Did You Know?
The ascendency of the Wangchuck dynasty is deeply rooted in the historical politics of Bhutan. Between 1616 and 1907, varying administrative, religious, and regional powers vied for control within Bhutan. During this period, factions were influenced and supported by Tibet and the British Empire. Ultimately, the hereditary Penlop of Trongsa, Ugyen Wangchuck, was elected the first Druk Gyalpo in 1907, marking the ascendency of his dynasty.
Prior to reunification, the Wangchuck family had governed the district of Trongsa. As King of Bhutan, Ugyen Wangchuck secured the Treaty of Punakha (1910), under which Britain guaranteed Bhutan’s independence. After his coronation, Gongsar Uygen Wangchuck further merited the British Delhi Durbar Gold Medal in 1911; the Knight Commander of the Order of the Star of India (KCSI) in 1911; and the Knight Grand Commander of the Order of the Indian Empire (GCIE) in 1921. King Ugyen Wangchuck died in 1926.
The reign of the Second Druk Gyalpo Jigme Wangchuck (1926–1952) was characterized by an increasingly powerful central government and the beginnings of infrastructure development. Bhutan also established its first diplomatic relations with India under the bilateral Treaty of Friendship, largely patterned after the prior Treaty of Punakha.
The Third King Jigme Dorji Wangchuck (1952–1972) ascendedthethroneattheage of 16, having been educated in England and India. During the reign of the Third King, Bhutan began further political andlegalreformsandstarted to open to the outside world. Notably, the Third King was responsible for establishing a unicameral National Assembly in 1953 and establishing relations with Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru in 1958. Under His Majesty Jigme Dorji Wangchuck, Bhutan also modernized its legal codes. He is known as the Father of modern Bhutan
The Third King died in 1972, and the Raven Crown passed to His Majesty Jigme Singye Wangchuck, who was 16-years-old at the time. The Fourth King was, like his father, educated in England and India, and had also attended Ugyen Wangchuck Academy in Paro. Reigning until 2006, the Fourth King was responsible for the development of the tourism industry, Gross National Happiness as a concept, and strides in democratization including the draft Constitution of Bhutan. To the surprise of the Bhutanese public, the Fourth King announced his abdication in 2005 at the height of his reign and retired in 2006, handing the crown to his son- His Majesty Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck.
His Majesty Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck assumed the throne as the Fifth King in 2008 as the kingdom adopted its first democratic Constitution.