Historical Memoir

His Majesty the Third King

Jigme Dorji Wangchuck

Name: Anjuli Darjee

Class: 11 Arts A
Roll No. 9
Early Life
King Jigme Dorji Wangchuck was born May 2 nd in 1928 in Thruepang Palace in Trongsa. At a
young age, he was apprenticed in etiquette and leadership at the royal court of his father the
King. King Jigme Dorji Wangchuck was educated in a British manner in Kalimpong and went on
study tours and stay to many foreign countries such as Scotland and Switzerland from where he
drew inspiration to develop Bhutan with suitable adaptations. In 1943, he was appointed
Trongsa Dronyer and then elevated as the 25th Paro Penlop in 1950, upon the death of the 24th
Paro Penlop, Tshering Penjor (1902–1949). King Jigme Dorji Wangchuck married Ashi Kesang
Choden Wangchuck (born 1930), the daughter of Gongzim (Lord Chamberlain) Sonam Topgay
Dorji (1896–1953), at the Ugyen Pelri Palace, Paro, on 5 October 1951. The royal wedding was
held at the Garden Palace. The following year, King Jigme Dorji Wangchuck became the King
after his father died in Kuenga Rabten Palace. Coronation was of his Majesty the Third King was
held in Punakha Dzong on 27 October 1952.

Figure 1: In 1954, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru invited our Third Druk Gyalpo, His Majesty Jigme
Dorji Wangchuck and Her Majesty Ashi Kesang Choeden Wangchuck to India as state guest.
Father of modern Bhutan

During his 20-year reign that ended in July 1972, the fundamental reorientation of Bhutanese
society began. His Majesty the Third Druk Gyalpo not only achieved the reorganization of
society and government, but also consolidated Bhutan's sovereignty and security. He mobilized
resources from the international donors as aid. Wangchuck's strategy was to broaden the source
of aid by developing relationships with other countries. Bhutan joined the Colombo Plan in 1962
to obtain international aid. However, India became the main source of financial and technical
assistance. He was a deft and farsighted planner in the sense that he modernized Bhutan without
destabilizing its culture and tradition. His Majesty the Third Druk Gyalpo brought modern
techniques and methods to preserve and promote the culture of Bhutan, yet at the same time, he
introduced Western science and technology. He was a forerunner among environmentalists in
this part of the world. The Manas Sanctuary was also established in 1966, which was one of the
first in the region.

Figure 2: Their Majesties King Jigme Dorji Wangchuck and queen Ashi Kesang Choeden
Wangchuck with their Children, HRH Ashi Dechen Wangmo Wngchuck, HRH Crown Prince
Jigme Singye Wangchuck, and HRH Ashi Sonam Choden Wangchuck
Political and social reforms

In the context of Bhutan, there were small groups who were bonded labourers. They would work
on the farms of the aristocratic and prominent families. In return, they would receive food,
lodging and clothes. As soon as His Majesty Third Druk Gyalpo became the King, labourers who
worked on the royal lands were made into tenants and sharecroppers instead of indentured
labourers. Later, similar indentured labourers were set free in other areas of the country,
especially in some parts of Eastern Bhutan, where they were concentrated. In 1953, His Majesty
Third Druk Gyalpo realizing that the decision of the King and that of the high officials were
binding on the country, wanted them to be shared. As a result, he opened the National Assembly
of Bhutan in 1953 in Punakha Dzong.

For the first time, elders from different gewogs were invited to voice their concerns, ideas and
solutions for the future of this country. At the same time, it was a forum for His Majesty Third
Druk Gyalpo to share his larger vision for Bhutan in the years to come. After the National
Assembly was established in 1953, the king drafted and devised a series of progressive laws for
the Kingdom. The King brought out a holistic set of laws covering fundamental aspects of
Bhutanese life such as land, livestock, marriage, inheritance, property and so forth. The
Thrimzhung Chenmo (Supreme Law) was passed by the National Assembly in 1959. The laws
are very organic, coherently interrelated within themselves and to the evolving reality and
manifested his vision of law-based society. 

