[In 1964-65] Ilam District in East Nepal was ... one of four districts comprising the Mechi zone, Nepal's eastern-most Region. It is bounded on the east by Sikkim and the Darjeeling district of West Bengal, to the west and north by the Nepalese districts of Dhankutta and Panchthar, and to the south by Jhapa in the terai (plains). Paddy (grown in irrigated terraces [khet]), maize and millet (grown in dry or unirrigated fields [bari]) were the principal crops grown in the district.