Kabi Lungchok (also spelled Kabi Longstok) is a historic site of significance, which is located north of
Gangtok
Gangtok is a city, municipality, the capital and the largest populated place of the Indian state of Sikkim. It is also the headquarters of the East Sikkim district, Gangtok District. Gangtok is in the eastern Himalayas, Himalayan range, at an e ...
on the Northern Highway in northeastern
Indian state
India is a federal union comprising 28 states and 8 union territories, with a total of 36 entities. The states and union territories are further subdivided into districts and smaller administrative divisions.
History
Pre-indepen ...
of
Sikkim
Sikkim (; ) is a state in Northeastern India. It borders the Tibet Autonomous Region of China in the north and northeast, Bhutan in the east, Province No. 1 of Nepal in the west and West Bengal in the south. Sikkim is also close to the Siligur ...
. The historicity of the site is attributed to the fact that the
Lepchas, the ethnic tribals of Sikkim and
Bhutia
The Bhutia (; sip, Drenjongpa/Drenjop; ; "inhabitants of Sikkim".) are a community of Sikkimese people living in the state of Sikkim in northeastern India, who speak Drenjongke or Sikkimese, a Tibetic language fairly mutually intelligible w ...
s (ethnic Bhot), the immigrants from southern Bhot who settled down in Sikkim from the 14th century onwards, ceremonially signed a "Treaty of Blood Brotherhood" with religious fervour. Stone pillars mark the location where the treaty was signed. The Treaty was signed at Kabi Lungchok by the Bhot King,
Khye Bumsa representing the
Bhutias
The Bhutia (; sip, Drenjongpa/Drenjop; ; "inhabitants of Sikkim".) are a community of Sikkimese people living in the state of Sikkim in northeastern India, who speak Drenjongke or Sikkimese, a Tibetic language fairly mutually intelligible w ...
and the
Lepcha Chief Thekong Tek. The literal meaning of 'Kabi Lungchok', pronounced ‘Kayu sha bhi Lungchok’, is "stone erected by our blood."
Life-size statues of the Lepcha and Bhutia 'blood-brothers' who signed the treaty has been erected here.
History
The history of Kabi Lungchok and that of Lepchas are closely linked, considered the original ethnic community who came to Sikkim from Tibet to escape from the rivalry between the "
Yellow Hats" and the "
Red Hats" sects of
Vajrayana
Vajrayāna ( sa, वज्रयान, "thunderbolt vehicle", "diamond vehicle", or "indestructible vehicle"), along with Mantrayāna, Guhyamantrayāna, Tantrayāna, Secret Mantra, Tantric Buddhism, and Esoteric Buddhism, are names referring t ...
Buddhism
Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and gra ...
of Tibet. Many people of the Red Hat sect of Tibetans migrated to Sikkim.
Lepchas themselves were reported to be originally Nagas of the Mikir, Garo
Garo may refer to:
People and languages
* Garo people, a tribal people in India
** Garo language, the language spoken by the Garo tribe
Places
* Kingdom of Garo, a former kingdom in southern Ethiopia
* Garo, Colorado
* Garo Hills, part of the Ga ...
and Khasi hills
The Khasi Hills () is a low mountain formation on the Shillong Plateau in Meghalaya state of India. The Khasi Hills are part of the Garo-Khasi-Jaintia range and connects with the Purvanchal Range and larger Patkai Range further east. Khasi Hill ...
who came to Sikkim and absorbed into their fold the pre-historic tribes of Naong, Chang and the Mon
Mon, MON or Mon. may refer to:
Places
* Mon State, a subdivision of Myanmar
* Mon, India, a town in Nagaland
* Mon district, Nagaland
* Mon, Raebareli, a village in Uttar Pradesh, India
* Mon, Switzerland, a village in the Canton of Grisons
* An ...
of Sikkim according to the Official History of Sikkim by the Government of Sikkim
The Government of Sikkim also known as the State Government of Sikkim is the subnational government of the Indian state of Sikkim and its 6 districts, created by the National Constitution as the legislative, executive and judicial authority to ...
