History of Darjeeling Hills, India’s beloved hill station. From British Colonial Legacy to India’s Beloved Hill Station. Discover the rich history of Darjeeling Hills (Darjiling), once the hill capital of the British East India Company, famous for scenic landscapes, tea gardens, and the iconic toy train. Let’s begin,

You must have heard about the world-famous name Darjeeling; if not, then you must have definitely heard about Darjeeling’s three T’s—tea, timber, and tourism—discovered by the British East India Company in the early 19th century. The fourth T was added in 1879, which indeed made a world heritage toy train between Darjeeling railway station and New Jalpaiguri railway station in the Indian state of West Bengal by stretching 88 km (55 mi) on a 2 ft (610 mm) gauge railway.

Do you know how the history of Darjeeling went by?

Do you know how Darjeeling became a part of India?

Prior to its integration into West Bengal, what was its history?

It is said that once Darjeeling was part of Sikkim. But how did it separate from Sikkim?

What made the British East India Company attempt to possess it that first saw in Darjeeling?

So, here are the answers to those questions through this short piece of history on Darjeeling Hills. So, let’s roll down the curtains on all the questions about the history of Darjeeling. And if you too are curious enough to know about Darjeeling, then make sure to read this article till the end.

HISTORY OF DARJEELING: A Glimpse Into the Past

It cannot be denied that the development of Darjeeling owes its share to British colonial rule and, even before that, the British East India Company. It was the British who first had the vision to make it a health resort or sanitarium. But, by no means, did this transformation take place overnight. The history is too long and complex.

Darjeeling: A Part of Sikkim

The place was once a part of the Kingdom of Sikkim, in case anyone is not aware. Just in case one does not know, the Kingdom of Sikkim was not India in those days. Sikkim merged into India only recently in the year 1975 and has a history as different as night and day.

(We shall describe this in greater detail when we narrate the history of Sikkim.) Before that, the Sikkim was a completely independent dynasty which was ruled by the Namgyal dynasty. The kings of this dynasty were called ‘Chogyal’. In 1706, the Kingdom of Sikkim lost the present Kalimpong district, a part of Darjeeling Hills, to the Kingdom of Bhutan.

War with Nepal and Overthrow of Sikkim

On the other hand, the Gorkha dynasty of Nepal wanted to expand their territory, so they too looked towards Sikkim. The Kingdom of Sikkim was regularly attacked by the Gorkhas. In 1780, when the Gorkhas freely ravaged the Kingdom of Sikkim, it was finally captured and came under the direct rule of the Kingdom of Gorkha. King Chogyal had to abandon his kingdom and seek shelter in Tibet.

Anglo-Nepalese War and British Interference

Over the following years, the Gorkhas continued to conquer eastwards up to the banks of the Teesta River and grabbed the Terai on the lower plains. In this pursuit for further territories, however, they crossed paths with the British East India Company. This led to the beginning of the Anglo-Nepalese War between 1814 and 1816, in which the British emerged triumphant.

Sugauli Treaty (1816) & Titalia Treaty (1817)

The defeat of Nepal in the Anglo-Nepal War led to the bringing to an end of Nepal’s territorial aspirations and eventually resulted in the signing of the Treaty of Sugauli of 1816 between the British East India Company and the Kingdom of Nepal. The treaty forced Nepal to yield all Kumaon, Garhwal, and Sikkim territories to the British East India Company. The same treaty also divulged rights to the British to recruit Gorkhas into the British military forces.

Besides that, the Treaty of Titalia in 1817 was exchanged between Sikkim and the British East India Company, which returned all the territories captured by Nepal from Sikkim to the King of Sikkim. At that time, the British East India Company was attracted by the beauty of Darjeeling Hills. This treaty, however, made the king submit all foreign disputes in the region to the British government for arbitration.

British E.I.C. Interest in Darjeeling Hills

Then the British East India Company set their sights on Darjeeling Hills in the early 19th century. Soon enough, they found a hill station that would provide much-needed relief in the Indian plains during scorching summers. Conflicts over borders began to emerge between Sikkim and Nepal.

As terms of the treaty, the matter was placed before the Governor General for redressal. It is said that the British Governor-General, Lord William Bentinck, dispatched two officers, Captain George Allard and J.W. Grant-to work out a settlement on these very issues. At this point, the East India Company took a fancy to the beauty of Darjeeling. Both the officers were stunned by the beauty of Darjeeling and in 1829 they submitted their report to Lord Bentinck, who recommended that a sanitarium be set up there.

The Lease of Darjeeling (1835)

The East India Company by 1835 had prepared a deed and negotiated with Sikkim to lease Darjeeling. The deed was in Lepcha, which Sikkim’s then Chogyal was forbidden to read. Under this deed, the British were gifted Darjeeling as a friendly gesture, and in return, an annual sum of ₹ 3000 was settled that later would rise to ₹ 6000.

