A summer resort for British officials to escape the heat in the plains. It comprised the entire ‘Sikkim Morung or Terai’ i.e. Tea connoisseurs recommend a water temperature ranging between 90 °C (194 °F) to 95 °C (203 °F) in a single infusion of 3 to 4 minutes, whereas first flushes, like other early spring teas such as Jin Jun Mei tea, use water of slightly lower temperature at 85 to 90°C and an infusion time of 2 to 3 minutes. That physical geography of the Darjeeling Himalayan hill region, between the Himalayas and the Bay of Bengal, results in the land experiencing cool air with dry winter months from November to February followed by monsoon weather in the summer months between July and September. The negotiations ended in the execution by the Raja of Sikkim of a Deed of Grant on the lst of Feb. 1835. Darjeeling tea is a tea made from Camellia sinensis that is grown and processed in the Darjeeling or Kalimpong Districts in West Bengal, India. Welcomed by inhabitants as they had to pay a small and fixed tax to the Treasury at Darjeeling. The name ‘Darjeeling’came from the Tibetan words,’dorje’meaning thunderbolt (originally the scepter of Indra) and ‘ling’a place or land, hence ‘the land of the thunderbolt’. Herbert to examine and map the tract of land along with Grant with special reference to its strategic and communication benefits. With foreign policy and national defense in the hands of India the political influenc… The proposal was accepted in 1879 after a positi… Their high tannin content allows them to be paired well with carbohydrate-rich foods, such as baked goods and pasta. This treaty was of great advantage to Darjeeling as it ended the annoyances caused to its inhabitants and secured full freedom for commerce. History of darjeeling The name ‘Darjeeling’ is derived from a monastery called ‘Dorje Ling’, built by Denzongpa tribals in 1765, on behalf of the Chogyal or King of Sikkim. These first two flushes are the most sought after by tea connoisseurs. The first pluckings in Spring, generally March into May, are referred to as the first flush. This was an unconditional cessation of what was then a worthless uninhabited mountain. Constitutional Amendments required for GTA matters. Lord Bentinck promptly deputed Capt. At the beginning Sikkim was not favourably disposed to the ideas of gifting Darjeeling – but finally circumstances made it necessary as Sikkim needed to be in the good books of the British. Darjeeling definition is - a tea of high quality grown especially in the mountainous districts of northern India. Knowing a brief account of the creation of such a precious treasure facilitates greater understanding and appreciation. The word Darjeeling is derived from a Lepcha word ‘ Dorjeling ’ meaning the Land of Thunderbolt. The Raja appeared before the Governor General for compensation. They jointly negotiate together with the various unions and the government so that workers across numerous tea estates receive the same compensation. The second flush is harvested in May and June, after the Empoasca and Homona coffearia have attacked the plant, releasing compounds that create a distinctive full-bodied muscatel flavour in the tea. The British envoy was openly insulted and returned to Darjeeling. In 2004, Darjeeling tea became India's first product to receive legal geographical indication protection under the World Trade Organization's TRIPS Agreement[8] and in 2011 it was given Protected Geographical Indication status in the European Union. In 1860 the British occupied Rinchingpong. Delimitation of GTA Sabha Constituencies. The Raja of Sikkim was a mere cipher in the hands of the powerful Pagla Dewan (PM). However neither the history of Sikkim, nor the history of Nepal furnish any account of its early history. From its commanding height, the whole of Sikkim and the neighbourhood could be observed and protected. Both the newly discovered assamica variety and the sinensis variety were planted but the sloped drainage, cool winters and cloud cover favoured sinensis. Occasionally, actions of the Gorkhaland movement have disrupted operations of the Darjeeling tea estates, such as the 2017 bandh. The riots between the West Bengal government and the Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF) were so strong that Indian Army was called upon to maintain law and order. Sikkim undertook to complete the remaining part. From a Report dated 18th June 1829, in which he claims to have been the only European, who visited the place. The tea leaves are processed as black tea, though some estates have expanded their product offerings to include leaves suitable for making green, white and oolong teas. "[12] The tea gardens are located on the hillsides of the Eastern Himalaya, between 600 and 2,000 metres in elevation. In 2000, the Tea Board created new licensing requirements for Darjeeling tea exporters, including product authentication and a prohibition on blending, which allowed them to issue certificates of origin. [21] Studies of this arrangement have suggested that this has negatively effected the livelihoods of labourers, as owners have more than correspondingly reduced their contributions to the required services. The autumn flush produces teas similar, but more muted, to the second flush. History of Darjeeling and the Sikkim Himalaya. At the time, the British were seeking an alternative supply of tea apart China and attempted growing the plant in several candidate areas in India. Tibet, instigated by China, did not look favourably to British presence in the Sikkim Himalayas. In the meantime trouble arose with the adjoining state of Bhutan. A land-mark year in the History of Darjeeling was 1835, but it would be appropriate to trace its History before that. With more area being opened for tea crops at the expense of natural area and the introduction of pesticides and fertilizers, yields increased from 7.8 to 10 million kilograms between 1950 and 1960, though this came at the cost of increased soil instability. The Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council Act was passed by the West Bengal Legislative Assembly as the West Bengal Act 13 of 1988 to provide for the establishment of an Autonomous Council for the social, economic, educational and cultural advancement of the Gorkhas and other people residing in the hill areas of the district of Darjeeling. [3] Darjeeling's population had grown from less than a 100 in the 1830s to 95,000 people with 100 tea gardens in 1885, predominately Indian Gorkha and Lepcha migrants from Nepal and Sikkim, as the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, the use of steamships and the