa to define the spheres of influence of the Tibetan and Indian governments. Colman Macaulay was to be the responsible for the negotiations but the mission was delayed after the Tibetan government dispatched an expedition of 300 soldiers that crossed the Jelap La pass and occupied Lingtu around thirteen miles into Sikkim.
The British decided to suspend the Macaulay mission since its despatch was the Tibetan argument for their occupation,but instead of retreating the Tibetans showed every sign of being there to stay. They built a fortified gate on the road that crossed Lingtu coming from Darjeeling and into Tibet, and also constructed a fort to defend it. After negotiations with the Chinese stalled, the Indian government ordered the despatch of a military expedition to Lingtu to restore Indian control of the road.
to repair the Rongli bridge and the road, and prepared resting locations for the expedition at Sevoke
and Riang in the Terai
. The Tibetan government received an ultimatum to withdraw their troops by March 15.
On February 25 Brig-Gen Thomas Graham RA was ordered to march. His forces mustered the 2nd Battalion Derbyshire Regiment
, HQ wing 13th Bengal Infantry
, four guns from the 9-1st Northern Division Royal Artillery
and the 32nd Pioneers
. His orders were to expel the Tibetans from Lingtu and reestablish Indian control of the road up to the Jelep La, while securing Gantok and Tumlong
from possible reprisals. He was not instructed to cross into Tibet but the decision was left to his discretion.
An advanced depot was established at Dolepchen and the entire force was assembled at Padong by March 14 when it was divided into two columns, the Lingtu column commanded by Graham and the Intchi column by Lt-Col Mitchell.
while he remained in Padong. Graham advanced to Sedongchen, about seven miles from Lingtu, on the 19th and the next day he attacked the Tibetan stockade at Jeluk. The Tibetans had barricaded the road and erected a stockade on a hill that dominated the road. Graham advanced up the road with the pioneers in front clearing the path from bamboo and foliage, followed by a hundred men of the Derbyshire and the two artillery pieces. The advance was slow due to the difficult terrain, but once they reached the stockade the Tibetans retreated after a short struggle. In spite of the fortifications the defenders' bows and matchlocks were outgunned by the British modern rifles and artillery. After carrying the stockade, the British drove the defenders off a stone breastwork that covered the back of the stockade and stopped short their pursuit of the retreating Tibetans.
After the battle of Jeluk, Graham reformed his men and advanced down the road as far as Garnei, within a mile of the Lingtu fort, and camped there for the night. The next morning the column advanced slowly through the mist and snow to the Tibetan positions and around 11 o'clock the 32nd Pioneers occupied the gate of the fort which was guarded only by some 30 Tibetan soldiers
After some skirmishes, the Tibetans crossed the Tuko La pass some two miles from Gnathong. Quickly they started building a wall on the ridge of the pass, some three or four feet high and almost four miles wide. Colonel Graham attacked the Tibetan positions around 8 a.m. with three columns. He led the left column, which attacked the blockhouse that guarded the Tuko La pass. Lieutenant-Colonel Bromhead commanded the centre column that was to advance up the main road to Tuko La. The right column, commanded by Major Craigie-Halkett, was to occupy the saddle-back north east of Woodcock hill and hold the Tibetans' left. Around 9:30 AM the attack was opened with the bombardment of the Tibetan left flank by the artillery of the British right. At 10:30 the other two British columns were in contact with the Tibetans, and the British penetrated the defences and captured the Tuko La pass, after which the Tibetans retreated through the Nim La pass. After securing his flanks, Colonel Graham moved to attack the Tibetans at the Jelep La pass which was attacked at 2 PM and captured shortly afterwards. The next day the pursuit continued and by 4 PM the British occupied Rinchingong.
). The Tibetans were disorganized and did not oppose the enemy's progress.
Meanwhile Graham found it necessary to advance to Gantok, the capital of Sikkim, where the pro-Tibetan party had ousted the opposition from more pro-Indian faction. Colonel Mitchell with 150 of the 13th Bengal Infantry marched to the city on the 23rd of that month.
, who finally arrived to Gnathong on March 22, 1889. Eventually an Anglo-Chinese convention was signed on March 17, 1890 at Kolkata
, which established the Tibetan renunciation of suzerainty over Sikkim, and delimited the border between Tibet and Sikkim.
Causes
Sikkim had a long history of relations with Tibet. BuddhismBuddhism
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...
was the religion and the Chogyal
Chogyal
The Chogyal were the monarchs of the former kingdoms of Sikkim and Ladakh, which were ruled by separate branches of the Namgyal family. The Chogyal, or divine ruler, was the absolute potentate of Sikkim from 1642 to 1975, when its monarchy was abrogated and its people voted to make Sikkim India's...
rulers descended from Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyal, a Tibetan saint who unified 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...
. In the first half of the 19th century, the British extended their influence to the Himalayas
Himalayas
The Himalaya Range or Himalaya Mountains Sanskrit: Devanagari: हिमालय, literally "abode of snow"), usually called the Himalayas or Himalaya for short, is a mountain range in Asia, separating the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau...
and Sikkim signed an agreement with the British in 1861. As the British established relations with 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...
