Monarşi, Referandum ve Entegrasyon: Sikkim Krallığı’nın Sona Erişi ve Hindistan’a Katılımı (1975)

Abstract

Bu çalışma, Sikkim Krallığı’nın 1975 yılında monarşik yapısını kaybederek Hindistan’a katılım sürecini kapsamlı biçimde analiz etmeyi amaçlamaktadır. Araştırmanın temel hipotezi, söz konusu siyasal dönüşümün yalnızca iç siyasal dinamiklerle açıklanamayacağı; referandum yoluyla üretilen meşruiyetin ve bölgesel güç dengelerinin bu süreci belirleyici biçimde şekillendirdiğidir. Bu çerçevede çalışmada nitel tarihsel analiz yöntemi benimsenmiş; anayasal metinler, resmi belgeler ve referandum verileri gibi birincil kaynaklar ile akademik literatürden oluşan ikincil kaynaklar, içerik analizi ve tarihsel karşılaştırma teknikleriyle sistematik olarak incelenmiştir. Bulgular, Sikkim’de etnik temelli siyasal yapı, Bhutia-Lepcha elitlerinin ayrıcalıklı konumu, Nepal kökenli nüfusun artan siyasal talepleri ve monarşik yapının sınırlı meşruiyetinin rejim değişimini hazırlayan başlıca iç faktörler olduğunu göstermektedir. Bununla birlikte, Çin’in Tibet üzerindeki hâkimiyeti ve Himalaya bölgesindeki artan stratejik varlığı, Hindistan açısından güvenlik kaygılarını derinleştirmiş ve Sikkim’in jeopolitik önemini daha da artırmıştır. Bu dışsal dinamikler, Hindistan’ın bölgeye yönelik siyasi etkisini güçlendirerek entegrasyon sürecini hızlandırmıştır. 1975 referandumu ise monarşinin kaldırılmasını ve Sikkim’in Hindistan’ın federal yapısına dâhil edilmesini meşrulaştıran kritik bir siyasal araç olarak işlev görmüştür. Sonuç olarak Sikkim’in dönüşümü, küçük devletlerde rejim değişimi ve entegrasyon süreçlerinin hem iç toplumsal dinamikler hem de büyük güç rekabeti bağlamında şekillendiğini ortaya koymaktadır.

Keywords

• Sikkim Krallığı
• Monarşi
• Referandum
• Hindistan
• Teokrasi

Monarchy, Referendum and Integration: The Demise of the Kingdom of Sikkim and its Integration into India (1975)

Abstract

This study aims to provide a comprehensive analysis of the process by which the Kingdom of Sikkim lost its monarchy in 1975 and became part of India. The central hypothesis of the study is that the political transformation in question cannot be explained solely by internal political dynamics; rather, the legitimacy derived from the referendum and regional power balances have played a decisive role in shaping this process. Within this framework, the study adopts a qualitative historical analysis method; primary sources such as constitutional texts, official documents and referendum data, alongside secondary sources comprising academic literature, have been systematically examined using content analysis and historical comparison techniques. The findings indicate that the primary internal factors paving the way for the regime change in Sikkim were the ethnically based political structure, the privileged position of the Bhutia-Lepcha elites, the growing political demands of the Nepalese-origin population, and the limited legitimacy of the monarchy. However, China’s control over Tibet and its growing strategic presence in the Himalayan region have deepened India’s security concerns and further heightened Sikkim’s geopolitical importance. These external dynamics have accelerated the integration process by strengthening India’s political influence in the region. The 1975 referendum served as a critical political instrument that legitimised the abolition of the monarchy and Sikkim’s incorporation into India’s federal structure. Consequently, Sikkim’s transformation demonstrates that regime change and integration processes in small states are shaped by both internal social dynamics and the context of great power rivalry.

Keywords

• Kingdom of Sikkim
• Monarchy
• Referendum
• India
• Theocracy

References

1. Acharya, T. G. (2005). A short biography of four Tibetan lamas and their activities in Sikkim (S. Mullard & T. Paljor, Trans.). Bulletin of Tibetology, 41(2), 49–60. Namgyal Institute of Tibetology.
2. Arora, V. (2007). Assertive identities, indigeneity, and the politics of recognition as a tribe: The Bhutias, the Lepchas and the Limbus of Sikkim. Sociological Bulletin, 56(2), 195–220. https://doi.org/10.1177/0038022920070202
3. Arora, V. (2009). Framing the image of Sikkim. Visual Studies, 24(1), 54–64. https://doi. org/10.1080/14725860902732710
4. Bentley, J. (2021). Protectors of the land and water: Citizenship, territory and vulnerability among the Lepcha in Sikkim and West Bengal. Asian Ethnicity, 22(2), 330–352. https://doi.org/10.1080/14631369.2020.1793295
5. Bhattacharya, A. (1992). The prayer-wheel & sceptre: Sikkim. Calcutta: Nachiketa Publication Ltd.
6. Bhasin, V. (2002). Ethnic relations among the people of Sikkim. Journal of Social Sciences, 6(1), 1–20. https://doi.org/10.1080/09718923.2002.11893000
7. Bhutia, C. (2025). Ethnic assertions in Sikkim: Monarchical period to the present scenario. International Journal of Science and Research (IJSR), 14(3), 1137–1142.
8. Bhutia, J. W. (2025). Sacred landscapes and colonial narratives: A historical geography of Sikkim. IJARIIE, 11(1), 1017–1025. https://ijariie.com

9. Chakrabarti, A. (2012). Migration and marginalisation in the ‘Himalayan Kingdom’ of Sikkim. Journal of Exclusion Studies, 2(1), 30–36. https://doi. org/10.5958/j.2231-4547.2.1.002
10. Chakraborty, S., & Chakma, N. (2016). Economy and social development of rural Sikkim. Space and Culture, India, 4(2), 61–79. https://doi.org/10.20896/saci.v4i2.198
11. Chhetri, G., Bhujel, D., & Rai, Y. K. (2020). Socio-cultural and religious use of plants by ethnic communities of Darjeeling and Sikkim Himalayas. Journal of Traditional and Folk Practices, 7(1&2), 64–79. http://www.jtfp.jntbgri
12. Chhetri, N. (2017). From Jat-Jati to Janjati: Demands for recognition as Scheduled Tribe and claims of indigeneity in Darjeeling. Sociological Bulletin, 66(1), 75–90. https://doi.org/10.1177/0038022916687064
13. Chettri, M. (2015). Engaging the state: Ethnic patronage and cultural politics in the Eastern Himalayan borderland. South Asia: Journal of South Asian Studies, 38(4), 558–573. https://doi.org/10.1080/00856401.2015.1070236