Treaty between His Excellency the Right Honourable Sir Jonh Lawrence,G.CB., K.C.S.I., Viceroy and Governor General of Her Britannic Majesty ‘s possession in the east Indies, and Their Highnesses the Dharma and Deb Rajas of Bootan.

 Treaty between His Excellency the Right Honourable Sir Jonh Lawrence,G.CB., K.C.S.I., Viceroy  and Governor General  of Her Britannic Majesty ‘s  possession in the east Indies, and  Their  Highnesses the  Dharma  and Deb  Rajas of  Bootan concluded on the one part by Lieutenant Colonel Herbert Bruce  C.B ., by virtue of full powers to that effect vested in him by the Viceroy and Governor-General and on the other part by Sam  Dorji Deb Zimpon and Themseyrensey Dronyer according to full powers conferred on them by the Dharma an d Deb  Rajas,- 1865.

Article 1: There shall henceforth be perpetual peace and friendship between, the British Government and the Government of Bhootan.

Article 2: Whereas in consequence of repeated aggressions of the Bhootan Government and of the refusal of that Government to afford satisfaction for those aggressions, and of their insulting treatment of the officers sent by His Excellency the Governor- General in Council for the purpose of procuring an amicable adjustment of difference existing between the two States, the British Government has been compelled to seize by an armed force the whole of the Doars and certain Hill Posts protecting the passes into Bhootan and whereas the Bhootan Government has now expressed its regret for past misconduct and a desire for the establishment of friendly relations with the British Government, it is hereby agreed that the whole of the tract known as the Eighteen Doars, bordering on the Districts of Rangpoor, Cooch Behar, and Assam, together  with the Talook of Ambaree Fallacottah and the Hill territory on the left bank of the Teesta up to such points as may be laid down by the British Commissioner appointed for the purpose is ceded by the Bhootan Government to the British Government for ever.                                                                                                                    

Article 3: The Bhootan Governnlent hereby agree to surrender all British subjects as well as subjects of the Chiefs of Sikkim and Cooch Bebar who are now detained in Bhootan against their will, and to place no impediment in the way of the return of all or any of such persons into British territory.

Article 4: In consideration of the cession by the Bhootan Government of the territories specified in Article 2 of this Treaty, and of the said Government having expressed its regret for past misconduct, and having hereby engaged for the future to restrain all evil-disposed persons from committing crimes within British territory or the territories of the Rajahs of Sikkim and Cooch Behar and to give prompt and full redress for all such crimes which may be committed in defiance of their commands, the British Government agree to make an annual allowance to the Government of Bhootan of a sum not exceeding fifty thousand rupees (Rupees 50,000) to be paid to officer  not below the rank of Jungpen, who shall be deputed by the Government of Bhootan to receive the same. And it is further hereby agreed that the payments shall be made as specified below:

On the fulfilment by the Bhootan Governrnent of the contributions of their Treaty twenty-five thousand rupees (Rupees 25,000).

On the 10th January following the 1st payment. thirty-five thousand rupees. (Rupees  35,000).

On the 10th January following forty-five thousand rupees (Rupees 45,000).

On every succeeding 10th January fifty-five thousand rupees (Rupees 30,000).

Article 5: The British Government will hold itself at liberty at any time to suspend the payment of this compensation money either in whole or in part in the event of misconduct on the part of the Bhootan Government or its failure to check the aggression of its subjects or to comply with the provisions of this Treaty.

Article 6: The British Government hereby agree, on demand being duly made in writing by the Bhootan Government, to surrender, under the provisions of Act VII of 1854, of which a copy ,shall be furnished to the Bhootan Government, all Bhootanese subjects accused of any of the following crimes who may take refuge in British dominions. The crimes are murder, attempting to murder, rape, kidnapping, great personal violence, naming, dacoity, thuggee, robbery, burglar, knowingly receiving property obtained by dacoity, robbery. or burglary, cattle stealing, breaking and entering a dwelling house and stealing therein, arson, setting fire to village, house, or town, forgery or uttering forged documents, counterfeiting current coin, knowingly uttering base or counterfeit coin, perjury, subornation of perjury, embezzlement by public officers or other persons, and being an accessory to any of the above offences.

Article 7: The Bhootan Government hereby agree, on requisition being duly made by or by the suthority of, the Lieutenant-Governor of Bengal, to surrender any British subjects accused of any of the crimes specified in the above Article who may take refuge in tbe territory under the jurisdiction of the Bhootan Government, and also any Bhootanese subjects who, after commiting any of the above crimes in British territory, sball flee into Bhootan, on such evidence of their guilt being produced as shall satisfy the Local Court of the district in which the offence map have been committed.

