After experiencing this disaster the Rajah retreated towards the frontiers of Tibet in order to re-assemble an army, and to solicit assistance from the Deb Rajah of Bhutan and the pontiff Lama of Lhasa (ibid). Gorkhas captured most of the Sikkim territories up to the Teesta river including all of the modern districts of South and West Sikkim as well as Darjeeling. It coincided with the Sino-Gorkha war (1788-1792) (Mullard 2011: 177). The document held at Sikkimese Palace Archives gives the idea that Sikkimese Generals had considerable role in the Sino-Gorkha war. In the document PD/9.5/006, the Chinese Amban writes to the commander of the Sikkimese Army, Yug phyog thub, “to invade Nepal if the Gorkhas invade Tibet”, thus opening a second front which the Gorkha army would need to defend, forcing the Gorkha army to fight on two fronts. In the document PD/6.1/004, the “Chinese order the Sikkimese Army to meet with the Chinese General to coordinate the final invasion of Nepal in 1792” (Mullard 2010: 139). This gives the idea that Sikkimese Generals had played key role in the Gorkha-Tibet war. …show more content…
The result of this was Sikkim’s resentment towards China/Tibet and Nepal and desire to reclaim its possessions (Mullard 2011: 178). The affairs of Sikkim continued in this unsatisfactory note till the British’s rupture with the Gorkhas in 1814 (Hamilton 1828: 549). The opportunity to exact revenge on Nepal and China/Tibet came with the Anglo-Gorkha war (1814-1816), where Sikkim could reclaim its possessions and ignored Chinese requests to avoid contact with the British (Mullard 2011: