Dzongpen
Encyclopedia
Dzongpen is a Dzongkha term roughly translated as governor or dzong lord. Bhutan
ese dzongpens, prior to unification, controlled certain areas of the country, but now hold no administrative office. Rather, dzongpens are now entirely subservient to the House of Wangchuck
.
Traditionally, Bhutan comprised nine provinces: Trongsa
, Paro
, Punakha
, Wangdue Phodrang
, Daga
(also Taka, Tarka, or Taga), Bumthang
, Thimphu
, Kurtoed
(also Kurtoi, Kuru-tod), and Kurmaed
(or Kurme, Kuru-mad). The Provinces of Kurtoed and Kurmaed were combined into one local administration, leaving the traditional number of governors at eight. While some lords ruled from dzongs (dzongpens), others held the title of penlop
(Dzongkha: དཔོན་སློབ་; Wylie
: dpon-slob; also "Ponlop"), a title also translated as "governor," though penlops tended to be more powerful.
Dzongpens ruled in Byagha, Dalay, Dalingkote, Ha
, Khamba
, Punakha
(the "Punab"), Singhi
, Tashichho Dzong, Thimphu
(the "Thimphub"), Tuwa, and Wangdue Phodrang
(the "Wangzob").
Under the dual system of government
, penlop
s and dzongpens were theoretically masters of their own realms but servants of the Druk Desi
. In practice, however, they were under minimal central government control, and the Penlop of Trongsa and Penlop of Paro dominated the rest of the local lords. And while all governor posts were officially appointed by Shabdrung
Ngawang Namgyal
, later the Druk Desi
, some offices such as the Penlop of Trongsa were de facto hereditary and appointed within certain families. Penlops and dzongpens often held other government offices such as Druk Desi
, Je Khenpo
, governor of other provinces, or a second or third term in the same office.
, decreasingly effective central government control resulted in the de facto
disintegration of the office of Shabdrung
after the death of Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyal
in 1651. Under this system, the Shabdrung reigned over the temporal Druk Desi
and religious Je Khenpo
. Two successor Shabdrungs – the son (1651) and stepbrother (1680) of Ngawang Namgyal – were effectively controled by the Druk Desi and Je Khenpo until power was further splintered through the innovation of multiple Shabdrung incarnations, reflecting speech, mind, and body. Increasingly secular regional lords (penlop
s and dzongpens) competed for power amid a backdrop of civil war over the Shabdrung and invasions from Tibet
, and the Mongol Empire
. The penlops of Trongsa
and Paro
, and the dzongpons of Punakha
, Thimphu
, and Wangdue Phodrang
were particularly notable figures in the competition for regional dominance.
Within this political landscape, the Wangchuck family
originated in the Bumthang region
of central Bhutan. The family belongs to the Nyö clan, and is descended from Pema Lingpa
, a Bhutanese Nyingma
pa saint. The Nyö clan emerged as a local aristocracy, supplanting many older aristocratic families of Tibetan origin that sided with Tibet during invasions of Bhutan. In doing so, the clan came to occupy the hereditary position of Penlop of Trongsa, as well as significant national and local government positions.
The Penlop of Trongsa controlled central and Bhutan; the rival Penlop of Paro controlled western Bhutan; and dzongpons controlled areas surrounding their respective dzongs. Eastern dzongpens were generally under the control of the Penlop of Trongsa, who was officially endowed with the power to appoint them in 1853. The Penlop of Paro, unlike Trongsa, was an office appointed by the Druk Desi
's central government. Because western regions controlled by the Penlop of Paro contained lucrative trade routes, it became the object of competition among aristocratic families.
, also called "Punab."
, also called "Thimphub."
Below are the Dzongpens of Wangdue Phodrang
, also called "Wangzob."
Bhutan
Bhutan , officially the Kingdom of Bhutan, is a landlocked state in South Asia, located at the eastern end of the Himalayas and bordered to the south, east and west by the Republic of India and to the north by the People's Republic of China...
ese dzongpens, prior to unification, controlled certain areas of the country, but now hold no administrative office. Rather, dzongpens are now entirely subservient to the House of Wangchuck
House of Wangchuck
The House of Wangchuck has ruled Bhutan since it was reunified in 1907. Prior to reunification, the Wangchuck family had governed the district of Trongsa as descendants of Dungkar Choji. They eventually overpowered other regional lords and earned the favour of the British Empire...
.