Article 8: The Bhootan Government hereby agree to refer to the arbitration of the British Government all disputes with, or causes of complaint against, the Rajahs of Sikkim and Cooch Behar, and to abide by the decision of the British Government; and the British Government hereby engage to enquire into and settle all such disputes and complaints in such manner as justice may require, and to insist on the observance of the decision by the Rajahs of Sikkim and Cooch Behar.

Article 9: There shall be free trade and commerce between the two Governments. No duties shall be levied on Bhootanese goods imported into British territories nor shall the Bhootan Government levy any duties on British goods imported into, or transported through, the Bhootan territories. Bhootanese subjects residing in British territories shall have equal justice with British subjects, and British subject

residing in Bhootan shall have equal justice with the subjects of the Bhootan Government.

Article 10: The present Treaty of ten Articles having been concluded at Sinchula on the 11th day of November 1865, corresponding with the Bhootea year Shim Lung 24th day of the 9th month, and signed and sealed by Lieutenant-Colonel Herbert Bruce, C.B., and Sam Dorji Deb Zimpon and Themseyrensey Dronyer, the ratifications of the same by His Excellency the Viceroy and Governor-General or His

Excellency the Viceroy and Governor-General in Council and by Their Highnesses the Dharma and Deb Rajahs shall be mutually delivered within thirty days from this date.

H. BRUCE, Lieut.-Col.,

Chief Civil and Political Officer,

In Dabe Nagi

In Bhootea language.

This Treaty was ratified on the 29th November 1865 in Calcutta by me.

25th January 1866                                                                  JOHN LAWRENCE,

Governor-General

Translation of the Document which Mr. Eden signed under compulsion

 Translation of the Document which Mr. Eden signed under compulsion

Agreement

THAT from to-day there shall always be friendship between the Feringees (English) and the Bhotanese. Formerly the Dhurma Raja and the Company's Queen were of one mind, and the same friendship exists to the present day. Foolish men on the frontier having caused a disturbance, certain men belonging to the British power, living on the frontier have taken Bulisusan (Julpigorie?) between Cooch Behar and the Kam Raja, and Ambnree, near the border of Sikkim, and then between Banska and Goalparah, Rangamuttee, Bokalibaree, Motteeamaree, Papareebaree, Arioetta, and then the seven Eastern Dooars. Then certain bad men on the Bhoteah side stole men, cattle, and other property, and committed thefts and robberies, and the Feringees' men plundered property and burnt down houses in Bhotan. By reason of these bad men remaining, the ryots suffered great trouble; and on this account the Governor-General, with a good intention, sent an envoy, Mr. Eden, with letters and presents, and sent with him Cheeboo Lama, the Minister of Sikkim and on their coming to the Dharma and Deb Rajas, making petition, a settlement to a permanent nature has been made by both parties. The Dhurma Raja will send one agent to the east and one to the west; when they shall arrive on the frontier of the Company's territory, they shall, after an interview with the Feringees’s agents, receive back the tracts above mentioned belonging to Bhotan, and af'ter these shall be given back, and on full proof being given against persons charged with cattle stealing, &c., the feringees will surrender such offenders to the Bhotanese, and the Bhotanses will in like manner surrender offenders to the feringees. After that each will take charge of his own territory, look after his own ryots, and remain on friendly terms, and commit no aggressions, and the subjects of either State going into the neighbouring State shall be treated as brothers.         

If, notwithstanding, any bad men on either side shall commit any aggression, the rulers of in which the offender lives shall seize and punish him. And as Cheeboo Lama is the interpreter between the Feringees .and the Bhoteahs, the Sikkimese are therefore henceforth to assist the Bhoteahs. We have written above that the settlement is permanent; but who knows, perhaps this settlement is made with one word in the mouth and two in the heart. If, therefore, this settlement is false, the Dhurma Raja's demons (names omitted) will, after deciding who is true or false, take his life, and take out his liver and scatter it to the minds like ashes. The Bhotan army will take possession of Sikkim, and if the Raja of Cooch Behar shall attempt to take any land belonging to Bhotan, the Bhotan Government, the Sikkim Government, and the Company will invade Cooch Behar. If the Feringees attempt to take land from Bhotan, the Bhoteahs, Sikkim, and Beharees will invade the Company's territory; and if the Behar Raja shall invade Sikim, the Bhotanese, Sikkimese, and the Company shall invade Behar. Whichever of the four States, Bhotan, Feringree, Behar, Sikkim, commit the place aggression, the other three, shall punish it; and if, whilst this agreement remains, any other enemy shall arise to any of the States, the others shall all assist him. This agreement is made between the Feringees and the Bhotanese.  And this is the seal of the Dhurma and Deb Rajas.

