Druk Gyalpo

English

Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, the 5th and current Druk Gyalpo of Bhutan.

Etymology

Borrowed from Dzongkha and Tibetan འབྲུག་རྒྱལ་པོ ('brug rgyal po, literally “Dragon King”).

Noun

Druk Gyalpo (plural Druk Gyalpos)

1. The head of state of Bhutan.
   • 1977, Leo E. Rose, The Politics of Bhutan‎^[1], →ISBN, page 184:

     The Druk Gyalpos preferred to deal directly with the district officers rather than through an intermediate-level official. By the time of the second Druk Gyalpo the Pönlop title had come to be used more as an honorary designation of rank for powerful members of the royal family but had no specific administrative functions or powers attached thereto.

   • 2008, Ramesh Chandra Bisht, International Encyclopaedia of Himalayas (5 Vols.)‎^[2], →ISBN, page 143:

     The Druk Gyalpo—the king—is both head of state and head of government. In the process of coming to power, the first Druk Gyalpo, Ugyen Wangchuck, who reigned from 1907 to 1926, unified the nation, established friendly relations with Britain, and set his dynasty's political agenda.

   • 2018, Timothy Brook, Michael van Walt van Praag, Miek Boltjes, Sacred Mandates: Asian International Relations since Chinggis Khan‎^[3], →ISBN, page 110:

     Even today, many of the elite families of central and eastern Bhutan claim descent from or marital ties to Pema Lingpa, including the line of Druk Gyalpos, who came to rule after 1907.

See also

• Druk Gyaltsuen