The name ‘Darjeeling’ came from the Tibetan words, ‘Dorje’ meaning thunderbolt originally the scepter of Indra, hence ‘the land of the thunderbolt’.[4] Before the Britishers Darjeeling formed a part of Sikkim and for a brief period of Nepal. However, neither the history of Sikkim, nor the history of Nepal furnish any account of its early history. Bhutanese captured Kalimpong subdivision of Darjeeling district in 1706 from Sikkim Raj.[5] From 1780 the Gorkhas constantly made inroads into Sikkim and by the beginning of 19^th century, they had overrun Sikkim as far eastward as the Teesta and had conquered and annexed the Terai. Prior to the year 1806, the whole the territory known as British Sikkim belong to Nepal, which had won it by the conquest from the Sikkimese.[6] In 1817, with the treaty of Titaliya the East India Co. reestablished the Raja of Sikkim, restored all the tracts of land between the Mechi and the Teesta to the King and guaranteed his sovereignty.  With the intervention of the British, the Gorkhas were prevented from turning the whole of Sikkim into a province of Nepal and Sikkim was retained as a buffer state between Nepal and Bhutan.  Under this treaty the Sikkim Raja was bound to British Government all disputes between his subjects and neighboring states. After ten years disputes arose on the Sikkim-Nepal frontier and referred to the Governor General. In 1828 , two officers Captain  Loyed and Mr. Grant,  were deputed to deal with these disputes. In these aspect Lloyed spent six days in February 1829 in “The old Goorkha Station of Darjeeling” and was attracted by its advantages as a site for a sanitorium. Mr. Grant reported accordingly to the Governor General Lord William Bentinck the numerous advantages promised by a sanitarium at Darjeeling and also recommended its occupation for military purposes as the key of a pass into Nepal. In the year of 1836 Dr. Campbell and General Lloyed sent to explore and investigate the climate and the capabilities of the place. They spent the winter of 1836 and part of 1837 doing this and when it was finally decided to develop the site as Sanitarium. With this decision Darjeeling started changing its scanty scenario towards prosperity. In March 1861 the Treaty of Tumlong signed, between Sikkim Raj and British Government. After this treaty the future of Darjeeling totally came under British Power.

In the first half of 19^th century the whole journey of Darjeeling took 98 hours, mentioned at A guide to Darjeeling published in 1838. The journey took from Calcutta by dawk as follows: - 54 hours Calcutta to Malda; 16 hours Malda to Dinajpur; 20 hours Dinajpur to Titaliya; 8 hours Titaliya to the foot of the hills.[7] Sir Joseph Hooker described whole journey to Darjeeling at cost of Rs.240 in the year of 1848 lasted for five to six days and also the discomfort and expense were graphically described by him to perform the journey from Karagola Ghat on the Ganges to the foothills.[8] All the way the journey of Darjeeling was not flexible at that time. Britishers first understand geographically, economically, politically and strategically importance of Darjeeling. Colonial master of India realized communication was the key to the tressure of Darjeeling so they initiated as needed. British power constructed Roads, Rail line, Bridges, telegraph line etc. The first measure taken to improve communications was the deputation of Lieutenant Napier to construct a road from Siliguri to Darjeeling. The first road was construct on military purpose, carried out from 1839 to 1842 and now known as Old Military Road from Siliguri to Darjeeling can still be seen from Pankhabari to Kurseong and thence on to Dow Hill and Ghum. This road was laid out in midest of thick forest and along the steep ridges for a length of 40 miles. An early observer, the whole road from Pankhabari, upwards of 30 miles, runs through a forest with an almost impenetrable under-wood for the whole way. Karagola Ghat on Ganges opposite Sahebganj to Siliguri connected with Hill Cart Road. The road from Karagola to Siliguri was known as Ganges Darjeeling Road.

