Английская Википедия:Gaeboo Achyok
Шаблон:Short description Gaeboo Achyok (Шаблон:Reign)Шаблон:Sfn or Gyalpo Ajok (Шаблон:Bo) was a Lepcha chieftain of a principality based at Damsang, presently in the Kalimpong district of West Bengal, India.
Achyok faced active threats from Bhutan and formed an alliance with Tibet; the conflict resulted in several wars until Achyok was captured at Daling and executed.
Name
Achyok is a Lepcha name, which is more accurately transliterated as áchúk.[1] The Tibetan spelling — Шаблон:Bo — can be variously transliterated as "Achuk", "Achok", "Achog", and "Ajok". Some Tibetan and Bhutanese sources also use the spelling "Amchok".Шаблон:Sfn
Honorific
Lepchas honor him with Gyebú, translating to "great".[1] The Tibetans refer to him as a Gyalpo, meaning "king". In contrast, the Bhutanese address him as a Monpa (low-lander), regarding him as their rebel-subject.Шаблон:Sfn
Historical context
The region consisting of present-day Sikkim, Chumbi Valley and western Bhutan was largely a frontier territory since early seventeenth century.Шаблон:Sfn Not held by any major power, its primary inhabitants were Indian tribes, Lepchas and Bhutias.Шаблон:Sfn
In the early 17th century, Tibetans started to immigrate and settle in the region due to a variety of causes including sectarian persecution.Шаблон:SfnШаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn In 1642, the royal house of Chogyals was founded in Western Sikkim,Шаблон:Efn ostensibly as an alliance between Lepchas and these immigrants.Шаблон:Sfn Around the same time, the Bhutanese state was getting unified under Ngawang Namgyal and would enter into a protracted conflict with an expansionist Tibet — the first war was fought in late 1650s, which the Tibetans lost comprehensively.Шаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn
Biography
Rise to power
The first mention of Gaeebo Achyok is found in the biography of Kunchok Gyaltshan.Шаблон:SfnШаблон:SfnШаблон:Efn C. 1634, Kunchok Gyaltshan, a Tibetan monk of the Barawa sectШаблон:Efn was exiled from Bhutan along with his followers for not supporting the Namgyal regime.Шаблон:Sfn He went on to settle in Damsang — a strategic location on a ridge overlooking the Rhenock valley and the Jelep La route to Tibet. Gyaltshan constructed several small monasteries in and around the region;Шаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn he is said to have received all necessary approvals from the Chogyals.Шаблон:Sfn
In the meanwhile, Bhutan's religio-military assault kept on the rise with chronicles recording a dispatch of forces to nearby Dagana in 1650, to subdue recalcitrant monpas — this might have affected Damsang as well.Шаблон:Sfn Despite these hurdles, including what he notes to be an increased presence of Bhutanese monks, Gyaltshan managed to exert significant command in the local population. In 1660, he chose to return to his home monastery — in Tibet — for a vacation.Шаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn
By the time he returned c. 1663, more Lamas from Bhutan had encroached on his territories and a local Lepcha chieftain, Gaeebo Achyok, had assumed control.Шаблон:Sfn Gyaltshan did not resist these encroachments and ventured northwards.Шаблон:Sfn The extent of Achyok's sovereignty at this stage remains uncertain.Шаблон:SfnШаблон:Efn
Conflict with the Bhutanese
Soon afterwards, the Bhutanese Lamas began to exert pressure on the Lepchas, aided by their regional fortress at Daling, which was probably an old Lepcha fort usurped by the Bhutanese in the war of 1650s.Шаблон:SfnШаблон:EfnШаблон:Efn In 1668 Gaeboo Achyok sought assistance from the 5th Dalai Lama, and had an audience with him at Lhasa; that, Bhutanese expansions had triggered conflicts with the Tibetans on multiple fronts, he expected a favorable response.Шаблон:Sfn Two months later, Tibet sent multiple columns of army to invade Bhutan in support of Achyok as well as a certain Nyingma lama of Merak.Шаблон:SfnШаблон:EfnШаблон:Efn
