Question

Answer the following question with the help of given points:

Discuss England's policy of colonisalism in Asia-

1. Nepal 
2. Sikkim
3. Bhutan

Answer 1

The British followed an expansionist and colonial policy in Asia, particularly in the Himalayan regions, to establish their dominance for trade, military, and strategic benefits.

1. Nepal:
   1. Nepal was a small kingdom in the Himalayan region. The British had sent their representatives to Nepal but they did not receive any reciprocal response.
   2. It led to two Anglo-Nepalese wars. The Gurkha army had a mere 10-12 thousand soldiers, while the British army was much larger, having more than 30 thousand soldiers. The British attacked Nepal.
   3. The Nepalese army brought the British army to the point of desperation. Nepal was defeated by British Nepal at Makwanpur in 1816. The British took over the regions of Terai, Kumaun and Garhwal. A British Resident was appointed in Kathmandu. In 1923, the British accepted the sovereignty of Nepal.
2.  Sikkim:
   1. The British aimed to control India's neighbouring regions, including Sikkim. In 1815, the King of Sikkim handed over Darjeeling to the British in exchange for a privy purse. Later, Lord Dalhousie took more territory, opening Sikkim’s markets to British traders.
   2. In 1886, Tibet attempted to capture Sikkim, but the British intervened. The 1890 treaty with China made Sikkim a British protectorate, securing Darjeeling’s tea gardens. Sikkim remained sovereign but under British control.
   3. In 1975, a plebiscite was held, and Sikkim merged with India, becoming a full-fledged state in the Indian Republic.
3. Bhutan:
   1. Bhutan is a neighbouring country of India, located near its northern border and to the east of Sikkim. Lord Warren Hastings, the first Governor-General of India, had recognised the geographic and economic importance of Bhutan. Hence, he established a friendly relationship with the country. It helped to open the trade route from Bengal to Tibet for the British.
   2. In 1841, Ashley Eden took an aggressive stand against Bhutan. There was a war between Bhutan and the British in 1865. The war was concluded with a treaty, according to which the king of Bhutan surrendered the territories conquered by Bhutan to the British and the king was granted an annual subsidy.
   3. Later, in another treaty in 1910, the British agreed not to interfere in the internal matters of Bhutan and Bhutan agreed to be guided by the British in their external affairs. In 1949, the treaty was signed on 8th August 1949 between India and Bhutan, according to which India assumed a position of an advisor to Bhutan in the matters of defence and external affairs.