The road system made is not only due to local utility but also importance to the Province of Sikkim and Tibet trade. Also, in this period Tea industry started to firmly established at Darjeeling vise a versa the reason to project Darjeeling as a sanitarium all this reason initiated British power to develop communication procedure at Darjeeling. Britishers not only made roads but also started Railways, Telegraph, Ropeway, Bridges for communication purpose. Road communication in this district had always been recognized locally and by the Provincial Government. Road development received a fresh impetus after 1918 with the coming into general use of petrol driven vehicle. Since then, the carrying capacity of the Darjeeling District communication system has been vastly increased as well as the comfort and convenience of the public travelling. A considerable improvement in the comfort of travel on steep and narrow hills road has followed from the appearance on the market of the very light motor car of which the pioneer was the Austin 7 with an especially low gear box for use in the hills.[9] Roads are usually built with an inward slope and a drain along the hillside to lesson the risk from heavy rain. The Central Public Works Department controls parts of certain major roads leading to Sikkim and Tibet. Tista Bridge to Rangpo up to 15 miles metalled road undertaken by P.W.D since 1940. The Darjeeling Hill Cart Road also called the Hill Cart Road, Tista Valley Road, Rishi Road, Siliguri Naxalbari Road, Ghum Simana Road, Rangit Road, etc, all these roads maintained by the Communications and Work Department of the Government of Bengal. These roads are of total length of 311 miles of which 216 miles were metalled. Annually maintenance costs approximately Rs. 4.5 lakhs. In 1871 Deputy Commissioner of Darjeeling gave the list of Imperial Roads came under Public Works Department- 1. The Darjeeling Hill Cart Road , which enters the District at Siliguri and extends to Darjeeling Station, a distance of 48 miles; the first 8 miles of the tarai section is metalled , the remainder unmetalled. 2. New cart road from the saddle to Jallapahar, 2¹/₂ miles_; unmetalled. 3. From Panthabari to Siliguri,16 miles;  unmetalled. 4. Cinchona plantation road from the saddle to Rangbi, 7 miles; unmetalled. Total length of Public Works Department roads, 93 miles. Local Fund road maintained under the supervision of the Deputy  Commissioner- 5. Road from the Little Ranjit  river to Gok and Kalbang, 6 miles ; unmetalled. 6. Road from Rangnu to Rangli Rangliot, 10 miles; unmetalled. 7. Road from Balasan  to Nagni, 4 miles; unmetalled. 8. Nepal road from the Little Ranjit river to the Nepal frontier, 20 miles; unmetalled. 9. Forest road from the Tista river to Mann’s Hut and Sivak, 12 miles; unmetalled. 10. Road from Takda towards Rangli Rangliot, 6 miles; unmetalled. 11. Road from the Great Ranjit to the Tista bridge, 8 miles; unmetalled. 12. Road from the Tista river to Kalimpong, 6 miles; unmetalled. 13.Road from Kalingpang to Damsang, 14 miles; unmetalled. 14. Road from Damsang to Llaba, 12 miles; unmetalled. 15.Road from Llaba to  Dalingkot and Kiranti, 38 miles ; unmetalled. 18. Road from  Matigara to Phansideva, 10miles; unmetalled. 19. Road from Nuksarbari to Karaibari Hat, 6 miles; unmetalled. 20.Road from Karaibari to Phansideva, 12miles; unmetalled. 21. Road from Nuksarbari to Matigarh, 12 miles. 22.Road from Karaibari to Adhikari Hat, 6 miles; unmetalled. 23. Road from Matigara to Campasiri, 12 miles; unmetalled. 24. The Tista road from Gurumara to the Great Tista; 12 miles; unmetalled. Total of Local Fund Roads, 234 miles more or less. Roads under the Municipality 25.Dhutiria road, running from the cart road to Dhuturia  factory ,8 miles; unmetalled. 26. Gok road from Darjeeling town to the Little Ranjit, 10 miles. 27. Hopetown road, from the cart road to Hopetown and Balasan, 16miles;  unmetalled. 28. Road from Darjeling Station to Jalapahar, 2 miles; unmetalled. 29. Mineral Spring road,  from Darjeeling Station to Rangnu, 8 miles; unmetalled. 30.Road from Karsiang to Pankhabari ,  6 miles; unmetalled. 31. Ranjit road No.1, from Darjeeling Station to the Great Ranjit, 12 miles; unmetalled. 32.Ranjit road No. 2, from Takvar to the Great Ranjit, 8 miles; unmetalled 33. Singtam road from Darjeeling Station to the Little Ranjit, 10 miles; unmetalled. 34. Roads within the limits of the station of Darjeeling, 20 miles; partly metalled and partly unmetalled. Total of roads under the Municipality, 100 miles more or less. Estimated total length of roads 427 miles.[10]

