Events leading to the Anglo-Bhutan War of 1865
Sandip C. Jain
In the middle of the 19th century, peace between the Bhutanese Government and the British rulers of India was punctured several times. The Bhutanese rulers constantly were engaged in aggression on the borders causing in the loss of property and innocent lives.
In 1862, news tricked in that the Bhutanese were making hostile preparations with intent to enter and occupy the Darjeeling region. Crises was averted when troops were dispatched from Dinapore (present day Danapur near Patna) and stationed on the border.
In 1863, in an effort to built better relations with the Bhutanese, the rulers of India sent Sir Ashley Edens to Bhutan with a peace proposal but at the same time he was directed to ask the Bhutanese rulers for return of property previously plundered by them.
The Bhutanese rulers treated the peace proposal with contempt and more importantly, Sir Ashley Edens was treated with gross indignity and humiliated before all. Further Sir Ashley was forced to sign a document by which the British Government was to renounce the Bhutan Duars (Dooars). Sir Ashley could only just manage to slip out of Punakha (Bhutan) under the cover of darkness and return to Darjeeling in April 1866.
After further negotiations failed, the British Government of India decided to take the Bhutan Duars and the forts of Dalingkot, Pasaka and Diwangiri so that further incursions and mischief on the part of Bhutan could be prevented. The small village of Kalimpong fell under the control of the fort of Dalingkot at that time.
In the winter of 1864, the forces of the then Government of India entered Bhutan and routed the Bhutanese forces .The fortresses were occupied with much ease and the entire Duars area was occupied by January 1865.
On 11th November 1865,the treaty exhorted from Sir Ashley Edens was scrapped and the Treaty of Sinchula was executed. Under the treaty of Sinchula, the Bhutan Duars with the passes leading into the Hills were ceded to the British in return for an annual subsidy.
Thus was Kalimpong separated from Bhutan and merged with India. This was the last addition to the District of Darjeeling which thus acquired its present dimensions.