Development with Dr. Campbell

Though Darjeeling was now under the British East India Company, access to it still required passage through Sikkim, for which a travel permit was in order. In 1839, Dr. Archibald Campbell, the British Resident in Nepal, was placed in charge of Darjeeling’s administration and also entrusted with handling political relations with Sikkim. Dr. Campbell is credited with the initial development of Darjeeling. Under his patronage, it grew from a population of 100 in 1839 to 10,000 by 1849. Roads were built, law and order prevailed during the same period, and bonded slavery was abolished in Darjeeling.

Disputes Between Sikkim and the E.I.C

Even as Darjeeling advanced, controversy sprang up between the East India Company and Sikkim too. Historians say that development there became injurious to the most influential commercial class in Sikkim. Botanist Joseph Dalton Hooker and Dr. Archibald Campbell were captured in Sikkim by November 1849. Both were released in December 1849.

Regardless of which theory is correct, the arrest did occur. The arrest of Hooker and Campbell provided a pretext to East India Company to educate Sikkim a lesson and it made all the country areas of South Sikkim to be occupied by the British. The annual allowance of ₹6000 was also stopped, and parts of the Terai region were added to Darjeeling.

Territorial Expansion of Darjeeling Hills

It had become already a top tea plantation place and a tourist destination. It was a hub for vacations as well as a promising region for the British, mainly for tea. The Chogyal of Sikkim had entrusted his administration to his Diwan, Namgyal, which further devastated the bond between Sikkim and the East India Company. The British employees were kidnapped and sold into slavery in Sikkim.

When the negotiations failed, the British decided to take the other part of Sikkim. A force of 2,600 men armed with artillery led by Ashley Eden and Colonel Gawler successfully occupied Tumlong, which was the capital of Sikkim, in March 1861. On March 28th, under the operation of Dewan Namguay, the son of the king was formally put on the throne.

All border disputes reached a settlement, which eventually led to an open trade between Darjeeling and Sikkim because a treaty was entered into.

The Inclusion of Kalimpong (1865)

But the current Kalimpong district accompanied Bhutan, and they were attacking estates and killing innocent people over there. It was in 1865 that a treaty came into force between the British and Bhutan over control of Kalimpong, which they surrendered to the British in lieu of an annual subsidy. Kalimpong had been annexed to the Darjeeling district from 1866 on. This was the last territorial acquisition for Darjeeling. Within a few years, it would rapidly develop and become much more secure.

Advancement in Agriculture, Communication & Infrastructure

Ever since 1866, peace has been established in Darjeeling, because of which there has been a comprehensive development in the area. The main developments in agriculture were found in three areas. Firstly, the huge tracks of forest land were converted into arable fields. Secondly, the age-old methods of jhuming that existed where part of forests was burnt to have temporary cultivation were substituted by more scientific means like terracing, plowing, and even irrigation.

Jhuming made the soil sterile within one or two years and required an area of fresh forest land to be brought under the plow for each crop cycle. The third radical change was the production of new crops, including cinchona and oranges, cardamom, potatoes, and most famously Darjeeling tea. Some forests were made amenable to agriculture but left undisturbed to avoid soil loss, while some timber was reserved.

Communication also improved a lot. Much effort went into the building of mountain roads. In 1881, the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway was inaugurated. This markedly enhanced the railway system and also relieved the discomfort of traveling to Darjeeling from the plains. A hydroelectric power plant, India’s first one, was also erected so that local energy could be furnished to the town of Darjeeling.

Darjeeling as an Educational Hub and Place of Growth

Darjeeling also emerged as a center for European education. Many schools were established in Darjeeling, Kurseong, and Kalimpong, many of which remain among the best in the country and offer boarding facilities.

As development picked up, the town experienced rapid population growth, as many settled there permanently while others came over as seasonal retirees. This region was declared a partially excluded area under the provisions of the 1935 Government of India Act. Thus, one seat was assigned to an elected representative in the Bengal Provincial Legislature. The first election in Darjeeling took place in 1937.

By 1947, when India finally emerged as an independent nation, the British had to vacate their beloved jewel, Darjeeling Hills. No leader from the hill region participated in the first post-independence parliamentary election held in India. In the second parliamentary election held in 1957, the Darjeeling district was made a separate constituency with one Lok Sabha seat. This status is still there today.

Darjeeling Hills Today: Demand for Gorkhaland

Darjeeling Hills is part of West Bengal today, but with a difference in language and culture that is fairly different from Bengal. For these reasons, the people of Darjeeling have demanded for all these years a separate state, Gorkhaland.