In the hills, blasting may be necessary in construction and repairs and streams crossing road alignments often have to be treated with expensive revetting or walling to lessen risk of their harming the road. Since the time of Hooker when suspension bridges consisted of a few bamboos slung from two parallel canes than bridging technique has considerably changed. Such bridges existed but the more common suspension bridges use steel wire ropes and no bamboos. The log bridge built on the cantilever principle is also still made but steel girders and reinforced concrete are used for the more important modern  bridges  where traffic is heavy and durable structures are needed. The following are important bridges constructed by or under the direction of  the Provincial Goverment:-

1.     The Anderson Bridge over the Tista is a reinforced concrete bridge constructed at a cost of Rs. 3,69,000 in 1933-34. It connects the Tista Valley Road with the Rishi Road and replaced An old suspension bridge called the Tista Bridge. It carries a roadway 18 feet wide.

2.     The Coronation Bridge over the Tista crossing near the 14^th mile of the Siliguri Sivok Tista Valley Road. This bridge has a total length of 563 feet with a span of 276 feet and a rise of 132 feet. The height of the roadway at the centre above water-level is about 173 feet. The piers and arch are all hollow and this is the first bridge of such magnitude in India in which hollow box construction has been adopted. The  bridge was designed by Mr. John Chambers now chief Engineer and was opened by his Excellency Sir John A. Herbert, Governor of Bengal, on the 12^th March 1941.

3.     The Maharaja Nadi over Sivok River at the 12^th mile of the Siliguri Sivok Road. It was completed in 1940 at a cost of Rs. 1,03,000. It is a reinforced concrete rigid box culvert with 33 spans of 100 feet each (including 3 lands on sloped abutments).

4.     The Lish River Bridge on the Sivok Bagrakot Road is a reinforced concrete bridge, having a main arch of 68 feet and four approach  spans of 100 feet each (including 3 land spans on sloped abutments).

5.     Ferro-concrete bridges over the Kolaigomoti and Rongdong rivers on the Sivok Bagrakot Road.

6.     A suspension bridge over the Balasan river at Pankhabari.

7.     A suspension bridge over the Great Rangit river at Manjitar connecting the District with Sikkim State.

8.     A suspension bridge over the Great Rangit River at Champs connecting the District with Sikkim State.

9.     A suspension Bridge over the Rambi River on Tista Valley Road. This bridge has long been a bottle neck for traffic on this road as at cannot sake vehicles over 35cwt. In weight, gives vary low overhead clearance and because of its awkward approaches cannot be used by vehicles of appreciable length.[11]

The bridges spanning the numerous water-courses, streams and rivers of the district furnish materials for an interesting lesson in the art of bridge building, varying as they do from the simple but indigenous bridges of cane and bamboo devised by the hill people to the more elaborate suspension bridges of European science.

Roads and bridges were the starting point from where Darjeeling Communication system started to boosting up. The next stage was set up of DHR. When the Darjeeling was in the process of making as one of the English territories of British India, on the other parts of the country, the pioneers of Indian railways were working hard to settle lines of railway network, the pioneers of Indian railways were working hard to settle lines of railway network. The first proposals for the construction of railways in India were submitted in 1844 to the East India Company in England by Mr. R.M. Stephenson.[12] The impact of Industrial Revolution was felt in India particularly during the period of Lord Dalhousie, in whose tenure the railways and post offices were introduced in India. In 1869 the cart road from Darjeeling to Siliguri was completed. On August 28^th 1877, the North Bengal State Railway was opened for traffic between Atrai and Jalpai  and by the year it had been extended to Siliguri. Within five decades after the acquisition of Darjeeling the railway track was laid on the hills. The proposal of laying a tramway was submitted in 1878 by Franklin Prestage to the Lieutenant Governor of Bengal, Sir Ashley Eden. The agreement was signed on 8th April, 1879 and the Darjeeling Himalayan Tramway Company was formed.  The tramway system is owned by the Darjeeling-Himalayan Railway Company for which the Managing Agents are Messrs. Gillanders Arbuthnit & Co.[13] The Kalimpong Ropeway may be considered a branch line of the Railway system as it managed also by Messers. Gillanders Arbuthnot & Co. and its operation works in closely with that of the Tista Valley branch of the system owned by the Darjeeling-Himalayan Railway Company. The Kalimpong Ropeway Co. Ltd. Was formed in 1928 for the purpose of transporting  commodities between the town of Kalimpong  and the Darjeeling-Himalayan Railway in the Tista Valley. Previously Kalimpong had to rely on bullock carts and coolies for the transport of all goods prevails but in no case is more than 6 annas per maund charged and this rate is between Kalimpong and Rili for a movement which cuts out 4 miles of rail transport. 