Traditionally, Bhutan comprised nine provinces: Trongsa
Trongsa Province
Trongsa Province was one of the nine historical Provinces of Bhutan.Trongsa Province occupied lands in central Bhutan corresponding somewhat to modern Trongsa District, although the power of the Trongsa Penlop extended far beyond his own realms, covering the entire east of Bhutan...
, Paro
Paro Province
Paro Province was one of the nine historical Provinces of Bhutan.Paro Province occupied lands in western Bhutan, corresponding approximately to modern Paro District. It was administered from the Paro Dzong in the town of Paro...
, Punakha
Punakha Province
Punakha Province was one of the nine historical Provinces of Bhutan.Punakha Province occupied lands in western Bhutan, corresponding roughly to modern Punakha District. It was administered from the Punakha Dzong in the town of Punakha, and the ruling governor was known as the Penlop of Punakha, or...
, Wangdue Phodrang
Wangdue Phodrang Province
Wangdue Phodrang Province was one of the nine historical Provinces of Bhutan.Wangdue Phodrang Province occupied lands in central Bhutan, corresponding roughly to modern day Wangdue Phodrang District...
, Daga
Daga Province
Daga Province was one of the nine historical Provinces of Bhutan.Daga Province occupied lands in west-central Bhutan. It was administered from the town of Daga. The ruling governor was known as the Penlop of Daga, or Dagab. Real power, however, rested in the hands of the Penlop of Paro, the...
(also Taka, Tarka, or Taga), Bumthang
Bumthang Province
Bumthang Province was one of the nine historical Provinces of Bhutan.Bumthang Province occupied lands in north-central Bhutan. It was administered from the Jakar Dzong in the town of Jakar...
, Thimphu
Thimphu Province
Thimphu Province was one of the nine historical Provinces of Bhutan.Thimphu Province occupied lands in western Bhutan, corresponding approximately to modern day Thimphu District...
, Kurtoed
Kurtoed Province
Kurtoed Province was one of the nine historical Provinces of Bhutan.Kurtoed Province occupied lands in northeastern Bhutan. It was administered together with Kurmaed Province...
(also Kurtoi, Kuru-tod), and Kurmaed
Kurmaed Province
Kurmaed Province was one of the nine historical Provinces of Bhutan.Kurmaed Province occupied lands in southeastern Bhutan. It was administered jointly with Kurtoed Province...
(or Kurme, Kuru-mad). The Provinces of Kurtoed and Kurmaed were combined into one local administration, leaving the traditional number of governors at eight. While some lords ruled from dzongs (dzongpens), others held the title of penlop
Penlop
Penlop is a Dzongkha term roughly translated as governor. Bhutanese penlops, prior to unification, controlled certain districts of the country, but now hold no administrative office...
(Dzongkha: དཔོན་སློབ་; Wylie
Wylie transliteration
The Wylie transliteration scheme is a method for transliterating Tibetan script using only the letters available on a typical English language typewriter. It bears the name of Turrell V. Wylie, who described the scheme in an article, A Standard System of Tibetan Transcription, published in 1959...
: dpon-slob; also "Ponlop"), a title also translated as "governor," though penlops tended to be more powerful.
Dzongpens ruled in Byagha, Dalay, Dalingkote, Ha
Ha, Bhutan
Ha or Has is a town and seat of Haa District in Bhutan.Ha is situated in the west of the Sandalwood Kingdom near Sikkim in the Ha Valley. The major economic activity is rice production. It contains two Buddhist temples.-Further reading:...
, Khamba
Khamba
Khamba can refer to:*Tibetans who live in the historic region of Kham which covers parts of modern Qinghai, Western Sichuan, Northern Yunnan and the Tibet Autonomous Region.*A tribal group in Arunachal Pradesh. See Khamba .....
, Punakha
Punakha
thumb|right|Punakha Dzong and the [[Mo Chhu]]Punakha is the administrative centre of Punakha dzongkhag, one of the 20 districts of Bhutan. Punakha was the capital of Bhutan and the seat of government until 1955, when the capital was moved to Thimphu. It is about 72 km away from Thimphu and it...
(the "Punab"), Singhi
Singhi
Singhi is a town located in Sarawak, Malaysia. It is located several kilometers southwest of Kuching.-Coordinates:* Latitude = 1.5* Longitude = 110.1667* Latitude = 1° 30' 0 N* Longitude = 110° 10' 0 E...
, Tashichho Dzong, Thimphu
Thimphu
Thimphu also spelt Thimpu, is the capital and largest city of Bhutan. It is situated in the western central part of Bhutan and the surrounding valley is one of Bhutan's dzongkhags, the Thimphu District. The city became the capital of Bhutan in 1961...