, Sikkim and Bhutan, Tibetan influence wanned and in 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...
and Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
it was feared that if left unopposed, the British would encroach into Tibet through Sikkim.
Thutob Namgyal
Thutob Namgyal was the ruling chogyal of Sikkim between 1874 and 1914. Thutob ascended to the throne succeeding his half-brother Sidkeong Namgyal who died issueless. Differences between the Nepalese settlers and the indigenous population during his reign led to the direct intervention of the...
, the 9th Chogyal of Sikkim, looked to the Dalai Lama for spiritual leadership and during his reign the Tibetan government started to regain political influence on Sikkim. By the Anglo-Sikkim treaty of 1861 the Dharmaraja was restricted to spending no more than three months in Tibet but he frequently ignored this provision and in 1887, after having resided for almost two years in Tibet he declined to travel to Darjeling to meet with the Lieutenant-Governor arguing that the Amban
Amban
Amban is a Manchu word meaning "high official," which corresponds to a number of different official titles in the Qing imperial government...
in Lhasa had forbidden him to do so. Meanwhile he had ordered that the revenue collected be sent to Chumbi, a clear sign of his intention not to return to Sikkim.
In 1886 the Indian government prepared to send a diplomatic mission to Lhassa to define the spheres of influence of the Tibetan and Indian governments. Colman Macaulay was to be the responsible for the negotiations but the mission was delayed after the Tibetan government dispatched an expedition of 300 soldiers that crossed the Jelap La pass and occupied Lingtu around thirteen miles into Sikkim.
The British decided to suspend the Macaulay mission since its despatch was the Tibetan argument for their occupation,but instead of retreating the Tibetans showed every sign of being there to stay. They built a fortified gate on the road that crossed Lingtu coming from Darjeeling and into Tibet, and also constructed a fort to defend it. After negotiations with the Chinese stalled, the Indian government ordered the despatch of a military expedition to Lingtu to restore Indian control of the road.
Despatch of the Expedition
Starting in 1888, while negotiations carried on the British prepared for a military solution. In January they sent to the frontier the headquarters and one wing of the 32nd Pioneers32nd Sikh Pioneers
The 32nd Sikh Pioneers were a regiment of the Indian Army during British rule. The regiment was founded in 1857 as the Punjab Sappers ....
to repair the Rongli bridge and the road, and prepared resting locations for the expedition at Sevoke
Sevoke
Sevoke is a town near Siliguri in the Darjeeling District of West Bengal, India. It is a part of Dooars. Many army and BSF camps are located in the area. The Mahananda Wildlife Sanctuary is situated in this area. National Highway 31 passes through the town...
and Riang in the Terai
Terai
The Terai is a belt of marshy grasslands, savannas, and forests located south of the outer foothills of the Himalaya, the Siwalik Hills, and north of the Indo-Gangetic Plain of the Ganges, Brahmaputra and their tributaries. The Terai belongs to the Terai-Duar savanna and grasslands ecoregion...
. The Tibetan government received an ultimatum to withdraw their troops by March 15.
On February 25 Brig-Gen Thomas Graham RA was ordered to march. His forces mustered the 2nd Battalion Derbyshire Regiment
95th (Derbyshire) Regiment of Foot
The 95th Regiment of Foot was formed when the 95th Rifles were redesignated as The Rifle Brigade . In 1881, during the Childers Reforms, it was united with the 45th Regiment of Foot to form the Sherwood Foresters .-History:...
, HQ wing 13th Bengal Infantry
13th Rajputs (The Shekhawati Regiment)
The 13th Rajputs was an infantry regiment of the Bengal Army, and later of the British Indian Army. They could trace their origins to the Shekhawati Regiment raised in 1835, as part of the Jaipur contingent of the Honourable East India Company and were taken into the Company's service as a local...
, four guns from the 9-1st Northern Division Royal Artillery
Royal Artillery
The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery , is the artillery arm of the British Army. Despite its name, it comprises a number of regiments.-History:...
and the 32nd Pioneers
32nd Sikh Pioneers
The 32nd Sikh Pioneers were a regiment of the Indian Army during British rule. The regiment was founded in 1857 as the Punjab Sappers ....
. His orders were to expel the Tibetans from Lingtu and reestablish Indian control of the road up to the Jelep La, while securing Gantok and 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...
from possible reprisals. He was not instructed to cross into Tibet but the decision was left to his discretion.
An advanced depot was established at Dolepchen and the entire force was assembled at Padong by March 14 when it was divided into two columns, the Lingtu column commanded by Graham and the Intchi column by Lt-Col Mitchell.