. However this is false. The signing of blood brotherhood in Kabi Lungchok was between three tribes Mon
Mon, MON or Mon. may refer to:
Places
* Mon State, a subdivision of Myanmar
* Mon, India, a town in Nagaland
* Mon district, Nagaland
* Mon, Raebareli, a village in Uttar Pradesh, India
* Mon, Switzerland, a village in the Canton of Grisons
* An ...
referring to Lepchas, Tsong or Chang or the Limbus and Lho, literally Southerners in Tibetan referring to the Bhutia migrants who settled in Sikkim.
Another important fact to be noted is that Sikkim was much larger during this period until the raids from Nepal and Bhutan followed. Sikkim consisted the whole of Limbuwan
Limbuwan is an area of the Himalayan region historically made up of 10 Limbu people, Limbu kingdoms, now part of eastern Nepal. Limbuwan means "abode of the Limbus" or "Land of the Limbus".
In modern times, a political movement in Nepal has deve ...
, Ilam and other districts of Eastern Nepal and in the west, it had territories extended to Ha Valley of present-day Bhutan
Bhutan (; dz, འབྲུག་ཡུལ་, Druk Yul ), officially the Kingdom of Bhutan,), is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is situated in the Eastern Himalayas, between China in the north and India in the south. A mountainous ...
. The Gorkha invaders had also captured territories in the Teesta
Teesta River is a long river that rises in the Pauhunri Mountain of eastern Himalayas, flows through the Indian states of Sikkim and West Bengal through Rangpur, and enters the Bay of Bengal. It drains an area of . In India, it flows through ...
region including the present day territories of Darjeeling
Darjeeling (, , ) is a town and municipality in the northernmost region of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located in the Eastern Himalayas, it has an average elevation of . To the west of Darjeeling lies the easternmost province of Nepal, ...
and Kalimpong
Kalimpong (Hindi: कलिम्पोंग) is a town and the headquarters of an eponymous district in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is located at an average elevation of . The town is the headquarters of the Kalimpong district. The re ...
. These were later gifted to the British by the Maharaja of Sikkim.
Tsongs or Limbus
Limbus (Lat. "edge, boundary") may refer to:
* Corneal limbus, the border of the cornea and the sclera (the white of the eye)
* Limbus of fossa ovalis, in the heart
* Limbus 3 and Limbus 4, two line-ups of a German avant-garde musical group
* Li ...
inhabited largely the eastern regions which was wholly usurped by the Gorkha invasion. Also, Tsongs are said to have migrated from Tibet considering their name and language affinity with Tibetans.
It is also inferred that the cultural traits of dress and family values of the Lepchas is akin to the Khasi
Khasi may refer to:
* Khasi people, an ethnic group of Meghalaya, India
* Khasi language, a major Austroasiatic language spoken in Meghalaya, India
* Khāṣi language, an Indo-Aryan language of Jammu and Kashmir, India
See also
* Khasi Hills
* Gh ...
s of Meghalaya
Meghalaya (, or , meaning "abode of clouds"; from Sanskrit , "cloud" + , "abode") is a states and union territories of India, state in northeastern India. Meghalaya was formed on 21 January 1972 by carving out two districts from the state of As ...
and their language has close affinity to that of Tangkul Nagas of Northern Manipur
Manipur () ( mni, Kangleipak) is a state in Northeast India, with the city of Imphal as its capital. It is bounded by the Indian states of Nagaland to the north, Mizoram to the south and Assam to the west. It also borders two regions of Myanm ...
. The exact period when this migration happened is, however, not established. The Lepchas, known for their peaceful, religious and reserved nature led a tranquil tribal life in the mountains of Sikkim practicing shifting cultivation
Shifting cultivation is an agricultural system in which plots of land are cultivated temporarily, then abandoned while post-disturbance fallow vegetation is allowed to freely grow while the cultivator moves on to another plot. The period of cul ...