Suez Canal reduced shipping times. History Edit. Serve as a British outpost in the Himalayas. The leaves are first brought indoors where they are air blown overnight to dry them sufficiently so that their cells can be ruptured, initiating oxidation, when rolled without breaking the leaf. [4], With few exceptions, Darjeeling produces black teas. The increasing importance of Darjeeling under free institutions was a constant source of jealousy and annoyance to the Diwan. In 1841 the Govt. Second flush leaves are harvested after the plant has been attacked by a leafhopper and the camellia tortrix so that the leaves create a tea with a distinctive muscatel aroma. A book review of “Darjeeling: A History of the World’s Greatest Tea” by Miquel Hudin | 06-07-2019 | 1 Comment. And control of the remainder was wrested from them by the Gurkhas who invaded Sikkim in 1780, following the consolidation of the latter's rule in Nepal. Since 2004, the term Darjeeling tea has been a registered geographical indication referring to products produced on certain estates within Darjeeling and Kalimpong. It is noted for its tea industry, its views of Kangchenjunga, the world's third-highest mountain, and the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. As per Memorandum of Agreement signed between Government of India, Government of West Bengal and Gorkha Janmukti Morcha, Gorkha Territorial Act XX of 2011, having been assented to by the President of India was first published in Kolkata Gazette, Extraordinary of the 12th March 2012. Siliguri, at the base of the Himalayas, was connected with Calcutta (now Kolkata) by a metre gauge railway in 1878. Camellia sinensis was first planted in the Darjeeling area in 1841 by Archibald Campbell who was working for the East India Company in this jungle-covered, sparsely-populated area to develop a hill station for use by the British stationed in Kolkata. This fascinating book takes us through the history of Darjeeling as well as of tea and tea drinking in India. In pursuit of differentiating Darjeeling tea, the Darjeeling Planter's Association had been established, in 1983, to promote the product in other countries and a logo was copyrighted, consisting of the side profile of a woman holding two leaves and a bud and registered it in various countries and then, once it was eligible, internationally in the Madrid system. Time and again the little kingdom had to defend itself against attacks from Nepal. "Quote" - The British connection with Darjeeling dates from 1816, when, at the close of the war with Nepal, the British made over to the Sikkim raja the tarai tract, which had been wrested from him and annexed by Nepal. Sikkim was a Buddhist kingdom under the Namgyal-Chogyal dynasty from 1642 to 1975. [4], After the British nationalized the East India Company it only ever leased the lands to tea garden owners on 30 year basis and maintained the practice of only permitting 40% to be used for tea crops with 40% being left natural and 20% for housing and facilities. After the rainy season, the final leaves grown before the plant's winter dormancy are referred to as the autumnal flush. connected Darjeeling on the South with British districts of Purnea and Rangpur Jalpaiguri. While the certifications provided an indication of a superior product, its practices also helped the gardens cope with erosion, slope instability and soil depletion that had become prevalent with pesticide and artificial fertilizer applications on the rainy hillsides. The West Bengal government is also involved in providing regulatory supervision of numerous aspects of estate operations, including land use and labour agreements. These are ideal conditions for the Camellia sinensis sinensis plant which flourishes with well-drained, slightly acidic soils, with periods of dormancy, and limited direct sunlight.[13]. The Nepalese marched till the east of Sikkim in 1780 as far as Tista River. By 1840 a road was built from Pankhabari and staging bungalows built at Pankbabari and Mahaldiram. The valley… Ten years later dispute once again arose between Sikkim and Nepal, which according to the Treaty of Titalia, were referred to the Governor General. They are harvested in October-November and provides a herbaceous and soft muscatel flavour but with a fuller body and darker colour than previous flushes, and is compared favorably with Nepali teas. After independence, the estates were all subsequently sold to businesses in India and regulated under the laws of India. 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. Arrangement of reliefs for people damaged by the landslides and other natural calamities. History. The state’s name is derived from the Limbu words su him, meaning “new house.” The Lepcha were early inhabitants of the region, apparently assimilating the Naong, Chang, Mon, and other tribes. An annual grant of Rs. Darjeeling: The Colorful History and Precarious Fate of the World’s Greatest Tea was an absolutely fabulous read. Between Siliguri and Darjeeling, Tonga services ran on a cart road – the present-day Hill Cart Road. granted the Raja an allowance of Rs.3,000/- per annum as compensation. After rolling, the leaves are left to oxidize on trays before being fired to reduce the moisture level down to approximately 2% and sealing the ruptures which will be reopened with consumer's hot water. Serve as a base for the defence of the trade route to Tibet through Sikkim. The Tea Board of India recognizes 87 tea estates (also called "tea gardens") as producers of Darjeeling tea. Hardcover – January 1, 1993. Accordingly, GTA Sabha was constituted on 02.08.2012 with forty-five elected members and five members nominated by the Governor. Development.It has strived hard against odds and has achieved goals at par or even better than the rest of the country. The history of Darjeeling Tea invariably starts with the arrival of Dr.Campbell, in 1839, who may undoubtedly be credited to be called as the founding father of Darjeeling Tea. The advantage that the Britishers would have, as it would serve as a strategically important position in commanding entrance to Nepal and Bhutan. In Nov. 1864, the treaty of Sinchula was executed in which the Bhutan Duars with the passes leading into the hills and Kalimpong were ceded to the British. Whilst the Darjeeling area was originally occupied by the Lepcha, it was not particularly developed as an area until the introduction of tea plants (from China) by the British in the early 19th century. ... (Darjeeling) to the British. On March 28th 1861, Ashley Eden signed a treaty with the new Raja. 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