Photo 355/1(13)

Group photograph of Sikhyong Namgue, Maharaja of Sikkim, Sir George Campbell, Lieut. Governor of Bengal and their suites, at Darjeeling. The youth at the left is Thotab Namgue, who succeeded as Maharaja in 1874.

The following account of the durbar can be found in Government of India Foreign Department Proceedings (Political), October 1873 (IOR/P/770 pp. 565-568), letter dated 14 June 1873. Paragraph 16 supplies a date for this and the following photograph:

Sir,

I am directed to report for the information of His Excellency the Governor-General in Council, that on the 1st instant the Maharajah of Sikkim arrived in Darjeeling to visit His Honor the Lieutenant-Governor. Notwithstanding the friendly relations that have been maintained with Sikkim since 1862, this is the first time that the Sikkimputi has entered British territory; and although invitations to do so had more than once been given him, they had always been met by excuses hitherto. On the present occasion the Maharajah volunteered the visit, and it appeared to His Honor most desirable to encourage him to come in, and to endeavor to cultivate intimacy with the Sikkim authorities in any way that might suggest itself in the course of the interviews likely to ensue.

2. The Sikkimputi was accompanied by his young brother styled the 'Chota Rajah,' the boy with the hare-lip, to whom reference is made in paragraph 7 of Colonel Haughton's letter No. 8, dated 10th March 1869, forwarded to you with Mr. Eden's No. 1231, dated 22nd March 1869; by his sister Seringpati, a young lady of 20 as yet unmarried; by his brother Chongzed Kabboo (also mentioned in Colonel Haughton's letter, and understood to be illegitimate), who is in fact his prime minister or manager, and by whom the whole business of the state appears to he transacted. A numerous following of Lamas and Kazies and a motley crowd of Lepchas and Bhuteahs, some of them armed with very rusty muskets, completed the party.

3. A house was taken under the Lieutenant-Governor's orders for the Maharajah's accommodation, and provisions were daily supplied him at Government expense. The finances of Sikkim are on such a limited scale that it would have been impossible for the Lieutenant-Governor to have done otherwise than act according to the oriental rites of hospitality.

4. The Sikkimputi himself is an elderly man of apparently somewhat weak intellect or, at any rate, reserved character. Those about him endeavour to explain his want of communicativeness by ascribing his manner to religious abstraction, the effect of excessive devotion to the duties of a Lama. He however quite understands what is said to him, and occasionally brightens up into intelligence and interested appreciation of what is going on around him; very possibly his personal influence is greater than outsiders can readily estimate. He is certainly treated with much respect.

5. The young boy, the 'Chota Raja,' is a quiet youth, said to be very sensitive about his personal defect, and who has consequently appeared little and taken little part in the sight-seeing; but he bears himself with propriety in public, and is attentive to what is going on about him. At the request of his friends the Civil Surgeon examined him with a view to an operation for the radical cure of his hare-lip. It has, however, been decided to postpone this until the weather is colder, especially as there is some possibility of his being sent in with a younger relative for education at Darjeeling. If this arrangement could be brought about, the Lieutenant-Governor would strongly recommend their being educated as Government wards and at Government expense. The family is too poor to afford the necessary outlay very easily; while the advantage of having a young man with a good English education, and bound to us by ties of obligation, holding an influential position in Sikkim, cannot be overestimated. It is, however, premature to make any definite proposition in connection with this project at present.

6. The Maharajah's sister Seringpati was one of the most interesting persons in the group, perfectly free from affectation and any ideas of seclusion; she appeared on all public occasions, visited the sights of the place under the escort of the Deputy Commissioner and other officials, and expressed the most naive delight with every novelty that was brought to her notice.

7. The prime minister Chongzed Kabboo is, however, undoubtedly the leading spirit in Sikkim at the present time. Of easy manners and address, he seems to take up every subject that comes before him with remarkable intelligence, and is obviously a man of great natural powers and of predominating influence among his countrymen.

8. The only other member of the party whom it is necessary to single out was the Lama of Pomiongchi, the leading member of the Buddhist hierarchy in Sikkim, whose tall, commanding form and imposing archi-episcopal head-dress made him a conspicuous object even among the crowd of picturesque and Chinese-looking Lamas and Kazies who surrounded the Sikkimputi on all public occasions.

9. On Tuesday, the 3rd instant, the Lieutenant-Governor received the Maharajah in open durbar, under the regulation salute of 15 guns. The durbar was attended by many of the civil and military officers on duty in the station, and by others who were anxious to be spectators of the reception of these unwonted visitors. Presents of no very great value were exchanged, and the Lieutenant-Governor expressed to the Maharajah the pleasure with which be would convey to His Excellency the Governor-General news of this visit, and the hope that it might result in the greater development of trade, in more familiar intercourse between the two countries, and in much benefit to Sikkim.

10. On the following day His Honor received privately the minister Chongzed, who was commissioned to explain fully the wishes of the Sikkim durbar, and from whom it was expected that much interesting information could he obtained. It is unnecessary to detail at length all that passed upon this occasion. It may suffice to say that it was made clear that while traders from Cashmir and Nepal are allowed free access to the Thibetan markets, few Hindustani or Bengali traders venture to attempt the journey, and it is doubtful if they would ordinarily be allowed to cross the passes. It is certain that no European traveller would be allowed by the Thibetan authorities to cross the frontier by the Sikkim route. Chongzed affirmed that this was due solely to the existence of the orders to that effect from the Court of Pekin; that the local officials would, if they dared, gladly facilitate a direct trade; and that even now a considerable traffic is carried on through Sikkim by Thibetan, Lepcha, or Bhutea traders. It is, the Lieutenant-Governor believes, certain that the construction of the Northern Bengal Railway, and its extension to the Teesta Valley, must give an immense impetus to this trade througb Sikkim, if only the Chinese and Thibetan authorities would permit it. Under the existing treaty, section XIII, power is reserved to the British Government to make a road through the Maliarajah's territory at any time, the Sikkim State being bound thereafter to maintain it. No advantage has hitherto been taken of this provision of the treaty; but on the present occasion the durbar have expressed themselves willing to see it carried into effect, and have pledged themselves to furnish on payment all the necessary labor, and to render ready and active assistance should Government see fit to undertake such a work. On these subjects, however, the Lieutenant-Governor will separately address the Government of India.

