Tashi Namgyal
Encyclopedia
Tashi Namgyal (October 26, 1893 – December 2, 1963) was the ruling Chogyal
(King) of Sikkim
from 1914 to 1963. He was the son of Thutob Namgyal
.
Namgyal was the 11th ruler of the Namgyal dynasty
of Sikkim, succeeding his half brother Sidkeong Tulku Namgyal
, who had ruled from February to December in 1914, till his death from heart failure. Born in Tibet
and crowned by the 13th Dalai Lama, Thubten Gyatso, he was a strong advocate for closer links with India.
He was married in October 1918 to Kunzang Dechen, and they had 3 sons and 3 daughters. The eldest son died in a plane crash during World War Two. On his death he was succeeded as Chogyal by his second son Palden Thondup Namgyal
.
During his reign, he acquiesced to popular demands for land reform and free elections. He also favoured closer links between Sikkim, India and Tibet. Although some conspiracy theorists attribute his death to India
n agents, such theories are widely discounted by most historians due to his excellent relations with India.
About a decade after his death, his son Palden Thondup Namgyal
, the incumbent hereditary Chogyal was formally deposed by the people of Sikkim who voted in a referendum (by a majority of 97%) to join the Indian Union. Palden Thondup Namgyal was widely unpopular among his people and the then democratically elected Prime Minister Lendup Dorji appealed to India to change the status of Sikkim from protectorate to statehood. On May 16, 1975, Sikkim was officially made the 22nd state of the Indian Union, thus ending the era of the Chogyal monarchy.
Chogyal
The Chogyal were the monarchs of the former kingdoms of Sikkim and Ladakh, which were ruled by separate branches of the Namgyal family. The Chogyal, or divine ruler, was the absolute potentate of Sikkim from 1642 to 1975, when its monarchy was abrogated and its people voted to make Sikkim India's...
(King) of Sikkim
Sikkim
Sikkim is a landlocked Indian state nestled in the Himalayan mountains...
from 1914 to 1963. He was the son of Thutob Namgyal
Thutob Namgyal
Thutob Namgyal was the ruling chogyal of Sikkim between 1874 and 1914. Thutob ascended to the throne succeeding his half-brother Sidkeong Namgyal who died issueless. Differences between the Nepalese settlers and the indigenous population during his reign led to the direct intervention of the...
.
Namgyal was the 11th ruler of the Namgyal dynasty
Chogyal
The Chogyal were the monarchs of the former kingdoms of Sikkim and Ladakh, which were ruled by separate branches of the Namgyal family. The Chogyal, or divine ruler, was the absolute potentate of Sikkim from 1642 to 1975, when its monarchy was abrogated and its people voted to make Sikkim India's...
of Sikkim, succeeding his half brother Sidkeong Tulku Namgyal
Sidkeong Tulku Namgyal
Sidkeong Tulku Namgyal was the ruling Maharaja and Chogyal of Sikkim for a brief period in 1914, from 10 February to 5 December. He was the eldest son and heir of Maharaja Sri Panch Sir Thutob Namgyal, and was educated at St. Paul's School, Darjeeling and at Pembroke College, Oxford. A polyglot,...
, who had ruled from February to December in 1914, till his death from heart failure. Born in 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 crowned by the 13th Dalai Lama, Thubten Gyatso, he was a strong advocate for closer links with India.
He was married in October 1918 to Kunzang Dechen, and they had 3 sons and 3 daughters. The eldest son died in a plane crash during World War Two. On his death he was succeeded as Chogyal by his second son Palden Thondup Namgyal
Palden Thondup Namgyal
Palden Thondup Namgyal was the 12th and last Chogyal of Sikkim.At six, Namgyal became a student at St. Joseph's Convent in Kalimpong, but had to terminate his studies due to attacks of malaria...
.
During his reign, he acquiesced to popular demands for land reform and free elections. He also favoured closer links between Sikkim, India and Tibet. Although some conspiracy theorists attribute his death to India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n agents, such theories are widely discounted by most historians due to his excellent relations with India.
