Darjeeling History

The history of Darjeeling has seen many ups and down in the entire span; however it magnificence and charisma has made it one of the internationally acclaimed tourist spot. Until the beginning of the 18th century, the area between the present borders of Sikkim and the plains of Bengal, including Darjeeling and Kalimpong, belonged to the kings of Sikkim. In 1706 the king lost Kalimpong to the Bhutanese. And control of the remainder was wrested from them by the Gurkhas who march into Sikkim in 1780, following consolidation of the latter's rule in Nepal.

These annexations by the Gurkhas, however, brought them into conflict with the British. A series of wars followed, eventually leading to the defeat of the Gurkhas and the ceding of all the land they had taken from the Sikkimese to the British. Part of this territory was restored to the king of Sikkim and the country's sovereignty guaranteed by the British in return for British control over any disputes which arose with neighboring states. Development was rapid and by 1840 a road had been constructed, numerous houses and a sanatorium built and a hotel opened. By 1857 Darjeeling had a population of some 10,000.

Tea Plantations started developing all around Darjeeling. During this time immigrants flooded in to work in construction sites, the Tea Gardens and other agricultural works. The population of Darjeeling was barely 100 in 1835 and was about 94,712 in 1871-72, 155,179 in 1881 and 249,117 in 1901. With India attaining independence on 15th August 1947, the district of Darjeeling remained in the partitioned section of Bengal (West Bengal) and therefore in the Indian union. With the district's sub-Himalayan and geographical condition, it occupied a unique status in the state. The only remaining industry, that is the Tea industry, continued to play a major role in the economy of the area and the country as well. The other natural wealth forests have been adversely affected by the ever growing population, now estimated to be around 1,200,000. In the years since independence, much has been done for the area's education, communication, attention to cash crops like orange, potato, cardamom, ginger, etc.

An old bamboo bridge over Rangeet River On 29th May 1953 two men set foot on Mount Everest for the first time in history and one of them was Tenzing Norgay, from Darjeeling. Subsequently, this historical event led to the formation of the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute in Darjeeling. Of the old heritage the Toy Train (Darjeeling Himalayan Railway) is now listed under UNESCO's world heritage. Since the formation of the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council in 1988 the hill areas fall under its jurisdiction. It has elected Councilors and they have the authority in managing certain affairs of the hill like education, tourism, health etc.