The Status of Sikkim continues....

In 1861 the British managed to declare Sikkim a British Protectorate, which effectively de-throned the Choegyal Raja. This was not agreed to by Tibet, which considered Sikkim a vassal state of theirs, as we have seen, and sent in troops, but were defeated by the British. The 1890 Convention between Britain and China fixed Sikkim’s present boundary with Tibet in the north, delimited along the watershed of the Teesta River which flows southwards through Sikkim into Bengal.

POLITICAL HISTORY OF SIKKIM

1642 CE, Sikkim Kingdom established after a Tibetan chieftain arrived at a treaty of brotherhood with the local Lepcha leadership, and was crowned with the title Choegyal.

.1861 Becomes a Protectorate of British Bengal
.1890 China formally recognizes British Protectorate (from 1st April 1906, Protectorate of British India) 14 Aug 1947 to Protectorate of India (formally from 5th December 1950)

16 May 1975

16 May 1975 Joined India (retro-active to 26th April 1975)

The status of Sikkim as an integral part of India from 1975 has not been fully accepted by China. Nevertheless, China has not raised any major issues with regard to the boundary as such, though there have been military clashes in the past, at Nathula and Chola, in the 1967.

China’s main issue appears to be the legality of Sikkim’s accession to India, rather than a boundary issue. A minor irritant has been the recent Chinese intransigence over one small spot in February-March 2008, and some earlier intrusions in 2007 into the India-Bhutan-Tibet tri-junction area, at Donkya La. The major incident, the politico military watershed event of 2017, was at Dokham in Bhutanese territory close to the Tibet-Sikkim-Bhutan tri-junction.

The status of Sikkim concluded!

Next up:- chapter 8 - The Sino-Indian Boundary Issue

( This account is maintained by Har Anand Publications)