(growing maize and rice) as their vocation, and worshipped "nature or spirits of nature."[
Some time in the 15th century, they organized themselves under the leadership of ''Tur ve pa no'' who was elected their king. Subsequent to his death in a skirmish, three kings, namely ''Tur Song Pa No'', ''Tur Aeng Pa No'' and ''Tur Alu Pa No'', took up the reigns of the kingdom, and their reign also ended with the death of ''Tur Alu Pa No''. The Lepchas then adopted the democratic process of electing their leader and followed the leaders advice on all matters.][
It was during this period of the democratic rule by Lepchas that the Tibetans started to migrate to Sikkim. The reason for this migration is attributed mainly to the clash between the followers of the "Yellow Hats" and the "Red Hats" sects of ]Vajrayana
Vajrayāna ( sa, वज्रयान, "thunderbolt vehicle", "diamond vehicle", or "indestructible vehicle"), along with Mantrayāna, Guhyamantrayāna, Tantrayāna, Secret Mantra, Tantric Buddhism, and Esoteric Buddhism, are names referring t ...
Buddhism
Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and gra ...
in Tibet. This conflict resulted in the Tibetans belonging to the Red Hat sect migrating from Tibet in large numbers seeking refuge in Sikkim. The Tibetan migrants were then called as Bhutias in Sikkim. The Bhutias, who were Buddhists of the Red Hat sect, were also successful in converting many Lepchas to Buddhism. However, Lepchas remained aloof most of the time.[
]
In the 17th century, Bhutias, in order to maintain cordial relationship with the Lepchas then decided with the help of three revered lamas from Western Tibet to consecrate a local Sikkimese person from Gangtok as the Chogyal of Sikkim. Thus, the first formal dynasty of the Namgyals in Sikkim came to be established in 1642. However, Phuntsog Namgyal
Phuntsog Namgyal ( Sikkimese: ; Wylie: ''phun tshog rnam rgyal'') (1604–1670) was the first chogyal (monarch) of Sikkim, now an Indian state. He consecrated in 1642 at the age of 38. Phuntsog was a fifth generation descendant of Khye Bum ...
, the first Chogyal
The Chogyal ("Dharma Kings", ) were the monarchs of the former Kingdom of Sikkim, which belonged to the Namgyal dynasty. The Chogyal was the absolute monarch of Sikkim from 1642 to 1975, when the monarchy was abolished and the Sikkimese people ...
or the King was made the temporal and spiritual leader of Sikkim after duly verifying that his antecedents were strongly linked to the 9th-century prince of the Kingdom of Minvang in eastern Tibet. This dynasty had ruled Chumbi
Chumbi (; ) is a historic village in the Chumbi Valley or the Yadong County of the Tibet Autonomous Region of China. It is in the valley of Amo Chu river, where the route from Sikkim's Cho La pass meets the Amo Chu valley.
The "Chumbi Valley" of ...
and Teesta valley for considerable time. In the 13th century, a prince of this dynasty known by the name Guru Tashi, based on a clairvoyant vision, decided to go south of Tibet to Sikkim, then known as "Denzong-the valley of rice" to seek his fortune. While travelling on this mission with his family, he came to the Sakya Kingdom where a monastery was being built, and they were facing problems in erecting the pillars of the monastery. Then, one of Tashi's five sons, the elder son, erected the pillars of the monastery on his own and was honoured with the epithet " Khye Bumsa" (meaning: superior of ten thousand heroes). Pleased with the achievement of Khye Bumsa, the Sakya King gave his daughter in marriage to him. Bumsa then settled down in Chumbi valley where he met the Lepcha religious leader, Thekong Tek, several times seeking his blessings to beget children. Following the blessings of Thekong Tek, Bhums'a wife gave birth to three sons, and out of gratitude he visited the grand old sage in several times more in Sikkim nurturing an amicable relationship between them. However, Thekong Tek had no children and there was also a prophecy that one of Khye Bumsa's descendants would become the ruler of Sikkim. Thekong Tek then decided that after his death Bhumsa would take over the reins of power in his kingdom. Then a treaty of blood brotherhood was signed at Kabi Lungchok between Thekong Tek and Khye Bumsa to reinforce the bonding between the two communities of Lepchas and Bhutias of Sikkim. The solemn oath taken on the occasion was that Bhumsa "would not discriminate his newly acquired Lepcha subjects". Since then this location has been commemorated as symbol of friendship and brotherhood between the Lepchas and Bhutias of Sikkim and stone pillars have been erected to mark the place symbolically.[ In 1642, Phuntsog Namgyal, the grandson of Khye Bumsa was crowned the first Chogyal of Sikkim at ]Yuksom
Yuksom is a historical town in Geyzing subdivision of West Sikkim district in the Northeast Indian state of Sikkim. It was the first capital of Kingdom of Sikkim established in 1642 AD by Phuntsog Namgyal who was the first Chogyal (temporal and ...