Jeluk and Lingtu
Mitchell sent 200 men to PakyongPakyong
Pakyong is a town in the foothills of the himalayas located in the East Sikkim district of the Indian state of Sikkim. Pakyong used to be a small settlement until the Central government grant for the first airport in Sikkim to be built in this town brought it into the limelight in the late...
while he remained in Padong. Graham advanced to Sedongchen, about seven miles from Lingtu, on the 19th and the next day he attacked the Tibetan stockade at Jeluk. The Tibetans had barricaded the road and erected a stockade on a hill that dominated the road. Graham advanced up the road with the pioneers in front clearing the path from bamboo and foliage, followed by a hundred men of the Derbyshire and the two artillery pieces. The advance was slow due to the difficult terrain, but once they reached the stockade the Tibetans retreated after a short struggle. In spite of the fortifications the defenders' bows and matchlocks were outgunned by the British modern rifles and artillery. After carrying the stockade, the British drove the defenders off a stone breastwork that covered the back of the stockade and stopped short their pursuit of the retreating Tibetans.
After the battle of Jeluk, Graham reformed his men and advanced down the road as far as Garnei, within a mile of the Lingtu fort, and camped there for the night. The next morning the column advanced slowly through the mist and snow to the Tibetan positions and around 11 o'clock the 32nd Pioneers occupied the gate of the fort which was guarded only by some 30 Tibetan soldiers
Gnathong
After escaping from Lingtu, the Tibetans crossed the border and rallied in the Chumbi valley, defeated but not destroyed. In fact they received reinforcements and the British readied their defences in Gnathong, a plateau some three or four miles north of Lingtu. On May 21 the Lieutenant-Governor of Bengal arrived to Gnathong and the Tibetans attacked the British defences the next day at 7 AM with 3,000 men (British claim). The fighting lasted until 10 a.m. when the Tibetans retreated. The British admitted three killed and eight wounded and claimed to have killed around a hundred Tibetans. The Tibetans retreated back across the Jelap La and no other combat took place, so in June the British started to send some of the troops back to Darjeeling.Renewed operations
Towards the end of July, as the British withdrawal continued, renewed Tibetan activity was observed on the other side of the border. The Tibetans were fortifying the mountain passes above the Chumbi valley. Colonel Graham had at his disposition only 500 men plus a garrison at Gnathong, while the Bengal government estimated the Tibetan strength between Rinchingong and Kophu at 7,000, plus a reserve at Lingamathang of 1,000 soldiers. Quickly the Bengal authorities sent reinforcements and by the end of August, Graham's forces at Gnathong had risen to 1,691 soldiers and four guns.After some skirmishes, the Tibetans crossed the Tuko La pass some two miles from Gnathong. Quickly they started building a wall on the ridge of the pass, some three or four feet high and almost four miles wide. Colonel Graham attacked the Tibetan positions around 8 a.m. with three columns. He led the left column, which attacked the blockhouse that guarded the Tuko La pass. Lieutenant-Colonel Bromhead commanded the centre column that was to advance up the main road to Tuko La. The right column, commanded by Major Craigie-Halkett, was to occupy the saddle-back north east of Woodcock hill and hold the Tibetans' left. Around 9:30 AM the attack was opened with the bombardment of the Tibetan left flank by the artillery of the British right. At 10:30 the other two British columns were in contact with the Tibetans, and the British penetrated the defences and captured the Tuko La pass, after which the Tibetans retreated through the Nim La pass. After securing his flanks, Colonel Graham moved to attack the Tibetans at the Jelep La pass which was attacked at 2 PM and captured shortly afterwards. The next day the pursuit continued and by 4 PM the British occupied Rinchingong.
Chumbi valley and Gantok
The next day, September 26, the British advanced three miles along the Ammo Chu, and bivouaced for the night at Myatong (YatungYadong County
Chomo County is a frontier county and trade-market of Tibet, situated in the mouth of the Chumbi valley near the Indian frontier. It lies in the middle part of Himalayas and the south of Tibet Autonomous Region, covering about 4,306 square kilometers with a population of 10,000...
). The Tibetans were disorganized and did not oppose the enemy's progress.
Meanwhile Graham found it necessary to advance to Gantok, the capital of Sikkim, where the pro-Tibetan party had ousted the opposition from more pro-Indian faction. Colonel Mitchell with 150 of the 13th Bengal Infantry marched to the city on the 23rd of that month.
Convention of Calcutta
After the advance on Chumbi and Gantok, military operations stalled. In December 21, the Chinese resident in Lhasa arrived at Gnathong and negotiations began, but no agreement was reached so the Amban returned to Rinchingong where he received orders to wait for Mr. T. H. Hart, of the Chinese Imperial Customs ServiceChinese Maritime Customs Service
The Chinese Maritime Customs Service was a Chinese governmental tax collection agency and information service from its founding in 1854 until its bifurcation in 1949 into services operating in the Republic of China on Taiwan, and in the People's Republic of China...
, who finally arrived to Gnathong on March 22, 1889. Eventually an Anglo-Chinese convention was signed on March 17, 1890 at Kolkata
Kolkata
Kolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India...
, which established the Tibetan renunciation of suzerainty over Sikkim, and delimited the border between Tibet and Sikkim.