About a decade after his death, his son Palden Thondup Namgyal
Palden Thondup Namgyal
Palden Thondup Namgyal was the 12th and last Chogyal of Sikkim.At six, Namgyal became a student at St. Joseph's Convent in Kalimpong, but had to terminate his studies due to attacks of malaria...
, the incumbent hereditary Chogyal was formally deposed by the people of Sikkim who voted in a referendum (by a majority of 97%) to join the Indian Union. Palden Thondup Namgyal was widely unpopular among his people and the then democratically elected Prime Minister Lendup Dorji appealed to India to change the status of Sikkim from protectorate to statehood. On May 16, 1975, Sikkim was officially made the 22nd state of the Indian Union, thus ending the era of the Chogyal monarchy.
Titles
- 1893-1914: PrincePrincePrince is a general term for a ruler, monarch or member of a monarch's or former monarch's family, and is a hereditary title in the nobility of some European states. The feminine equivalent is a princess...
Tashi Namgyal - 1914-1918: His Highness SriSriSri , also transliterated as Shri or Shree or shre is a word of Sanskrit origin, used in the Indian subcontinent as polite form of address equivalent to the English "Mr." in written and spoken language, or as a title of veneration for deities .-Etymology:Sri has the root meaning of radiance, or...
Panch MaharajaMaharajaMahārāja is a Sanskrit title for a "great king" or "high king". The female equivalent title Maharani denotes either the wife of a Maharaja or, in states where that was customary, a woman ruling in her own right. The widow of a Maharaja is known as a Rajamata...
Tashi Namgyal, MaharajaMaharajaMahārāja is a Sanskrit title for a "great king" or "high king". The female equivalent title Maharani denotes either the wife of a Maharaja or, in states where that was customary, a woman ruling in her own right. The widow of a Maharaja is known as a Rajamata...
Chogyal of Sikkim - 1918-1923: His Highness Sri Panch Maharaja Tashi Namgyal, Maharaja Chogyal of Sikkim, CIEOrder of the Indian EmpireThe Most Eminent Order of the Indian Empire is an order of chivalry founded by Queen Victoria in 1878. The Order includes members of three classes:#Knight Grand Commander #Knight Commander #Companion...
- 1923-1939: His Highness Sri Panch Maharaja SirSirSir is an honorific used as a title , or as a courtesy title to address a man without using his given or family name in many English speaking cultures...
Tashi Namgyal, Maharaja Chogyal of SikkimSikkimSikkim is a landlocked Indian state nestled in the Himalayan mountains...
, KCIEOrder of the Indian EmpireThe Most Eminent Order of the Indian Empire is an order of chivalry founded by Queen Victoria in 1878. The Order includes members of three classes:#Knight Grand Commander #Knight Commander #Companion... - 1939-1963: His Highness Sri Panch Maharaja Sir Tashi Namgyal, Maharaja Chogyal of Sikkim, KCSIOrder of the Star of IndiaThe Most Exalted Order of the Star of India is an order of chivalry founded by Queen Victoria in 1861. The Order includes members of three classes:# Knight Grand Commander # Knight Commander # Companion...
, KCIE
Honours
- Delhi DurbarDelhi DurbarThe Delhi Durbar , meaning "Court of Delhi", was a mass assembly at Coronation Park, Delhi, India, to mark the coronation of a King and Queen of the United Kingdom. Also known as the Imperial Durbar, it was held three times, in 1877, 1903, and 1911, at the height of the British Empire. The 1911...
Medal-1911 - Knight Commander of the Order of the Indian Empire (KCIE)-1923 (CIE-1918)
- King George V Silver Jubilee MedalKing George V Silver Jubilee MedalThe King George V Silver Jubilee Medal was a commemorative medal made to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the coronation of King George V.-Issue:...
-1935 - King George VI Coronation MedalKing George VI Coronation MedalThe King George VI Coronation Medal was a commemorative medal made to celebrate the coronation of King George VI.-Issue:For Coronation and Jubilee medals, the practice up until 1977 was that United Kingdom authorities decided on a total number to be produced, then allocated a proportion to each of...
-1937 - Knight Commander of the Order of the Star of India (KCSI)-1939