(the "Thimphub"), Tuwa, and Wangdue Phodrang
Wangdue Phodrang
Wangdue Phodrang District is a dzongkhag of central Bhutan. This is also the name of the dzong which dominates the district, and the name of the small market town outside the gates of the dzong...
(the "Wangzob").
Under the dual system of government
Dual system of government
The Dual System of Government or Cho-sid-nyi is the traditional diarchal political system of Tibetan peoples whereby the Desi coexists with the spiritual authority of the realm, usually unified under a third single ruler. The actual distribution of power between institutions varied over time and...
, penlop
Penlop
Penlop is a Dzongkha term roughly translated as governor. Bhutanese penlops, prior to unification, controlled certain districts of the country, but now hold no administrative office...
s and dzongpens were theoretically masters of their own realms but servants of the Druk Desi
Druk Desi
The Druk Desi ;The original title is Dzongkha: སྡེ་སྲིད་ཕྱག་མཛོད་; Wylie: sde-srid phyag-mdzod. was the title of the secular rulers of Bhutan under the dual system of government between the seventeenth and nineteenth centuries...
. In practice, however, they were under minimal central government control, and the Penlop of Trongsa and Penlop of Paro dominated the rest of the local lords. And while all governor posts were officially appointed by Shabdrung
Shabdrung
Shabdrung , was a title used when referring to or addressing great lamas in Tibet, particularly those who held a hereditary lineage...
Ngawang Namgyal
Ngawang Namgyal
Ngawang Namgyal was a Tibetan Buddhist lama and the unifier of Bhutan as a nation state...
, later the Druk Desi
Druk Desi
The Druk Desi ;The original title is Dzongkha: སྡེ་སྲིད་ཕྱག་མཛོད་; Wylie: sde-srid phyag-mdzod. was the title of the secular rulers of Bhutan under the dual system of government between the seventeenth and nineteenth centuries...
, some offices such as the Penlop of Trongsa were de facto hereditary and appointed within certain families. Penlops and dzongpens often held other government offices such as Druk Desi
Druk Desi
The Druk Desi ;The original title is Dzongkha: སྡེ་སྲིད་ཕྱག་མཛོད་; Wylie: sde-srid phyag-mdzod. was the title of the secular rulers of Bhutan under the dual system of government between the seventeenth and nineteenth centuries...
, Je Khenpo
Je Khenpo
The Je Khenpo , formerly called the Dharma Raj by orientalists, is the title given to the senior religious hierarch of Bhutan. His primary duty is to lead the Dratshang Lhentshog of Bhutan, which oversees the Central Monastic Body, and to arbitrate on matters of doctrine, assisted by lopons...
, governor of other provinces, or a second or third term in the same office.
History
Under Bhutan's early theocratic dual system of governmentDual system of government
The Dual System of Government or Cho-sid-nyi is the traditional diarchal political system of Tibetan peoples whereby the Desi coexists with the spiritual authority of the realm, usually unified under a third single ruler. The actual distribution of power between institutions varied over time and...
, decreasingly effective central government control resulted in the de facto
De facto
De facto is a Latin expression that means "concerning fact." In law, it often means "in practice but not necessarily ordained by law" or "in practice or actuality, but not officially established." It is commonly used in contrast to de jure when referring to matters of law, governance, or...
disintegration of the office of Shabdrung
Shabdrung
Shabdrung , was a title used when referring to or addressing great lamas in Tibet, particularly those who held a hereditary lineage...
after the death of Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyal
Ngawang Namgyal
Ngawang Namgyal was a Tibetan Buddhist lama and the unifier of Bhutan as a nation state...
in 1651. Under this system, the Shabdrung reigned over the temporal Druk Desi
Druk Desi
The Druk Desi ;The original title is Dzongkha: སྡེ་སྲིད་ཕྱག་མཛོད་; Wylie: sde-srid phyag-mdzod. was the title of the secular rulers of Bhutan under the dual system of government between the seventeenth and nineteenth centuries...
and religious Je Khenpo
Je Khenpo
The Je Khenpo , formerly called the Dharma Raj by orientalists, is the title given to the senior religious hierarch of Bhutan. His primary duty is to lead the Dratshang Lhentshog of Bhutan, which oversees the Central Monastic Body, and to arbitrate on matters of doctrine, assisted by lopons...