by Rimpoche
Rinpoche, also spelled Rimboche and Rinboku (), is an honorific term used in the Tibetan language. It literally means "precious one", and may refer to a person, place, or thing—like the words "gem" or "jewel" (Sanskrit: ''Ratna'').
The word con ...
Lhatsun Chempo, the founder of the Nyingmapa
Nyingma (literally 'old school') is the oldest of the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism. It is also often referred to as ''Ngangyur'' (, ), "order of the ancient translations". The Nyingma school is founded on the first lineages and transl ...
order in Sikkim. This event is also marked by the Statue of Unity installed opposite to Tourist Information Office and close to the Thakur Bari Temple in Gangtok.[
]
Geography
The historical site is located in a dense forest area on the North Sikkim Highway near Phodong
Phodong is a town 38 kilometers north of Gangtok, the capital of the Indian state of Sikkim in North Sikkim district. Phodong is famous for the " Phodong Monastery" and the "Labrang Monastery" which is situated at a slightly higher altitude ...
. The area abounds in natural scenic beauty of rich forests with varied flora, shimmering streams, waterfalls and also many cultural monuments and historic sites. Sub Tropical mixed Broad-Leaved Hill Forest is the forest type in the area comprising: ''Alnus nepalensis
''Alnus nepalensis'' is a large alder tree found in the subtropical highlands of the Himalayas. The tree is called Utis in Nepali and Nepalese alder in English. It is used in land reclamation, as firewood and for making charcoal.
Description ...
'' (Uttis), ''Castanopsis
''Castanopsis'', commonly called chinquapin or chinkapin, is a genus of evergreen trees belonging to the beech family, Fagaceae. The genus contains about 140 species, which are today restricted to tropical and subtropical eastern Asia. A total o ...
'' (Kattus), ''Macaranga
''Macaranga'' is a large genus of Old World tropical trees of the family Euphorbiaceae and the only genus in the subtribe Macaranginae (tribe Acalypheae). Native to Africa, Australasia, Asia and various islands of the Indian and Pacific Oceans, ...
'' (Malata), ''Engelhardia spicata
''Engelhardia spicata'' is a species of plant in the Juglandaceae family. It is recognized to include the variety ''E. spicata'' var. ''integra'' (Kurz) W.E. Manning ex Steen.
Distribution and habitat
Pakistan, India, Nepal, Bhut ...
'' (Mahua Mahua Acharya
Mahua or Mahuaa may refer to:
Botany
* ''Madhuca longifolia'' or mahua, a tree in the family Sapotaceae
* ''Mahua'' (moss), a genus of mosses in family Hypnaceae
Culture and entertainment
* Mahua (snack), a Chinese fried dough twis ...
), ''Michelia
''Michelia'' is a historical genus of flowering plants belonging to the family (Magnoliaceae). The genus included about 50 species of evergreen trees and shrubs, native to tropical and subtropical south and southeast Asia (Indomalaya), including s ...