Seal here attached.

 

(Signed)            ASHLEY EDEN.

(Under Compulsion.)                                         

Bogle’s Treaty with the Deb Raja of Bhutan in 1775 .

 

Bogle’s Treaty with the Deb Raja of Bhutan in 1775[1].

The operative part of the treaty with Bhutan contained the following provisions: -

"That the Bhutanese shall enjoy the privilege of trading to Rangpur as formerly, and shall also be allowed to proceed either themselves or by their goomastas to all places in Bengal for the purpose of trading and selling their horses free from duty or hindrance.

"That the duty hitherto exacted at Rangpur from the Bhutan be henceforth abolished. 

"That the Deb Raja shall allow all Hindu and Mussalman merchants freely to pass and repass through his country between Bengal and Tibet.

"That no English or European merchants shall enter the Deb Raja's dominions.

"That the exclusive trade in sandal, indigo, red skin, tobacco, betelnut and pan shall remain with the Bhutanese and that the merchants be prohibited from importing the same into the Deb Raja's dominions; and that the Governor-General shall confirm this in regard to indigo by an order to Rangpur".

However, during the negotiations at Tashichhodzong, Dronyer of the Desi raised the issue that Rajas of Cooch Behar used to pay tribute to Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyal annually in the past. He said that this tradition should resume again. He said that Desi of Bhutan received complain from Raja of Cooch Behar that he was not able to pay the revenue to the Company. He further informed Bogle that the Drungpa of Buxa buy dried fish and oil from Cooch Behar. The price for items was raised. Mr. Bogle suggested the Dronyer to come to Calcutta and have a discussion with Governor General for he did not have any say on this issue.

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[1] A. Deb in Bulletin of Tibetology

ARTICLES OF THE TREATY OF PEACE BETWEEN THE HONOURABLE EAST INDIA COMPANY AND THE DEB RAJA OF BHUTAN-1774

 

Articles of the treaty of peace BETWEEN THE Honourable east India  

 Company and THE DEB Raja of Bhutan-1774

1st. That the Honorable Company, wholly from consideration for the distress to which the Bhootans represented themselves to be reduced, and from the desire of living in peace with their neighbors, will relinquish all the lands which belonged to the Deb Rajah before the commencement of the war with the Rajah of Cooch Behar, namely, to the eastward, the lands of  Chitchacotta 'and Pangola-haut, and to the westward, the land of Kyruntee, Marragaut, and Luckypoor.

2nd. That for the possession of the Chitchacotta Province, the Deb Rajah shall pay an annual tribute of five Tangun horses to the Honorable Company, which was the acknowledgment paid to the Behar Raja.

3rd. That the Deb Rajah shall deliver up Dhujinder Narain, Rajah of Cooch Behar, together with his brother the Dewan Deo, who is confined with him.

4th. That the Bhootans, being merchants, shall have the same privilege to trade as formerly, without the payment of duties, and their caravan shall be allowed to go to Rungpoor annually.

5th. That the Deb Raja shall never cause incursion to be made into the county, nor in any respect whatever molest the ryots, that have come under the Honorable Company's subjection.

6th. That if any ryot or inhabitant whatever shall desert from the Honorable Company's territories, the Deb Rajah shall cause him to be delivered up immediately upon application being made for him.

7th. That in case the Bhootans, or any one under the government the Deb Rajah, shall have any demands upon, or disputes with, any inhabitant of these or any part of the Company’s territories, they shall prosecute them only by an application to the Magistrate, who shall reside here for the administration of justice.

8th. That whatever the Sunyasies are considered by the English an enemy, the Deb Rajah shall not allow any body of them to take shelter in any part of the districts now given up, nor permit them to enter the Honorable Company's territories, or through any part of his, and if the Bhootans shall not of themselves be able to drive them out, they shall give information to the Resident, on the part of the English, in Cooch Behar, and they shall not consider the English troops pursuing the Sunyasies into those districts, any breach of this Treaty.

9th. That in case the Honorable Company shall have occasion for cutting timber from any part of the woods under the Hills, they shall do it duty free, and the people they send shall be protected.

10th. That there shall be a mutual release of prisoners. This Treaty to be signed by the Honorable President and Council of BengaI, and the Honorable Company's seal to be affixed on the one part, and to be signed and sealed by the Deb Rajah on the other part.

 

Signed and ratified at Fort William, the 25tb April 1774.

 

(Signed)          Warren Hastings.

