Opening the Hidden Land : State Formation and the Construction of Sikkimese History

In this first monograph on the history of Sikkim, the author challenges traditional Sikkimese historiography to rigourous historical enquiry by comparing it to original seventeenth and eighteenth century sources and exposes the contradictions founds within traditional narrative traditions. This book highlights, not only, how and why traditional historiography was developed but also redefines contemporary knowledge of the history of Sikkimese state formation. The book touches on key themes such as Tibetan understandings of state, kingship and the role of Buddhism in justifying political administration as well as social stratification and the economy of pre-modern Sikkim. This book will undoubtedly prove useful to those working on the development of historical traditions and state entities in Tibet and the Himalaya. Contents......Page 8 Acknowledgements......Page 12 Note on Orthography......Page 18 List of Abbreviations......Page 20 List of Illustrations......Page 22 Chapter One Introduction......Page 26 1. Early Inhabitation of Sikkim and the Lepcha Migrations......Page 30 2. Gter ma and the Identification of Sikkim......Page 34 3. History, Narrative and Myth......Page 37 4. State, Nation and Nationalism......Page 44 5. Legitimacy and Tibetan Religio-Political Theories of State and Governance......Page 48 6. A Guide to the Sources......Page 52 7. The Chapters......Page 55 1. Introduction to the Sources......Page 58 2. The Tibetan Migration Narrative......Page 61 3. State Formation Narratives......Page 68 4. Conclusions and Context......Page 73 4.1. Final Remarks......Page 77 1. La sogs rgyal rabs......Page 80 2. The Origins, Settlement and State Formation of Sikkim......Page 88 2.1. Myth as History: Some Remarks on the Origins and Settlement of the Tibeto-Sikkimese......Page 89 3. State and Politics: Some Previously Unknown Events......Page 106 3.1. Rebellion and Reorganisation: Stratification in Early Sikkim......Page 109 4. Some Concluding Remarks......Page 111 Chapter Four Religion and Politics in Early Sikkim: The Case of Mnga’ bdag phun tshogs rig ’dzin......Page 114 1. The Mnga’ bdag rgyal rabs......Page 115 1.2. The Text in Detail......Page 117 2. Understanding the Text for the Study of Early Sikkimese History......Page 124 2.1. The Religious Lineage of Phun tshogs rig ’dzin......Page 126 2.2. Phun tshogs rig ’dzin and His Activities in Sikkim......Page 134 3. Conclusion......Page 137 Chapter Five Lha btsun chen po and the Formation of Sikkim......Page 140 1. The Early Life of Lha btsun chen po......Page 141 1.2. Lha btsun chen po in Sikkim......Page 147 2. The “Coronation” Conundrum......Page 158 3. Conclusion......Page 162 Chapter Six Revisiting the State and Political Formation of Early Sikkim......Page 164 1. The Lho Mon Gtsong gsum Agreement......Page 165 2. Contextualising Early Sikkim......Page 172 3. Territory and Expansion in Early Sikkim......Page 176 4. Socio-Economic and Political Organisation in Sikkim......Page 178 5. Conclusion......Page 183 Chapter Seven Bhutan, Sikkim and British India: The Arrival of ’Jigs med dpa’ bo and the Construction of Historical Narratives......Page 186 1. The War of Succession......Page 187 2. ’Jigs med dpa’ bo: Revival and Reform......Page 190 3. Sikkim in Trouble: The Construction of Historical Narratives......Page 198 3.1. Internal Turmoil: The Sikkimese Civil War (1734–1741)......Page 199 3.2. An Unresolved War: Sikkim, China and Nepal......Page 200 3.3. Anglo-Sikkimese Relations......Page 204 3.4. The Construction of Historical Narratives......Page 210 4. Conclusion......Page 212 Chapter Eight Conclusion: Remarks on Sikkimese State Formation and the Construction of Historical Narratives......Page 214 1. Historical Narratives and State Formation......Page 216 2. The Next Step: Towards Re-Evaluating Sikkimese History......Page 218 2.1. The State and its Expansion, the Aristocracy, Lepcha and Limbu History, and the British Period......Page 220 3. Final Remarks and a Word of Warning......Page 223 Appendices and Additional Materials......Page 