Sir Gongsa Ugyen Wangchuck, the first king of Bhutan
during Coronation- History in making
Bhutan is an independent nation despite being small in size. Today, we see the country as a peaceful and harmonious nation, enchanted by Gross National Happiness (GNH). Bhutan’s success today correlates with her history.
Ugyen Guru Rinpoche first visited Bhutan in 746 AD. He introduced Buddhism and it flourished to the places he visited. After the Guru, many other significant figures took the initiative to spread the religion.
Zhabdrung Rinpoche came to Bhutan in 1616 AD. He actively worked towards strengthening Buddhism and the political structure of the country. Before he left for permanent retreat in 1651, he introduced the Dual System of Government ( Desi as the head of secular and Je Khenpo as the head of Religion)
Jigme Namgyal Trongsa Penlop in 1853. As a powerful leader, he controlled eastern Bhutan and slowly ventured west and almost unified Bhutan under one ruler. His contribution towards Bhutan’s unification is highly respected by people all over bhutan.
December 17, 1907 marked a historical day in Bhutan as Sir Ugyen Wangchuck rose to the throne as the first ever hereditary monarch of the country. The Wangchuck dynasty started their reign with their successive leaders. The kings have brought significant reforms in social, political and economical fields. After hundred years of Monarchy, Bhutan successfully adopted Democratic Constitutional Monarchy system in the year 2008.