The invasion was unsuccessful for Tibet — and for Achyok, by extension — and the troops had to be withdrawn.Шаблон:SfnШаблон:SfnШаблон:Efn An armistice was called by the lamas of Tashilhunpo and other monasteries.Шаблон:Sfn In the post-war negotiations, both Tibet and Bhutan claimed Achyok's territory as theirs.Шаблон:Sfn Finally, a peace treaty was signed in 1669 which called for observation of the status-quo till 1675.Шаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn
Death
Early in 1675, Achyok informed the Tibetans that the Bhutanese were secretly preparing for an all-out offensive against him before the expiry of the peace treaty.Шаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn While routine border incursions were commonplace,Шаблон:Sfn this was an unprecedented development and the Dalai Lama ordered a preemptive attack, which was carried out, burning a frontier outpost at Tendung.Шаблон:Efn Protracted diplomatic negotiations including on the status of Achyok's territory followed at Phari (var. Phag Ri), with Bhutan claiming all rights to Achyok's territory.Шаблон:Sfn By the September 1675, Dalai Lama had unwillingly conceded to Bhutan's hardball tactics but in return, he stopped all border-trade with Bhutan.Шаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn
The stoppage of border trade appears to have fomented local rebellions which was capitalized by Achyok; in response, Bhutan launched military operations but they proved to be little effective with Achyok capturing the frontier outpost of Daling.Шаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn Rituals were held in Punakha for the vitalization of Bhutan's forces and by the third month of 1676, the fort was taken back; Gaeboo Achyok was captured and executed while his territories were annexed.Шаблон:Sfn His head and arms were reportedly paraded in public after being staked in a pole.Шаблон:Sfn Gyalsey Tenzin Rabgye even composed a poem of compassion, deeming Achyok to have committed great evil.Шаблон:Sfn
Aftermath
With a new regent at helm of affairs in Tibet, Bhutan's capture of Achyok's territories was not favorably received.Шаблон:Sfn War preparations were initiated, and months later, Tibet would mount the largest ever invasion of Bhutan with eleven columns of army aiming to besiege them from all sides.Шаблон:Sfn Tibet fared better than previous attempts but were yet again warded off.Шаблон:Sfn
Finally, in 1679, another peace deal was agreed upon and the frontiers settled.Шаблон:Sfn Tibetan records mention nothing about this conflict or the deal. However, the massive expansion of Gelugpa Monastery came soon, in what has been since interpreted as a deterrent to Bhutanese expansionism.Шаблон:SfnШаблон:SfnШаблон:Efn
Political heir
Contrary to popular memory, Gaeboo Achyok was not the last Lepcha "King".Шаблон:Sfn A successor to Achyok had emerged by 1680, called "Monpa Adzin" in Bhutanese records.Шаблон:Sfn He seems to have not taken any side in the Tibeto–Bhutanese conflict but played off the two sides to unknown results. He partook in the negotiations over land rights in lower Chumbi Valley with the representatives of Tibet and Bhutan.Шаблон:Sfn The Bhutanese claim that he took their side in the negotiations, which concluded after over two years in 1687.Шаблон:SfnШаблон:Efn
By 1690, Bhutanese frontier-men, if not the state, seem to have recovered Damsang for they had erected border cairns.Шаблон:Sfn
Legacy
Achyok remains a hero to the Lepchas and his birthday — allegedly on 20 December — is commemorated with much fanfare.[2] In April 2018, both Daling Fort and Damsang Fort were enlisted as heritage sites by West Bengal Heritage Commission.[3]
Notes
References
Bibliography
- Шаблон:Cite thesis
- Шаблон:Citation
- Reprinted in Шаблон:Citation
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External links
- Location of the Damsang Fort Ruins, GMaps, retrieved 29 September 2021 - according to Ardussi (2011), p. 40.
- The ancient fort ruins of Damsang and Dalim- Destination for heritage tourism in Kalimpong, CultureScroll.com, 4 September 2020.
- ↑ 1,0 1,1 Шаблон:Citation
- ↑ B'day bash for Lepcha king, The Telegraph (Kolkata), 18 December 2006.
- ↑ Шаблон:Cite web
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