'' (Champ), ''Toona ciliata
''Toona ciliata'' is a forest tree in the mahogany family which grows throughout southern Asia from Afghanistan to Papua New Guinea and Australia.
Names
It is commonly known as the red cedar (a name shared by other trees), toon or toona (also ...
'' (Tooni), Machilus
''Machilus'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Lauraceae. It is found in temperate, subtropical, and tropical forest, occurring in China, Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Indochina, the Indian subcontinent, Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philip ...
(Kawla), Symplocos
''Symplocos'' is a genus of flowering plants in the order Ericales. It contains about 300 species distributed in Asia and the Americas. Many species grow in humid tropical regions. This is sometimes considered to be the only genus in family Sympl ...
(Kharane) and Cinnamomum
''Cinnamomum'' is a genus of evergreen aromatic trees and shrubs belonging to the laurel family, Lauraceae. The species of ''Cinnamomum'' have aromatic oils in their leaves and bark. The genus contains approximately 250 species, distributed in t ...
(Sinkoli). There are a number of water falls in the area and one such water fall is known as the 'Seven Sister waterfalls'.
Kabi Lungchok region is also home to several species of birds such as: the pariah kite
The black kite (''Milvus migrans'') is a medium-sized bird of prey in the family Accipitridae, which also includes many other diurnal raptors. It is thought to be the world's most abundant species of Accipitridae, although some populations have ...
, crested serpent eagle
The crested serpent eagle (''Spilornis cheela'') is a medium-sized bird of prey that is found in forested habitats across tropical Asia. Within its widespread range across the Indian Subcontinent, Southeast Asia and East Asia, there are considera ...
, shaheen falcon
The shaheen falcon (''Falco peregrinus peregrinator'') is a non-migratory subspecies of the peregrine falcon found mainly in the Indian subcontinent. It has also been described as a migratory subspecies. Describes subspecies ''peregrinator'' "fr ...
, rufous-necked hornbill
The rufous-necked hornbill (''Aceros nipalensis'') is a species of hornbill in Bhutan, northeastern India, especially in Arunachal Pradesh, Indian Subcontinent and Southeast Asia. It is locally extinct in Nepal due to hunting and significant loss ...
, chestnut-breasted partridge
The chestnut-breasted partridge (''Arborophila mandellii'') is a partridge species endemic to the eastern Himalayas north of the Brahmaputra, and occurs in Bhutan, Darjeeling, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh and south-eastern Tibet at elevations from . ...
, black-breasted parrotbill
The black-breasted parrotbill (''Paradoxornis flavirostris'') is a 19 cm long, large, thick-billed parrotbill with black patches on the head-sides and throat. Formerly placed with the typical warblers in the Sylviidae (Jønsson & Fjeldså 2 ...
, grey-crowned prinia
The grey-crowned prinia (''Prinia cinereocapilla'') is a species of bird in the family Cisticolidae.
It is found in Bhutan, northern India and Nepal.
Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forest, subtropical or tropical moist shrub ...
and Ward’s trogon. Butterflies and invertebrates such as riverine fish, frogs and toads are also recorded in the region.[
]
Other information
Ritual prayers are held every year to commemorate the historic treaty signed here.[ The Chief Minister of Sikkim has recently announced that this historic place will be developed into a destination for tourism.]
See also
* Indigenous peoples of Sikkim
The indigenous people of Sikkim are the Lepcha people, Lepchas; the naturalized ethnic populations of Limbu people, Limbus, Bhutias, Kirati people, Kiratis, Indian Gorkha, Indian Gorkhas or Indian Nepali/Nepalese who have an enduring presence in s ...
* Rabdentse
Rabdentse was the second capital of the former Kingdom of Sikkim from 1670 to 1814. The capital city was destroyed by the invading Gurkha army and only the ruins of the palace and the chortens are seen here now. However, the ruins of this city a ...
References
{{reflist
External links
Coordinates of Kabi Lungchok
Sikkim
History of Sikkim
Sikkim monarchy