. Two successor Shabdrungs – the son (1651) and stepbrother (1680) of Ngawang Namgyal – were effectively controled by the Druk Desi and Je Khenpo until power was further splintered through the innovation of multiple Shabdrung incarnations, reflecting speech, mind, and body. Increasingly secular regional lords (penlop
Penlop
Penlop is a Dzongkha term roughly translated as governor. Bhutanese penlops, prior to unification, controlled certain districts of the country, but now hold no administrative office...
s and dzongpens) competed for power amid a backdrop of civil war over the Shabdrung and invasions from Tibet
Tibet
Tibet is a plateau region in Asia, north-east of the Himalayas. It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people as well as some other ethnic groups such as Monpas, Qiang, and Lhobas, and is now also inhabited by considerable numbers of Han and Hui people...
, and the Mongol Empire
Mongol Empire
The Mongol Empire , initially named as Greater Mongol State was a great empire during the 13th and 14th centuries...
. The penlops of Trongsa
Trongsa Province
Trongsa Province was one of the nine historical Provinces of Bhutan.Trongsa Province occupied lands in central Bhutan corresponding somewhat to modern Trongsa District, although the power of the Trongsa Penlop extended far beyond his own realms, covering the entire east of Bhutan...
and Paro
Paro Province
Paro Province was one of the nine historical Provinces of Bhutan.Paro Province occupied lands in western Bhutan, corresponding approximately to modern Paro District. It was administered from the Paro Dzong in the town of Paro...
, and the dzongpons of Punakha
Punakha Province
Punakha Province was one of the nine historical Provinces of Bhutan.Punakha Province occupied lands in western Bhutan, corresponding roughly to modern Punakha District. It was administered from the Punakha Dzong in the town of Punakha, and the ruling governor was known as the Penlop of Punakha, or...
, Thimphu
Thimphu Province
Thimphu Province was one of the nine historical Provinces of Bhutan.Thimphu Province occupied lands in western Bhutan, corresponding approximately to modern day Thimphu District...
, and Wangdue Phodrang
Wangdue Phodrang Province
Wangdue Phodrang Province was one of the nine historical Provinces of Bhutan.Wangdue Phodrang Province occupied lands in central Bhutan, corresponding roughly to modern day Wangdue Phodrang District...
were particularly notable figures in the competition for regional dominance.
Within this political landscape, the Wangchuck family
House of Wangchuck
The House of Wangchuck has ruled Bhutan since it was reunified in 1907. Prior to reunification, the Wangchuck family had governed the district of Trongsa as descendants of Dungkar Choji. They eventually overpowered other regional lords and earned the favour of the British Empire...
originated in the Bumthang region
Bumthang District
Bumthang District is one of the 20 dzongkhag comprising Bhutan. It is the most historic dzongkhag if the number of ancient temples and sacred sites is counted...
of central Bhutan. The family belongs to the Nyö clan, and is descended from Pema Lingpa
Pema Lingpa
Pema Lingpa or Padma Lingpa was a famous saint and siddha of the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism. He was a preeminent terton , and is considered to be foremost of the Five Terton Kings...
, a Bhutanese Nyingma
Nyingma
The Nyingma tradition is the oldest of the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism . "Nyingma" literally means "ancient," and is often referred to as Nga'gyur or the "old school" because it is founded on the first translations of Buddhist scriptures from Sanskrit into Tibetan, in the eighth century...
pa saint. The Nyö clan emerged as a local aristocracy, supplanting many older aristocratic families of Tibetan origin that sided with Tibet during invasions of Bhutan. In doing so, the clan came to occupy the hereditary position of Penlop of Trongsa, as well as significant national and local government positions.
The Penlop of Trongsa controlled central and Bhutan; the rival Penlop of Paro controlled western Bhutan; and dzongpons controlled areas surrounding their respective dzongs. Eastern dzongpens were generally under the control of the Penlop of Trongsa, who was officially endowed with the power to appoint them in 1853. The Penlop of Paro, unlike Trongsa, was an office appointed by the Druk Desi
Druk Desi
The Druk Desi ;The original title is Dzongkha: སྡེ་སྲིད་ཕྱག་མཛོད་; Wylie: sde-srid phyag-mdzod. was the title of the secular rulers of Bhutan under the dual system of government between the seventeenth and nineteenth centuries...
's central government. Because western regions controlled by the Penlop of Paro contained lucrative trade routes, it became the object of competition among aristocratic families.
