A Durbar in Buxa – 1909
A Durbar
in Buxa – 1909[1]
Mr. White was replaced by Charles Bell as political
officer of Sikkim and Bhutan. The subsidy for Bhutan was
to be given at Buxa as per the request made by the Bhutanese earlier to the
British India. Mr. Charles Bell informed the Major Gordon who was in charge of
the British military camp at Buxa to arrange hundred soldiers for Guard of Honour
for the ceremony. Meanwhile, a representative of Bhutan Government, the Deb
Zimpon and team arrived two days earlier than the occasion of the Durbar. The
Bhutanese Envoy, Deb Zimpon had earlier visited Calcutta along with Trongsa
Ponlop Ugyen Wangchcuk in 1906. Mr. Gordon and Deb Zimpon became good friend.
The Deb Zimpon even invited Mr. Gordon to Bhutan. Deb Zimpon promised to
arrange the permission from the Druk Gyalpo for Gordon to enter Bhutan.
The following day, a detachment
of native police came from Alipur Duar escorting a train of coolies carrying wooden
boxes which contained the fifty thousand rupees of the subsidy. Finally, the
Political Officer, Mr Bell, arrived by train from Darjeeling. On the following
day, the Durbar was held. On the parade ground a few of the tents were pitched to
form an open-air reception hall. A Guard
of Honour of two native officers and a hundred sepoys in their full-dress
uniform of red tunics, blue trousers and white spats, was drawn up near it; and
the boxes of treasure were brought down and deposited on the ground beside the
tents.
Mr Bell, in his political uniform
was received with a salute by the Guard of Honour. The Political Officer came forward
to shake hands with him; and the Deb Zimpon offered a white silk scarf around
his neck.
Then everyone in the parade
ground seated. The Deb Zimpon produced a letter showing that he was rightly
appointed Bhutanese representative to receive the subsidy.
After inspecting the authenticity
of the documents, the money was formally handed over to the Deb Zimpon of
Bhutan. Then, the Deb Zimpon’s followers came with baskets of oranges and
Bhutanese blankets. The Durbar came to an end then.
Mr. Charles Bell left the Buxa next day and there was expectation that the Deb Zimpon would also leave for Bhutan with the subsidy. But Deb Zimpon stayed back at Buxa for a week. One day, Deb Zimpon and followers came down to Major Gordon with bow and arrows. There was competition of archery match and Major Gordon was defeated. The Deb Zimpon and his team were shown the annual field firing. The Deb Zimpon seemed interested and also wondered at the performance of the firing by the British soldiers. Finally, Deb Zimpon and his team left for Bhutan.
Sir Charles Bell
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