 

SEAL

Signed             William Aldensey

 

Signed             P.M. Dancres

 

Signed             J. Laurell

 

Signed             Henry Goodwin

 

Signed             J. Graham

 

Signed             George Vansittart

 

Signed             J.P. Auriol Assistant Secretary

 

Translation of the Agreement signed Between the Bhutanese Officials and Captain Francis Jekins on 2d June, 1836.

 Translation of the Agreement signed Between the Bhutanese Officials and Captain Francis Jekins on 2d June, 1836.

 

1. The Zeenkafs engage that the Bootan Government makes every possible exertion to put down the system of dacoity which has so long prevailed amongst the inhabitants of the Dooars.

2. Should however any aggression be committed by the inhabitants of the Dooars, the offenders shall be delivered up by Soobahs, on receiving the Perwannahs of the Magistrates to that effect, and on their failure to seize the offenders, the Police of the British Government shall have access to the Dooars in search of the culprits.

3. The Zeenkafs engage for the due yearly delivery of the tribute due from all the Dooars to the respective Collectors of Kamroop and Durrung.

4. To secure the due payment of the tribute, a Zeenkaf shall be deputed to make the collections in person, and pay them over himself to the Collectors of Kamroop and Durrung, and the appointment of Suzawals on the part of the British Government shall cease.

5. And in case of any arrears again accumulating, to the amount of one year's tribute, the British Government shall be at liberty to attach the Dooars in arrears, and to hold the same, and to collect the revenue thereof until the arrears have been fully liquidated.

6. The Zeenkafs will provide for the settlement of all existing arrears, after an examination of accounts with the Collectors and agreeable to the decision of the Governor General's Agent on any disagreement.

7. The Governor General's Agent agrees on this Ikrar Nameh being completed to give up Buxa Dooar, * that the revenue which has been collected from it during the time it has been attached shall be carried to the account of the outstanding arrears.

8. If any individuals, inhabitants of the Dooars, commit dacoities, murders, or other heinous offences in the Dooars, and take refuge in the British territory, such officers shall be delivered up to the Booteah officers on their demanding and identifying them.

(Signed)

- Bazub Rin Sen Zeenkaf, on the part of the Dhurma Rajah.

- Kasung Gampa Chamta Zeenkaf, on the part of the Deb Rajah.

- Poongtakee Zeenltaf, on the part of the Tongsoh Piloo.

- Khamakepah Zeenkaf, on the part of the Dhurma Rajah's Father, Dimsee Soozee.

- F. Jenkins, Governor General's Agent.

Source: Pemberton’s Report 1837-38

Bhutanese Claim over the Maraghat in Cooch Behar

 Bhutanese Claim over the Maraghat in Cooch Behar[1]

Although Anglo-Bhutanese treaty was signed in 1774 and peace was established in the region, border demarcation was not defined well. So this ill defined boundary between Bhutan and Cooch Behar made rise to conflict later on. Cooch Behar became the protectorate of the East India Company.

Warren Hastings went to England. Lord Cornwallis took over the Governorship of Bengal. During the tenure of Cornwallis also, Bhutanese submitted a complaint that ruler of Cooch Behar occupied the Bhutanese territories in the plains in 1787. Upon receiving the complain letter from Bhutanese, Cornwallis ordered the collector of Rangpur to investigate the issues and settled the boundary disputes between Baikunthapur and between Bhutan and Cooch Behar.

Macdowall, the collector of Rangpur reported that Bhutanese had taken illegally some of the villages near the Jalpesh which was given to her. But Bhutan never accepted the findings of the collector of Rangpur.

Again in 1794, Bhutanese complained to the Bengal Government over the Bhalka which was held by the Kumar Narayan on behalf of the Raja of Cooch Behar. Bhalka is composed of eight villages. Bhutanese claimed that these villages were given to Bhutanese as gifts by Jagirdar. But the decision was passed in favor of the Cooch Behar by Charles Andrew Bruce who was the former Commissioner of Cooch Behar.

In the following year, when Bhutanese approached the Governor General Sir John Shore, he ordered the probe into the matter. This time also Richard Ahmuty, the Commissioner of Cooch Behar passed the decisions in favor for Cooch Behar Raja.

In 1800, the Raja Harendra Narayan of Cooch Behar appealed to the Government of Bengal his dissatisfaction over the judgment of the Bhalka case where he had to give up his ownership. But there was no change in decisions.

