Thutob Namgyal
Encyclopedia
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...
(monarch) of Sikkim
Sikkim
Sikkim is a landlocked Indian state nestled in the Himalayan mountains...
between 1874 and 1914. Thutob ascended to the throne succeeding his half-brother Sidkeong Namgyal
Sidkeong Namgyal
Sidkeong Namgyal was king of Sikkim from 1863 to 1874. He was son of Tsugphud Namgyal and was succeeded by his half-brother Thutob Namgyal.-External links:*...
who died issueless. Differences between the Nepalese settlers and the indigenous population during his reign led to the direct intervention of the British
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
, who were the de-facto rulers of the Himalayan nation. The British ruled in favour of the Nepalese much to the discontent of the chogyal, who then retreated to the Chumbi Valley
Chumbi Valley
Chumbi Valley is a valley in Tibet at the intersection of India , Bhutan and China in the Himalayas. Two main passes between India and China open up here: the Nathu La Pass and Jelep La Pass....
and allied himself with the 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...
ans.
The British sent a military force (Sikkim Expedition
Sikkim Expedition
The Sikkim Expedition was a British military expedition to expel Tibetan forces from Sikkim. The roots of the conflict lay in British-Tibetan competition for sovereignty over Sikkim.- Causes :...
), and after a series of skirmishes between the Tibetans and the British near Jelep La
Jelep La
Jelep La is a high mountain pass between India and Tibet in East Sikkim District of Sikkim. The famous Menmecho Lake lies below the Jelep La Pass....
, the Tibetans were pushed back and the Chogyal was put under the supervision of Claude White, the appointed political officer in 1889. In 1894, he shifted the capital from Tumlong
Tumlong
Tumlong was the former capital of the Indian state of Sikkim. It is located in North Sikkim district.-History:In 1894, Thutob Namgyal, the chogyal shifted the capital from Tumlong to the current Gangtok. Tumlong was the third capital of Sikkim. The first was Yuksom, which was followed by Rabdentse...
to the present location, Gangtok
Gangtok
Gangtok is the capital and largest town of the Indian state of Sikkim. Gangtok is located in the Shivalik Hills of the eastern Himalayan range, at an altitude of . The town, with a population of thirty thousand belonging to different ethnicities such as Nepalis, Lepchas and Bhutia, is administered...
. He was knight
Knight
A knight was a member of a class of lower nobility in the High Middle Ages.By the Late Middle Ages, the rank had become associated with the ideals of chivalry, a code of conduct for the perfect courtly Christian warrior....
ed in 1911.
Thutob died in 1914 and was succeeded by his son, 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,...
. The Sir Thutob Namgyal Memorial (STNM) Hospital in Gangtok was built in memory of him in 1917.
Titles
- 1860–1874: 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...
Thutob Namgyal - 1874–1911: 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...
Thutob 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...
ChogyalChogyalThe 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 SikkimSikkimSikkim is a landlocked Indian state nestled in the Himalayan mountains... - 1911–1914: 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...
Thutob Namgyal, Maharaja Chogyal of Sikkim, 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...