PRESENT RULER: HH Chogyal WANGCHUK NAMGYAL, 13th Chogyal of Sikkim since 29th January 1982.

born 1st April 1953.

PREDECESSORS AND SHORT HISTORY: Kingdom founded in 1642. Annexed to India (retroactive to 26th April 1975), 16th May 1975 . Rulers were...

1. Chogyal PHUNTSONG NAMGYAL I, 1st Chogyal of Sikkim 1642/1670, born 1604, married and had issue. He died 1670.

   • Chogyal Tensung Namgyal (qv)

2. Chogyal TENSUNG NAMGYAL, 2nd Chogyal of Sikkim 1670/1700, born 1644, married 2ndly, Debasem Serpa, and had issue. He died 1700.

   • Chogyal Chaggdor Namgyal (qv)

   • Shalngo Guru Namgyal

3. Chogyal CHAGGDOR NAMGYAL, 3rd Chogyal of Sikkim 1700/1717, born 1686, married and had issue. He died 1717.

   • Chogyal Gyurmed Namgyal (qv)

4. Chogyal GYURMED NAMGYAL, 4th Chogyal of Sikkim 1717/1734, born 1707, married and had issue. He died 1734 ^(#4).

   • Chogyal Phuntsong Namgyal II (qv)

5. Chogyal PHUNTSONG NAMGYAL II, 5th Chogyal of Sikkim 1734/1780, born 1734, married and had issue. He died 1780.

   • Chogyal Tenzin Namgyal (qv)

6. Chogyal TENZIN NAMGYAL, 6th Chogyal of Sikkim 1780/1793, born 1769, married Anyo Gyelyum, and had issue. He died 1793.

   • Chogyal Tsugphud Namgyal (qv)

7. Chogyal TSUGPHUD NAMGYAL, 7th Chogyal of Sikkim 1793/1863, born 1785, married 1stly, Rani (name unknown), married 2ndly, Rani (name unknown), a sister of the Tashi Llama, married 3rdly, Rani (name unknown), she died sp, married 4thly, Rani Tanna Dinga, died sp, married 5thly, Rani Menchi, and had issue, as well as further issue. He died 1863.

   • Maharajkumari (name unknown) (by 1st wife), married Tarding of Tashe-lhunpu.

   • Maharajkumari (name unknown) (by 1st wife), died unmarried.

   • Maharajkumar (name unknown) (by 1st wife), Kupgzin of Labrong, died unmarried.

   • HH Maharaja Sidkeong Trulku Namgyal I (by 2nd wife) (qv)

   • Maharajkumar (name unknown), Kuzhu Lase (by 2nd wife), died unmarried.

   • Maharajkumar (name unknown) (by 2nd wife), Avatar of Namchi, died unmarried.

   • Maharajkumari (name unknown) (by 5th wife), married a Kazi in Tibet.

   • Maharajkumari Seringputti Namgyal (by 5th wife), married (as his second wife), Diwan Namgay.

   • HH Maharaja Sir Thotub Namgyal (by 5th wife) (qv)

   • Maharajkumari (name unknown) (by 5th wife), a Nun at Tumloug.

   • Rajkumari (name unknown) (by a serving maid), married (as his first wife), Diwan Namgay, Pagla Diwan.

   • Rajkumar Changzed Gelong Kar-po Namgyal (by a serving maid), married (his fathers fifth wife), Rani Menchi, and had issue.

     • Tinle Namgyal, Kuzhu Lase.

8. HH Maharaja SIDKEONG TRULKU NAMGYAL I, 8th Chogyal of Sikkim 1863/1874, born 1819, married Rani Pending, died 1880, a lady of Tashe-lhunpu. He died sp in April 1874.

9. HH Maharaja Sir THOTUB NAMGYAL, 9th Chogyal of Sikkim 1874/1914, born 1860 (1851 ^#5), K.C.I.E., married 1stly, 1874, Rani Pending, died 1880, a lady of Tashe-lhunpu and widow of his step-brother, and had issue. He died 10th February 1914 ^(#1) .