In 1881 The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway Company had opened its steam tramway for traffic up to Darjeeling. At this period the tramline worked up a Zig-Zag from Gayabarie to Giddapahar. The ‘Tiny’ was first brought into use on the occasion of the visit of Lord Lytton.[14] Shortly after this visit the steam tramway was extended and July 4^th 1881 the line was pushed on to the terminus and its designation changed to that of – “The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway”. For most of its length the railway runs along the Hill Cart Road. At places on either side of Ghum, the road negotiates gradients much steeper than the average, and those difficulties of ascent are overcome by ingenious devices. One is the loop, where the line passes through a tunnel again, so that alignment follows a large spiral. Another is the reversing station where the train is shunted backwards on an ascending gradient for some distance, so that the alignment climbs the hillside in a zig-zag like a hill footpath. The contour of the hill-sides provides many special problems in alignment for a railway which, at many places, has to negotiate curves as sharp as  60 feet in radius. The main line starts from Siliguri, 398 feet above sea-level, and runs along the Hill Cart Road for about 7 miles on the level to Sukna. After this station the railway begins to climb the Himalayan foothills at an average gradient of 1 in 29 reaching its highest point, 7,407 feet above sea-level, at Ghum station, 47miles from Siliguri. It then descends for about four miles to the terminus at Darjeeling Station, 51 miles from Siliguri and 6,812 feet above sea-level. Construction was commenced in 1879 and by March 1880 the line had been opened to Tindharia. Lord Lytton, the first viceroy to visit Darjeeling, was conveyed by this line in that year. By the end of 1880 it was completed to Kurseong and in July 1881 it was open for traffic to Darjeeling. In 1914 workshops were opened at Tindharia and all rolling stock except wheels and axles is constructed there. The original cost of the main line to Darjeeling was Rs. 17,50,000 but subsequent improvements had brought the cost up to Rs. 43,00,000 by 1920.

The total, number of passengers from the following principal stations travelling during these period over the different sections of the Darjeeling-Himalayan Railways was :-

Source:  Arthur Jules Dash, Bengal District Gazetteer: Darjeeling, p-195

The progress in handling passenger and goods traffic since 1909 is shown in the table below: - 

Main line        S. K. Extension    T. V. Extension      Kalimpong     Roapway

These figures show what an important part the Railway has played in the economy of the District. As far as economic development is concerned the findings of the past record reveals that the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway in itself was economic revolution in the then society by opening job avenues to the educated Indians and unskilled labourer from the native’s area over all DHR help to pushed up Darjeeling towards modernity and development.Ropeways was another major part of Colonial Darjeeling Communication system. First ropeway system established in Kalimpong . The Kalimpong Ropeway Co. Ltd. Was formed in 1928 for the purpose of transporting commodities between the town of  Kalimpong  and the Darjeeling-Himalayan Railways in the Tista Valley. The Ropeway, designed by the british Ropeway Engineering Co., Ltd., London and erected by their engineers, was opened in September 1930 by Lady Stephenson, wife of the acting Governor of Bengal. The Company originally had an authorised capital of Rs. 5 lakhs, the whole of which was issued and subscribed. The authorised capital as subsequently increased to Rs. 20 lakhs to provide finance for any extensions that might be undertaken in the future. The managing agents of the Company are Messrs. Gillanders Arbuthnot & Co., Calcutta, and the Darjeeling-Himalayan Railway act as working agents.

