ABSTRACT
This entry on ‘frontier feudalism’ deals with a medieval historical phase in the life of the Himalayan kingdoms of Sikkim and Bhutan. In this phase, basically pastoral and hunting communities were organized under strong overlords, who commanded extensive territories, snowy deserts and difficult mountainous terrains included, and were largely nomadic. Their influence depended on how swiftly and effectively would an issue be addressed by the overlords whose palaces or centres of administration often shifted from place to another depending on their perception of threat or actual engagement in war.
