-Journal of Arts, Science & Commerce ■ISSN2231-4172 International Refereed Research Journal ■ www.researchersworld.com■ Vol.– VIII, Issue –4(1), October 2017[8] COLONIAL QUEST FOR TRADE IN THE TRANS HIMALAYA: AN ANALYSIS OF THE SIKKIM-DARJEELING HIMALAYAN ROUTE (1835-1904) Topgyal Zimba, Assistant Professor Mathabhanga College, Coochbehar, West Bengal, India ABSTRACT The dual motive of gaining trading privileges in Tibet and to use Tibet as a backdoor to trade with China and Central Asia had prodded the Colonial India to seek means to open Tibet for commercial intercourse with India. The Colonial government as such changed various routes to channel its trade to Tibet, beginning with Bhutan as a trade route to Tibet, later it shifted its emphasis on Nepal as a link between Tibet and India but during the second half of 19th Century Sikkim-Darjeeling route became the most convenient of all the trade routes between India and Tibet, this route which passed through Jeleep La pass in Chumbi valley was reported to be the shortest and safest of all route between Bengal and Tibet. In course of time Darjeeling acted as an entrepot of Tibetan trade. This article makes an attempt to reconstruct the importance of Darjeeling with respect to its trade relation with Tibet. It focuses on the attempts of the British Indian Government to foster Indo-Tibetan trade through Darjeeling and Sikkim Himalaya prior to the official opening of Tibet in 1904. Keywords: trading privileges, invoking trade, flow of trade.