Again in 1807/1809, a new conflict emerged over the Maraghat. Maraghat district lies some 25 miles away from Jaipalguri. According to the Anglo-Bhutanese Treaty 1774, Maraghat was given to Bhutan. However, the Raja of Cooch Behar claimed the southern part of the district known as Gird Maraghat. James Morgan, the collector of Rangpur conducted an on the- spot enquiry and decided in favor of Cooch Behar. In 1809, John Digby the collector of Rangpur confirmed Morgan’s ruling awarding Gird Maraghat to Cooch Behar, and the Maharaja took possession of the territory from 1811 to 1812.

The Bhutanese did not accept the decisions. For example, in 1811 a letter to the Company from ‘Ponlop of Bhutan’ complained that an officer of the Maharaja of Cooch Behar had been causing trouble over the boundary for the previous three years, and expressed fears that war might ensue. Similarly, in 1812 a letter from the Deb Raja again referred to Maraghat, appealed for assistance in resolving the dispute.

 In May 1814 the Maharaja of Cooch Behar appealed to Norman MacLeod, the Commissioner of Cooch Behar, asking him to arrange for the deployment of 50 sepoys to protect the Maraghat frontier from Bhutanese infringements.        

In September 1816, Scott's usefulness was recognized by his appointment commissioner of Cooch Behar in supersession of MacLeod. In his new post he was expected to be "the channel for conducting on the part of the British government all business of a political nature with Bhutan, Assam, and other independent states and Chieftains in the northern and north-eastern frontier of Rungpore.

Scott found himself called upon to interfere in the boundary dispute between the Deb Raja of Bhutan and the Raja of Cooch Behar. The dispute between Cooch Behar and Bhutan was over Maraghat or to speak more precisely the lands which constituted the principal part of the local division called Gird Maraghat.

Scott found sufficient grounds to believe that the enquiry of Morgan and Digby had not been sufficiently full and detailed, and that they had failed to note the earlier decision of the Dinajpur Council, who, after consulting Charles Purlings" own handwritten document, had declared in 1777 that Maraghat along with some other spots, was the possession of Bhutan.

"I proceeded to Maraghat in the beginning of January and during fifteen days examined all such persons as the agents of the Bhutan government and of the Raja of Cooch Behar thought fit to bring forward for the purpose of proving the time and mode of obtaining possession of Maraghat".

The Government was satisfied with Scott's findings and ordered that Gird Maraghat should be restored to the Deb Raja on 24 May 1817. Scott explained the case to Cooch Behar and asked for the hitherto disputed lands to be handed over, together with an account of the collections made in Maraghat during the Cooch Bihar occupation of the place.

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[1] The information of this chapter is based on “DAVID SCOTT IN NORTH-EAST INDIA (1802-1831), A STUDY IN BRITISH PATERNALISM” by NIRODE K. BAROOAH.

 

Guru Dorje Drolo

 

Guru Dorje Drolo

༉    ཨོ་རྒྱན་ཡུལ་གྱི་ཤར་ལྷོ་མཚམསཿ    ཟ་ཧོར་རྒྱལ་པོའི་ཡུལ་དབུས་སུཿ   བདུད་འདུལ་དྲག་པོའི་དངོས་སྒྲུབ་བརྙེསཿ ཤཀྱ་སེང་གེ་གཤེགས་སུ་གསོལཿ    

ཡུལ་གྱི་མིང་ནི་རྒྱ་གར་ཡུལཿ  གྲོང་ཁྱེར་མིང་ནི་མ་ག་དྷཱཿ    མུ་སྟེགས་འདུལ་བའི་དངོས་སྒྲུབ་བརྙེསཿ      སེང་གེ་སྒྲ་སྒྲོགས་གཤེགས་སུ་གསོལཿ     

ཡུལ་གྱི་མིང་ནི་བོད་ཀྱི་ཡུལཿ  སྟག་ཚང་སེང་གེ་བསམ་འགྲུབ་ཏུཿ 

དྲེགས་པ་ཚར་གཅོད་དངོས་སྒྲུབ་བསྙེསཿ  རྡོ་རྗེ་གྲོ་ལོད་གཤེགས་སུ་གསོལཿ

 

Source: Norjam Tsasum Lejang Pema Jonshing and Norjam Thukdrup

Translation. 

From the southeast border of the land of Oḍḍiyāna,

In the central land of the Zahor king,

Attained the powerful subjugation of demons. Śākya Senge, I beseech you to come.

The name of the land is India.

The name of the city is Magadha.

Attained the power to tame the non-Buddhists.

Senge Dradrok, I beseech you to come.

The name of the land is Tibet.

In the Tiger's Lair, Lion's Accomplishment,

Attained the power to annihilate arrogance.

Dorje Drolö, I beseech you to come.

Note: Translated using Monlam ai