226 Appendix One Chronology of Early Sikkim......Page 228 Appendix Two The Clans of Sikkim......Page 230 Appendix Three Population and Conflict in Early Sikkim......Page 235 Appendix Four The Royal Chronicle of La Sogs......Page 243 Appendix Five Mnga’ bdag rgyal rabs......Page 248 Appendix Six Excerpts from Lha bstun chen po’s lam yig......Page 262 Appendix Seven The Lho Mon Gtshong Gsum Agreement......Page 265 Appendix Eight The Mon pa’i tho byang......Page 270 Tibetan References......Page 280 Western Language References......Page 285 Index......Page 296 Contents 8 Acknowledgements 12 Note on Orthography 18 List of Abbreviations 20 List of Illustrations 22 Chapter One Introduction 26 1. Early Inhabitation of Sikkim and the Lepcha Migrations 30 2. Gter ma and the Identification of Sikkim 34 3. History, Narrative and Myth 37 4. State, Nation and Nationalism 44 5. Legitimacy and Tibetan Religio-Political Theories of State and Governance 48 6. A Guide to the Sources 52 7. The Chapters 55 Chapter Two Local Historical Narratives: Tibeto-Sikkimese Origins and the Establishment of the Sikkimese State 58 1. Introduction to the Sources 58 2. The Tibetan Migration Narrative 61 3. State Formation Narratives 68 4. Conclusions and Context 73 4.1. Final Remarks 77 Chapter Three Justifying ‘State Formation’: Territorial Expansion and the Formation of Law 80 1. La sogs rgyal rabs 80 2. The Origins, Settlement and State Formation of Sikkim 88 2.1. Myth as History: Some Remarks on the Origins and Settlement of the Tibeto-Sikkimese 89 3. State and Politics: Some Previously Unknown Events 106 3.1. Rebellion and Reorganisation: Stratification in Early Sikkim 109 4. Some Concluding Remarks 111 Chapter Four Religion and Politics in Early Sikkim: The Case of Mnga’ bdag phun tshogs rig ’dzin 114 1. The Mnga’ bdag rgyal rabs 115 1.2. The Text in Detail 117 2. Understanding the Text for the Study of Early Sikkimese History 124 2.1. The Religious Lineage of Phun tshogs rig ’dzin 126 2.2. Phun tshogs rig ’dzin and His Activities in Sikkim 134 3. Conclusion 137 Chapter Five Lha btsun chen po and the Formation of Sikkim 140 1. The Early Life of Lha btsun chen po 141 1.2. Lha btsun chen po in Sikkim 147 2. The “Coronation” Conundrum 158 3. Conclusion 162 Chapter Six Revisiting the State and Political Formation of Early Sikkim 164 1. The Lho Mon Gtsong gsum Agreement 165 2. Contextualising Early Sikkim 172 3. Territory and Expansion in Early Sikkim 176 4. Socio-Economic and Political Organisation in Sikkim 178 5. Conclusion 183 Chapter Seven Bhutan, Sikkim and British India: The Arrival of ’Jigs med dpa’ bo and the Construction of Historical Narratives 186 1. The War of Succession 187 2. ’Jigs med dpa’ bo: Revival and Reform 190 3. Sikkim in Trouble: The Construction of Historical Narratives 198 3.1. Internal Turmoil: The Sikkimese Civil War (1734–1741) 199 3.2. An Unresolved War: Sikkim, China and Nepal 200 3.3. Anglo-Sikkimese Relations 204 3.4. The Construction of Historical Narratives 210 4. Conclusion 212 Chapter Eight Conclusion: Remarks on Sikkimese State Formation and the Construction of Historical Narratives 214 1. Historical Narratives and State Formation 216 2. The Next Step: Towards Re-Evaluating Sikkimese History 218 2.1. The State and its Expansion, the Aristocracy, Lepcha and Limbu History, and the British Period 220 3. Final Remarks and a Word of Warning 223 Appendices and Additional Materials 226 Appendix One Chronology of Early Sikkim 228 Appendix Two The Clans of Sikkim 230 Appendix Three Population and Conflict in Early Sikkim 235 Appendix Four The Royal Chronicle of La Sogs 243 Appendix Five Mnga’ bdag rgyal rabs 248 Appendix Six Excerpts from Lha bstun chen po’s lam yig 262 Appendix Seven The Lho Mon Gtshong Gsum Agreement 265 Appendix Eight The Mon pa’i tho byang 270 Bibliographies 280 Tibetan References 280 Western Language References 285 Index 296 Using seventeenth and eighteenth century sources from the former Himalayan kingdom of Sikkim, this book examines the construction of Sikkimese historiography and presents an interpretation of the history of state formation of Sikkim.