Along with the promulgation of Thrimzhung Chenmo, a mechanism to implement and enforce
laws was needed. His Majesty Third Druk Gyalpo decided to open the judiciary, first with the
appointment of Thrimpons (judges) in districts, and then finally to the High Court, which was set
up in 1968. These administrative and social reforms were prior to any economic modernization
programmes. In 1955, His Majesty intensified the conversion of commodity taxes to cash taxes
by assessing land for cash taxation. Cash taxes were nominal, but moving from commodity taxes
to cash taxes was a radical step at that time. Apart from promulgation of better laws and tax
reforms, the Royal Bhutan Army was formally established in 1963. Furthermore, the
entitlements of all officials were converted from commodities to cash and new designations were
given.
Culture and education

His Majesty the king paid considerable attention on preserving Bhutanese culture so that Bhutan
could always perpetuate itself as a culturally distinct nation, in particular with a
flourishing Buddhist culture. He commissioned Buddhist monuments, including a large statue of
the Buddha near the parliament building in Thimphu, as well as ornate copies of Buddhist texts
such as the Kangyur and Tengyur.

His Majesty also established Simtokha Rigzhung Lobdra (now known as the Institute of
Language and Cultural Studies) in 1967, where a new breed of traditional scholars could be
nurtured. He also increased the number of monks in many dratshangs. During his reign the
systematic phonetic, syntax and grammatic rules of Dzongkha language were devised.

To propagate culture and traditions in schools, and to study scientific disciplines as well as
humanities, the Third King established modern education on a widespread basis. He established
what were then the centres of education excellence with two public schools: Yangchenphug, in
western Bhutan in 1969, and the other, Kanglung, in eastern Bhutan in 1968. An Agriculture
Department was created to improve nutrition and generate income from horticulture. The
Kingdom’s free health service was also founded during the reign of His Majesty the Third King.

Infrastructure development

Modernizing Bhutan's infrastructure for transportation, communications, education, health

system, and agriculture started after India was receptive enough to offer aid. India became
independent in 1947 and was not in any immediate position to help Bhutan. The first Indian
Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru made a historic journey to Bhutan in September 1958. His
Majesty King Jigme Dorji Wangchuck then paid repeated visits to India. A year after Nehru
visited Bhutan in 1958, the development of Bhutan's modern infrastructure began, with
assistance from India. Although road construction started in 1959, a large-scale undertaking
became systematic two years later in 1961, with the commencement of the 1st Five Year Plan
(FYP) that envisaged construction of 177 km of road, 108 schools, three hospitals, and 45
clinics. In 1961, motor road transport reached Thimphu. The systematic envisioning of the
economic future of Bhutan through FYPs was put into practice in 1961. The idea of budgeting
and programming on a five-year basis is a legacy from that period. The construction of roads
expanded vigorously to the end of King Jigme Dorji Wangchuck’s reign; at the time of His
Majesty’s passing , more than 1200 km (750 miles) of the road had been built in the country. His
last visit to central Bhutan was partly to open the Zhunglam, the highway between Wangdue
Phodrang and Trongsa, in 1971.

Foreign relations

The His Majesty’s priority was to continue deepening the excellent relationship with India. The
second priority was to diversify the relationship with other countries. He intended to strike close
economic relationship with Bangladesh. Bhutan was the first nation after India to recognize the
independence of Bangladesh. One key event of his era was enabling Bhutan to join the United
Nations in 1971, when Bhutan became its 125th member.

Passing away of His Majesty

His Majesty the King suffered from long-term heart problems; he had his first heart attack at the
age of 20. In July 1972, Wangchuck traveled to Nairobi to receive treatment for this condition,
but His Majesty passed away suddenly during this visit.
Figure 3: Memorial Chorten was constructed to commemorate the reign of the Third King, His
Majesty Druk Gyelpo , Jigme Dorji Wangchuck at Thimphu
What I Learnt
1. I learnt that during a short rule of twenty years His Majesty Jigme Dorji Wangchuck with
his vision for the country propelled Bhutan to the forefront of the comity of nations.
2. I learnt that it was during the reign of His Majesty Druk Gyalpo, Jigme Dorji
Wangchuck, that laws were codified and the Judiciary separated from the Executive. It
was during this time Tshogdu enacted the first comprehensive codified law known as the
“Thrimzung Chhenmo”.
3. I learnt that while he did not provide the “Constitution” to his country, King Jigme Dorji
Wangchuck initiated the constitutional institutions and functionaries in the country. He
will be remembered as a man who lived far ahead of his time and for giving time and
space to his people to adjust to the realities of democracy well before it landed into the
country.
4.
Figure 4: Royal picture of Their Majesties King Jigme Dorji Wangchuck and AshinKesang
Choeden Wangchuck
 References
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