Punakha Dzongpens
Below are the Dzongpens of PunakhaPunakha Province
Punakha Province was one of the nine historical Provinces of Bhutan.Punakha Province occupied lands in western Bhutan, corresponding roughly to modern Punakha District. It was administered from the Punakha Dzong in the town of Punakha, and the ruling governor was known as the Penlop of Punakha, or...
, also called "Punab."
| Number | Name |
|---|---|
| 1 | Punab Pekar Rubgye |
| 2 | Punab Tenzin Drukda |
| 3 | Punab Druk Pelzang |
| 4 | Punab Tenpa Wangchuck |
| 5 | Punab Dalub Tobgye |
| 6 | Punab Dang Tashi |
| 7 | Punab Damchho Rinchhen |
| 8 | Punab Ngodub |
| 9 | Punab Phuntsho Dorji |
| 10 | Punab Thonglay |
| 11 | Punab Wangchuck |
| 12 | Punab Wangsha |
Thimphu Dzongpens
Below are the Dzongpens of ThimphuThimphu Province
Thimphu Province was one of the nine historical Provinces of Bhutan.Thimphu Province occupied lands in western Bhutan, corresponding approximately to modern day Thimphu District...
, also called "Thimphub."
| Number | Name |
|---|---|
| 1 | Thimphub Awu Tshering |
| 2 | Thimphub Norbu |
| 3 | Thimphub Ngwang Gyeltshen |
| 4 | Thimphub Tashi Dorji |
| 5 | Thimphub Druk Rubgye |
| 6 | Thimphub Sonam Drugyel |
| 7 | Thimphub Dondub |
| 8 | Thimphub Druk Phuntsho |
| 9 | Thimphub Druk Tenzin |
| 10 | Thimphub Chhoki Gyeltshen (Tshewang Rinchhen)Tshewang Rinchhen assassinated Druk Desi Druk Desi The Druk Desi ;The original title is Dzongkha: སྡེ་སྲིད་ཕྱག་མཛོད་; Wylie: sde-srid phyag-mdzod. was the title of the secular rulers of Bhutan under the dual system of government between the seventeenth and nineteenth centuries... Wangchuck Gyalpo in 1851; the same year, Wangzob Chaap had Tshewang Rinchhen assassinated. |
| 11 | Thimphub Uma Dewa (Sherub Tharchhin)Uma Dewa (Sherub Tharchhin) was assassinated by Zimpon Dachung in 1857. |
| 12 | Thimphub Kasha |
| 13 | Thimphub Karma Drugyel |
| 14 | Thimphub Khasab Tobgye |
| 15 | Thimphub Kawang Manghkhel |
| 16 | Thimphub Lama Thewang |
| 17 | Thimphub Alu Dorji |
| 18 | Thimphub Kunzang Thinley |
| 19 | Thimphub Pema |
| 20 | Thimphub Kunzang ThinleySecond tenure |
| Notes: |
|
Wangdue Dzongpens
Wangdue Phodrang Province
Wangdue Phodrang Province was one of the nine historical Provinces of Bhutan.Wangdue Phodrang Province occupied lands in central Bhutan, corresponding roughly to modern day Wangdue Phodrang District...
, also called "Wangzob."
| Number | Name |
|---|---|
| 1 | Wangzob Chhoje Namkha Rinchhen |
| 2 | Wangzob Gedun Chhophel |
| 3 | Wangzob Ngwang Tshering |
| 4 | Wangzob Druk Tenzin |
| 5 | Wangzob Sangye Tenzin |
| 6 | Wangzob Lepi Sherub |
| 7 | Wangzob Sonam Lhundup |
| 8 | Wangzob Sangay |
| 9 | Wangzob Kunga Gyeltshen |
| 10 | Wangzob Phuntsho Namgyel |
| 11 | Wangzob Dalub Tobgye |
| 12 | Wangzob Sigay |
| 13 | Wangzob Tenzin Namgyel |
| 14 | Wangzob Kawang Sangay |
| 15 | Wangzob Angdu |
| 16 | Wangzob Jigme NamgyelFather of First King Ugyen Wangchuck Ugyen Wangchuck Gongsa Ugyen Wangchuck was the first King of Bhutan from 1907 to 1926.He was born in 1862 to Jigme Namgyal, penlop of Trongsa and Ashi Pema Choki. He succeeded his father as Penlop of Trongsa... |
| 17 | Wangzob Thinley Tobgye |
| 18 | Wangzob Ashang Jampa |
| 19 | Wangzob Kodu |
| 20 | Wangzob Domchu |
| Notes: |
|