British East India Company leases Darjeeling from Sikkim

Background. The East India Company, a joint-stock company founded in 1600, had gained control of large parts of the Indian subcontinent. By the early 19th century, Darjeeling was identified as a potential summer retreat for British officials. The narrow mountain ridge was leased from the Kingdom of Sikkim, eventually leading to annexation.

Negotiation and Grant. In 1835, the East India Company negotiated the lease of a 40 by 10 kilometres strip of land from the Chogyal of Sikkim. This grant deed formalized the acquisition of the area, which was seen as excellent for a sanitorium or resort to shelter from the heat of India's plains.

Administrative Context. The East India Company had divested its commercial trading assets in India in 1833, with the UK government assuming the company's debts and obligations, to be serviced from tax revenue raised in India. The Saint Helena Act 1833 ended the company's monopoly with China, rendering its activities purely administrative.