HISTORY OF THE SIKKIMESE BHUTIA

(Denzong Lho-po)

The Sikkimese Bhutias, who call themselves Denzong Lho-po or Lhori, are one of the principal communities of Sikkim. They are a Tibetan-speaking Himalayan people belonging to the broader Tibeto-Burman ethnolinguistic tradition. The term Lho-po literally means “people of the south” or “dwellers of the south.” The history of the Sikkimese Bhutia is closely connected with the religious, cultural, and political development of Bayul Demazong, the sacred hidden land that later became the Kingdom of Sikkim.

Ancient scriptures and historical records suggest that high-ranking lamas, along with their followers and ordinary people, migrated to Sikkim in different stages from as early as the 6th century CE for both religious and secular purposes. According to historical evidence and oral traditions, during the reign of the Tibetan king Songtsen Gampo, a large part of the Himalayan region came under his influence, and Bhutia ancestors were already settled in various parts of this region. These people later came to be identified as Denzong Lho-po, or the Sikkimese Bhutia. While Bhutia oral traditions and certain religious sources place the beginnings of migration as early as the 6th century CE, direct historical evidence for this period remains limited.

It is widely acknowledged that the Lepchas have inhabited Sikkim since ancient times. However, Bhutia traditions and religious sources suggest that the presence of the Denzong Lho-po in Sikkim predates the commonly accepted 12th-century period of migration. In one of the texts written by H.E. Yangthang Rinpoche, it is mentioned that during the 8th century, when Guru Padmasambhava visited Sikkim from Tibet and blessed the land, he met the Lepcha chieftain Thekong Tek and his wife. Guru Padmasambhava preached the Buddha Dharma to them and entrusted them with the responsibility of safeguarding Bayul Demazong and its hidden treasures (ter), including sacred scriptures and religious objects, until the arrival of Lhatsun Chenpo in the 17th century. It may therefore be reasonably assumed that some of the people accompanying Guru Padmasambhava and his followers from Tibet settled in Sikkim as early as the 8th century.

Within the Bhutia community, two lineages can be traced through community traditions to the year 1212. It is believed that descendants of the great treasure revealer Guru Chowang (1212–1270), along with his Dharma companions, undertook a pilgrimage through Pemako and eventually settled in Sikkim. Their descendants came to be known as the Ladingpo or Lasungpo. Another lineage became known as the Goerongpo. One of the descendants of this lineage became a renowned meditation master (Gomchen), whose statue can still be seen in the compound of Enchey Monastery.

The second major wave of migration took place from 1268 CE onwards. During this period, Khey Bumsa, a descendant of the Minyak dynasty, was advised by his ministers, senior lamas, elders, and oracles to seek blessings from Thekong Tek and Nyukong Ngal, who were believed to possess the power to grant progeny. Accordingly, Khey Bumsa travelled to Bayul Demazong with a large group of followers through the Chola Range. After receiving the desired blessings, he returned to Tibet. However, a significant number of his followers chose to remain in Bayul Demazong, believing in Guru Padmasambhava’s prophecy that the hidden valley would become the homeland of their future generations.

According to tradition, Khey Bumsa and his descendants became the ancestors of several important Bhutia clans. Khey Bumsa is said to have had three sons: Kyabo Rab, Langmo Rab, and Mipon Rab. These sons later crossed the mountain ranges and settled in different parts of present-day East Sikkim.

The descendants of Kyabo Rab did not remain permanently in one place but moved frequently in search of new settlements. Consequently, they became known as Yulthonpa, meaning “the migrants.” The descendants of Langmo Rab settled in the Simik-Lingzey area and became known as Lingzerpa.

Mipon Rab, who succeeded his father, married a lady from Sakya in Tibet and had four sons: Shangpo Dharpa, Tshechu Dharpa, Nyima Gyalpo, and Guru Tashi. Guru Tashi later succeeded his father as the leader of the clan. The first Chogyal of Sikkim, Phuntsog Namgyal, was the fourth-generation descendant of Guru Tashi.

These four lineages came to be known as Tongdu Ruzhi (Tong-du Ru-zhi), meaning the “Four Pillars of the Clans.” Together with the later branch clans of Yulthonpa and Lingzerpa, they formed the principal clans of the Sikkimese Bhutia community.