Previously Kalimpong had to rely on bullock carts and coolies for the transport of all goods and rates varied from 8 to Re. 1-4 per maund from Gielle Khola railway station according to the season of the year.  On the ropeway a classification of goods prevails but in no case is more than 6 annas per maund charged and this rate is between Kalipong and Rilli for a movement which cuts out 4 miles of rail transport.  After set up of ropeway it was proved to be an efficient and economical form of transport. Extension to the ropeway are possible in both directions. Branch of ropeways extended to the Chinchona factory at Mangpu and adjacent tea garden and for the extraction of timber, charcoal and produce from the Surrounding forests.The Ropeway from Darjeeling to Bijanbari has length of 5 miles and is constructed on the Mono- Cable  “Breco” system. It was owned by a public carrying company , the Darjeeling Ropeway Co., Ltd. With a capital of Rs. 3 lakhs divided into shares and debenturs. The managing agents were Messrs. Goenka & Co., Darjeeling. The ropeway was opened for traffic in January 1939. It has two intermediate stations at Singtom and Chungtong. Its carrying capacity per hour was 100 maunds and it powered by one 24 B.H.P diesel oil engine at Darjeeling and  a similar one at Singtom. It serves Bijanbari which was an important centre for trade from Eastern Nepal and Western Sikkim and an important tea garden forest and Khas Mahal area. Potatoes, Vegetables, Poultry, Cardamoms and forest produce are carried up to Darjeeling and Cloth, yarn, sugar, salt, kerosene and metals are carried  down.¹⁵ Rates charged 5 annas per maund between Bijanbari and Darjeeling , 4 annas per maund between Singtom and Darjeeling.

The first postal stamp in India was introduced on 1^st July 1852 in the Scinde district. In 1854 the introduction of uniform postage rates led to the development of the first postage stamps valid for use throughout India. In 1852 Lord Dalhousie introduced the Electric Telegraph System and Warren Hastings  opened the posts to the public in March 1774. After Darjeeling become a integral part of British Indian Colone- Postal system, Telegraph & telephone lines all communication facilities established there also. The Head Post Office in an imposing three – storied stone building  on the Mackenzie Road in Darjeeling providing not only accommodation for the Post and Telegraph office but also residential quarters for the postmaster and the signalling staff. The building was opened on the 2^nd May 1921 by His excellency Lord Ronaldshay, Governor of Bengal.* First class letters were conveyed from Siliguri to Darjeeling by bus. Heavy parcel, packet and other mails carried by railway. The Darjeeling Head Office controls the accounts of 31 sub-office the District of Darjeeling, Sikkim and Tibet. In Darjeeling Town there was one head office and 5 sub-offices at Ghum, Jalapahar, Lebong, North Point and Darjeeling Bazar. The Head office received 925 telegrams by telephone for onward despatch and maintained 29 deposit accounts for payment of telegrams. There were nearly 300 miles of line maintained by the Telegraph Engineering Department. There was a direct line from Darjeeling to Calcutta which was worked on the duplex system and direct lines from Darjeeling were worked on the closed-circuit system to Yatung, Kalimpong, Gangtok, Daidpur, Mirik and Lebong. The Darjeeling Saidpur circuit serves several stations up to Siliguri. Supervision is carried out by one Engineering Supervisor, Telegraph, Posted in Darjeeling with two Sub-Inspectors and 5 linemen who maintain the telegraph lines and apparatus and install telephone lines and cables. The Engineering Supervisor , Darjeeling, deals: with installations up to Kalimpong, Siliguri and Mirik. Also there were public telephone call offices at Darjeeling, Ghum, Jalapahar and Lebong in this period. The total number of calls booked at these offices during 1942-43 was 1,623.¹⁶ There were about 450 subscribers to the telephone system in the district. There were eight public call offices in the District. Communications in the District were facilitated by the provision of numerous inspection bungalows sited conveniently for travel. These bunglows were maintained for the use of inspecting officers. There were dak bunglows at Kurseong, Pankhabari and Siliguri and Bunglows at the following places were available for the accommodation of travellers who have obtained passes authorizing them to occupy them :-

Source: L S S O’MALLEY, Bengal District Gazetteers Darjeeling, p-142.