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search Chogyal of Sikkim Former Monarchy Seal of Sikkim
color.png Seal of Sikkim First monarch Chogyal Phuntsog Namgyal
Last monarch Chogyal Palden Thondup Namgyal Official residence
Gangtok, Sikkim Monarchy began 1642 Monarchy ended May 16, 1975
Current pretender(s) Wangchuk Namgyal  The Chogyal (Tibetan:
ཆོས་རྒྱལWylie: chos rgyal) 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
monarchy was abrogated and its people voted in a referendum to
make Sikkim India's 22nd state.  However, Chogyal meaning
"Dharma Raja" or "Religious King" is a title which was also
conferred upon a special class of temporal and spiritual rulers.
In Bhutan the Chogyal were also known as the Dharmaraja, or
Kings of Dharma, and Shabdrung. In this context, the Chogyal was
a recognized reincarnation (or succession o