   • Maharajkumari Namgyel Dumo (by Rani Pending), born 1876.

   • Maharajkumar Tshodag Namgyal (by Rani Pending), born 1877, died vpsp.

   • Chogyal Sidkeong Trulku Namgyal II (by Rani Pending) (qv)

   • Chogyal Tashi Namgyal (qv)

   • Maharajkumari Chuni Wangmo Namgyal, born 1897, married Sonam Tobgye Dorji of Bhutan, died September 1953, and had issue.

10. HH Maharaja SIDKEONG TRULKU NAMGYAL II, 10th Chogyal of Sikkim [10.2.1914] - [8.12.1914], born 1879, married a niece of the Raja of Stokh (Ladakh?). He died sp 8th December 1914 ^(#2,#6).

11. HH Maharaja Sir TASHI NAMGYAL, 11th Chogyal of Sikkim [8.12.1914] - [2.12.1963], born 26th October 1893, C.I.E. [cr.1918], K.C.I.E. [cr.1923], married 8th October 1918, HH Maharani Kunzang Dechen, born 1906, and had issue. He died 2nd December 1963.

    • Maharajkumar Kunzang Paljor Namgyal, born 1921, died 1941.

    • HH Maharaja Palden Thondup Namgyal (qv)

    • Maharajkumari Pema Chandon Namgyal, born 6th September 1924.

    • Maharajkumari Pema Choki Namgyal, born 25th December 1925.

    • Maharajkumari Sonam Paduam Namgyal, born 27th May 1927, [??married Kazi Sonam Gyatso =??Sonam Gyatso Rinpoche, born 1932, died 1988], and had issue.

      • Ven. Gharwang Rinpoche, born 30th June 1965, 12th Incarnation of Zurmang, installed 1976.

    • Maharjkumar Jigdal Tsewing Namgyal, born 23rd August 1928.

12. HH Chogyal PALDEN THONDUP NAMGYAL, 12th Chogyal of Sikkim [2.12.1963] - [29.1.1982], born 22nd May 1923 in Gangtok, studied monk hood 1931/1934 under his uncle, Lhatsun Rimpoche, when he was recognised as the spiritual leader of Phodong and Rumtek monasteries in succession to Chogyal Sidkeong, continued his studies at St. Joseph’s College, Darjeeling 1935, and completed his studies at Bishop Cotton School, Simla in 1941, undertook the Indian Civil Service Training Course at Dehra Dun in 1942, was connected with a number of cultural and academic bodies in Sikkim, India and abroad, President of the Mahabodhi Society of India since 1953 and he led the Sikkim delegation to the Sixth Buddhist Council that was held in Burma in 1954, participated in the 2500 Buddha Jayanti Celebrations in India in 1956, and was the only member of the Working Committee from Sikkim, represented Sikkim at the Sixth World Fellowship of Buddhists conference in Cambodia in 1961, awarded O.B.E. [1947], Padma Vibushan, India [1954] and Commander De L’ordre de L’étoile Noire, France [1956], married 1stly, August 1950, HH Maharani Samyo Kushoe Sangay Deki, daughter of Yapshi Samdu Phodrang of Tibet, died 17th June 1957, married 2ndly, 20th March 1963 (div. 1980), Hope Cooke, born 24th June 1940 in San Francisco ^(#3), granddaughter and ward of Mr. and Mrs. Winchester Noyes (USA), and had issue. He died 29th January 1982 in New York.

    • Maharajkumar Tenzing Kunzang Jiqui Namgyal, Crown Prince of Sikkim 1963/1978, died sp 11th March 1978 aged 26 years, near Gangtok, Sikkim.

    • HH Chogyal Wangchuk Namgyal (qv)

    • Maharajkumari Yangchen Dolma Namgyal

    • Maharajkumar Palden Gyurmed Namgyal (by Hope Cooke), born 20th February 1964.

    • Maharajkumari Hope Leezum Namgyal (by Hope Cooke)

13. HH Chogyal WANGCHUK NAMGYAL, 13th Chogyal of Sikkim (see above)