Embattled boyhood and rise to power Ugyen Wangchuck was born in Wangdicholing Palace,
Jakar,
Bumthang in 1862. His father,
Jigme Namgyal, was the
Druk Desi of Bhutan at the time and he was apprenticed at the court of his father in the art of leadership and warfare at a very young age. Because he grew up in an embattled period, Ugyen Wangchuck was trained as a skilled combatant. In 1876, when he was 14, Ugyen joined his father in fighting the rebellious
Penlop of
Paro, Tshewnag Norbu. In early 1877 his father left Ugyen in Paro to deal with a rebellion in Punakha. Ugyen was kidnapped by one of his father's enemies, Damchö Rinchen. When Jigme Namgyal threatened to kill twelve members of Rinchen's sister's family, Rinchen released Ugyen. Soon afterwards, in 1878, Jigme Namgyal appointed Ugyen as the Penlop of Paro at the age of 16. Soon after, in 1881, Jigme died, and Ugyen took on many of his father's responsibilities. He tried to reconcile with the enemies of his father, offering gifts to monasteries that disliked Jigme Namgyal, and showing kindness and forbearance to those that had personally wronged his father. Afterwards, Ugyen began work to consolidate power and put those he trusted into key positions of government. In 1882, after a period of strife and civil war, Ugyen assumed the position as the
Penlop of Trongsa, a post his father had held. Ugyen continued to further suppress dissent. Two of Ugyen's trusted allies, Alu Dorji and Phuntsho Dorji, rebelled against him and attempted to instate a monk of their choosing as the 55th Druk Desi. This culminated in the battle of Changlimethang in 1886, the last armed civil conflict in Bhutanese history. Ugyen, now 24, held a decisive victory, eliminated all internal strife, making him the de facto ruler of Bhutan.
Founding of Buddhist monarchy by unanimous agreement Bhutan had been ruled under 54 successive
Druk Desis for 256 years until Buddhist monarchy was established. Ugyen Wangchuck founded the monarchy in 1907, although he had been more or less the actual ruler for more than a decade. On 17 December 1907, Ugyen Wangchuck was elected unanimously by the representatives of the people, the officials and the clergy and enthroned as the first hereditary King of Bhutan in
Punakha Dzong. A legal document on the institution of monarchy was attested with signet-rings and thumbprints, on that day. British political officer, Sir
John Claude White (1853–1918), represented the British government at the enthronement ceremony. Since that day, 17 December is celebrated as the
National Day of Bhutan (Gyalyong Duechen).
Foreign relations and official visits abroad Ugyen Wangchuck, then 12th
Trongsa Penlop, joined the
Younghusband Expedition to
Tibet in 1904, as a mediator between
Britain and Tibet. His next official visit abroad took place in 1906 when he travelled to Kolkata to meet the
Prince of Wales. King Ugyen Wangchuck was acutely conscious that
Bhutan must to be protected through times of regional conflict and rivalries. His Majesty was exquisitely farsighted in updating the treaty of 1865 in 1910, with an additional clause. The new clause was that Bhutan would consult
British India in its dealing with third countries. The clause was drawn up in the context of the British suspicion about the influence of the Chinese and Russians in Tibet, and beyond.
Spirituality King Ugyen Wangchuck had close relationship with many Buddhist spiritual masters such as
Lama Serkong Dorji Chang (1856–1918),
Tertön Zilnon Namkha Dorji, and the 15th
Karmapa Khachyab Dorji (1871–1922). In 1894, aged 33, he undertook the construction of
Kurjey temple, one of the landmarks of Vajrayana Buddhism in the world. The middle lhakhang in Kurjey, with its towering Guru statue, was built in 1894 by King Ugyen Wangchuck. His Majesty was a great benefactor to the
dratshangs (monastic bodies) throughout the country. As part of his vision for scholarship and education of young Bhutanese, he sent two groups of Bhutanese to study up to geshey level in Tibet. Twice, in 1915 and 1917, he sent batches of young monks to Zhenphen Choki Nangwa (1871–1927) in Dokham. They later returned to Bhutan and became influential geshes (doctorate level) and lamas, serving as radiant sources of Buddhist teachings.
Death On 21 August 1926, aged 64, King Ugyen died at Thinley Rabten Palace in Wangdue Phodrang in the lap of his eldest son. Before his demise he sent large donations to the Central Monastic Body in Punakha and asked his remains to be cremated at the
Kurjey Lhakhang in Bumthang. ==Honours==