11. It further appears that they have discovered mines of copper and iron in their territory, and advice was sought as to whether it was desirable to encourage the working of such things. They were of course told that it was most desirable; but it is doubtful from Hooker's descriptions whether any minerals of importance are to be found in Sikkim.

12. Adverting to the supposed inharmonious nature of the existing relations between Nepal and Thibet, inquiry was made and pressed as to whether any rumours of this character had been current in the hills. Chongzed professed entire ignorance of any such rumours, but undertook to report forthwith any thing they might learn from Choombee, Lhassa, or elsewhere. The Rajah and his people much dwelt on the fact that he is only a small Rajah surrounded by great ones, and that we must not ask him to commit himself too much, and must support him if he did.

13. He represented, however, very strongly the dread in which they stand of Bhutan and Nepal. The former state had, he said, been using of late very threatening language towards Sikkim; while from Nepal large numbers of immigrants had taken up land in Sikkim, from whose presence the Rajah's advisers apprehended sooner or later that trouble would arise, which would give Nepal a pretext for interference, or power in case of disturbance. He was reminded of the provisions of the treaties which bound both Sikkim and Bhutan to refer all differences to the British Government, and to correspond on such matters only through us; and he was informed that Bhutan had been similarly warned only very recently. As regards the Nepalese settlers, it would seem that the Maharajah has no considerable armed force. Any duties of police are performed by a class of ryots like the Orissa paiks, who hold their lands on condition of such service, but they have no discipline or skill in arms, and probably only turn out when they feel so inclined. Two hundred muskets were, it is stated, made over to Sikkim by our Government years ago, but there is no one in the country who understands keeping them in order; and the odd-looking figures who formed the Maharajah's body.guard had obviously no idea whatever of handling these weapons, which looked moreover more likely to be dangerous to the bearers than to any possible enemy. The agricultural Nepalese are a quiet, good and industrious people, whose settlement, both in Darjeeling and Sikkim, is in many respects desirable. It is only in difficult times that the influence of the Nepalese authorities might be undesirable; and as the settlers are mostly of tribes who were once independent, it is not likely that there will be any cause for apprehension so long as a British force is at Darjeeling.

14. In the matter of increase of allowance, which was one object of the Sikkimputi's visit, the request put forward was that as a matter of pure grace the sum paid might be raised from Rs. 9,000 to Rs. 12,000 per annum. The Sikkim durbar are well aware of the increasing value to us financially of Darjeeling and the Morung , but no allusion whatever was made to this as a ground for consideration The request was preferred merely on the ground of the poverty of the state and the dependence of the Maharajah upon the generosity of the British Government.

The Lieutenant-Governor will explain in a separate letter how he would propose to deal with this application, which he is inclined to favor on certain conditions.

15. On the same day as that on which Chongzed Kabboo had his inter-view, the Lieutenant-Governor distributed small presents to twenty-two of the leading Lamas and Kazies, and addressed them briefly, exhorting them to support the Maharajah in his peaceful management of his territory, to remember that he and his people were bound to show loyal friendship to the British Government, and to do what in them lay to discourage intrigue and turbulence, wherever these might crop up. They were assured that the Maharajah had the full friendship and support of the British Government, and would continue to have it as long as he maintained loyalty and good Government. It is right to mention that the Maharajah specially requested that this word in season might be spoken to his officers.

16. On the 6th the Lieutenant-Governor returned the Maharajah's visit, and the opportunity was taken to obtain a photograph of the visitors with as many of the retinue as could be brought into the plate. A dozen copies of the photograph will be sent for the inspection of the members of the Government of India and Her Majesty's Secretary of State.

17. The Maharajah left Darjeeling on the 11th, well satisfied with his reception, and will await the orders of His Excellency the Governor-General in Council upon his request for additional allowances.

18. I am also to report that the Maharajah has undertaken to send into Darjeeling a few young Lamas to learn vaccination and simple medicine from the Civil Surgeon. This is a movement which it is very desirable to encourage; and His Honor will be prepared, if necessary, to give subsistence from provincial funds to any such pupils attached to the Darjeeling dispensary.

19. The Lieutenant-Governor has given the Maharajah a donation of Rs. 1,500 cover the expenses of his journey, and the cost of some cattle which he purchased here as presents for the Lieutenant-Governor. These will be sold, and the sum realised credited per contra. Formal sanction is, however, requested to the expenditure of Rs. 1,500 as above reported, and to an outlay of Rs. 1,168-14 on durbar presents for the party. The accounts of food expenditure will be submitted hereafter. The whole can probably be met from the grant for political contingencies, but on this the Accountant-General will be asked to report.

I have the honor to be,

Sir,

Your most obedient servant,

A. MACKENZIE,

Junior Secretary to the Govt. of Bengal.

Subjects = Dunlop Smith Collection; durbars; Indian rulers; official events