The Chogyal ("Dharma Kings", ) were the monarchs of the former Kingdom of Sikkim, which belonged to the Namgyal dynasty (). The Chogyal was the absolute monarch of Sikkim from 1642 to 1973, and the constitutional monarch from 1973 to 1975, when the monarchy was abolished and the Sikkimese people voted in a referendum to make Sikkim the 22nd state of India.
History
From 1642 to 1975, Sikkim was ruled by the monarchy founded by
Phuntsog Namgyal, the fifth-generation descendant of
Guru Tashi, a prince from the
Western Xia House who came to Sikkim from the
Kham region of Eastern
Tibet.
[Measuroo.com States and Territories of India series. Online: [1] (accessed: 14 May 2008)] Chogyal means 'righteous ruler', and was the title conferred upon Sikkim's Buddhist kings during the reign of the Namgyal Monarchy.
The reign of the Chogyal was foretold by the patron saint of Sikkim, Padmasambhava. The 8th-century saint had predicted the rule of the kings when he arrived in the state. In 1642, Phuntsog Namgyal was crowned as Sikkim's first Chogyal in Yuksom. The crowning of the king was a great event and he was crowned by three revered who arrived there from three different directions, namely the north, west, and south.
Chogyal kings of Sikkim
List of chogyals
Titular chogyals
The son from the first marriage of Palden Thondup Namgyal,
Wangchuk Namgyal (; born 1 April 1953), was named the 13th Chogyal after his father's death on 29 January 1982,
and crowned on 19 February 1982; the Government of India did not recognize this coronation,
and the position no longer confers any official authority.
| + Titular chogyals (1975–present) |
|
| Palden Thondup Namgyal | 10 April 1975 | 29 January 1982 | Son of Tashi Namgyal |
| Wangchuk Namgyal | 29 January 1982 | Incumbent | Son of Palden Thondup Namgyal |
Family tree
Royal flag
File:Royal flag of Sikkim.svg|Royal flag of Sikkim 1877–1975
Rulers of other Himalayan kingdoms
Druk Gyalpo of Bhutan
In Bhutan, "dharmaraja" or "Righteous King" is a title which was also conferred upon a special class of temporal and spiritual rulers. In Bhutan, the Chogyal were given the respectful title Zhabdrung. In this context, the Chogyal was a recognised reincarnation (or succession of reincarnations) of
Ngawang Namgyal, the 17th century
-born founder of Bhutan. A position of supreme importance, the Bhutanese Chogyal was above both the highest monastic authority, the
Je Khenpo, and the highest temporal ruler, the Deb Raja or
Druk Desi.
[Norbu, Namkhai (1988, 2000). The Crystal and the Way of Light: The Teachings of Namkhai Norbu. (Snow Lion Publications) pg.20 and Notes.] There were two main lines of Zhabdrung incarnations in Bhutan.
Gyalpo of Ladakh
The region of
Ladakh was ruled by a separate line of the Namgyal dynasty that lasted from 1460 to 1842 and were titled the
Gyalpo of Ladakh.
See also
-
Dharmaraja
-
Devaraja
-
Garpön
-
History of Sikkim
-
History of Ladakh
Notes
