Druk Gyalpo · The Dragon Kings of Bhutan
The Wangchuck Dynasty
The story of the royal house of Bhutan — five kings who, in little more than a century, forged a unified nation, gave the world Gross National Happiness, and then handed power to their people.
- 1907Monarchy founded
- FiveDragon Kings
- 2008Turn to democracy
The house of Wangchuck
On 17 December 1907, an assembly of monks, officials, and clan leaders ended two centuries of civil war by electing a single king. The dynasty he founded still reigns today — and its kings became known less for the power they held than for the power they chose to give away.
The Lineage
Five Dragon Kings
A century of monarchy, from the founder to the reigning fifth king.
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Beyond the throne
The ideas, the history, and the country behind the dynasty.
Before the Monarchy
How a 17th-century lama unified Bhutan — and why his system collapsed into civil war.
An IdeaGross National Happiness
Bhutan’s famous answer to GDP, and the philosophy that progress means well-being.
TransitionThe Road to Democracy
The rare story of kings who handed power to their people, by choice.
The LandThe Kingdom of Bhutan
A carbon-negative Buddhist kingdom in the Himalaya, unlike anywhere else on earth.
“Gross National Happiness is more important than Gross National Product.”
— His Majesty Jigme Singye Wangchuck, the Fourth Druk Gyalpo
The philosophy of happiness →