The third major wave of migration began around 1373 CE, when Rigdzin Godemchen, the great tertön of the Northern Treasure tradition and founder of the Changter school within the Nyingma tradition, visited Bayul Demazong with a large retinue of followers. In fulfilment of Guru Padmasambhava’s prophecy and to spread the teachings of Buddhism among the inhabitants of Bayul Demazong, Rigdzin Godemchen remained in the region for eight years. During this period, migration between Tibet and Sikkim increased considerably. This account is recorded in the Denzong Neyig (Prophecies Relating to Denzong).

According to tradition, Rigdzin Godemchen described the beauty and tranquility of Bayul Demazong and communicated its virtues to his followers in Tibet. It is believed that sectarian conflicts in Tibet during the 14th century encouraged many followers of the Nyingma tradition to seek a peaceful refuge in Bayul Demazong. This movement continued with the arrival of tertön Ngari Lekden Dorje, Mon Karthok Sonam Gyaltsen, and many other lamas, monks, and their families who eventually settled in Sikkim.

During the same period, relatives believed to be descendants of the three brothers of Khey Bumsa migrated from Haa in present-day Bhutan through the Chumbi Valley into Denzong. These groups later became known as the Bey Tshen Gyad or the “Eight Related Clans,” namely Bonpo (Phempo), Gonsangpa or Gensarpa, Namtsangkorpa, Tagchung Dharpa, Kartshokpa, Gyongtoedpa, Tshungyapa (Chingapa), and Dokhampa.

Within these major clans developed numerous sub-clans and family branches. For example, the Bonpo clan is traditionally believed to have consisted of eighteen sub-groups, although only five major branches are commonly identified today: Bonpo Nadik, Bonpo Lhasung, Hochak Bonpo, Napon Bonpo, and Bonchungpa. Despite their name, the Bonpo clan of Sikkim follows Mahayana Buddhism and should not be confused with the Bon religion.

Many other Bhutia clans trace their origins to high-ranking lamas, religious figures, and their attendants who migrated to Sikkim both before and after the establishment of the Namgyal dynasty. These include Butshobo, Goerongpo, Toepo, Ladingpo, Genpo, Shapo, Tsenkarpo, Barphung Butsho, Balangdarpo, Namangpo, Khimsarpo, Kagyalpo, Lahokpo, Aden Putshapo, and many others. Several of these clans are further divided into numerous sub-groups. For example, the Toepo clan includes Toe Lhagoe, Toe Jamyangpo, and Toe Chukhapo, while the Shapo clan includes Sha Kalon, Sha Bentok, and Sha Assampo.

Apart from clan-based identities, many Bhutia families acquired surnames based on their places of settlement. Examples include Lachungpa, Lachenpa, Assampo, Pathingpo, Matshongpo, and Dothapo. Other family names survive primarily through oral traditions due to the limited documentation of clan histories. One such example is the Shingsarpo lineage, whose ancestors are believed to have migrated towards Darjeeling and neighbouring regions in search of agricultural land.

Another section of the Bhutia population consists of groups that migrated from the lower regions of the Chumbi Valley during a later period. These migrants became known collectively as Chumbipas and were further divided into clans such as Lhamdarpa, Genyen Phutsho, Agon Phutsho, Athub Phutsho, Doshoipa (Dozhodpa), and Khyimbarpa.

As the Bhutias continued to migrate and settle in Sikkim over several centuries, their settlements expanded and their relationship with the indigenous Lepchas became increasingly close. These ties were further strengthened by the historic blood-brotherhood pact between Khey Bumsa and Thekong Tek. This alliance played a significant role in the formation of the Sikkimese state and the political consolidation that culminated in the establishment of the Namgyal dynasty under Phuntsog Namgyal.

The history of the Sikkimese Bhutia is therefore not the story of a single migration or lineage but of multiple waves of settlement, religious movements, clan formations, and cultural interactions that took place over many centuries. Through their close association with the indigenous Lepchas and their contribution to the establishment of the Namgyal kingdom, the Sikkimese Bhutias played a central role in shaping the political, religious, and cultural identity of Sikkim.