Parents: Jigme, king of Bhutan, and Pema Dechen
Date of Birth: 2 May 1929
Royal House: Wangchuck
Spouse: Kesang Choden, daughter of Jigme, king of Bhutan, and Phuntsho Choden
Predecessor: Jigme
Reign: 1952 – 1972
Summary: Not much is known about the life of Jigme Dorji before he became king except that he was educated in England and India. He ascended the throne as the third king of Bhutan upon the death of his father in 1952 and began the modernization and internationalization of the kingdom. When he first became king, he ended feudalism and slavery in the small mountainous kingdom, releasing the remaining serfs from bondage. He brought to Bhutan many modern inventions to assist in day-to-day life in Bhutan, including the introduction of wheeled vehicles rather than hand carts. As part of a reorganization of government, he established a high court and a new judicial system, and he founded the Tshogdu National Assembly, the first democratic parliament in Bhutan. In 1961, Jigme Dorji introduced an economic development plan that is still in use today. In 1963, Bhutan joined the Colombo Plan, a multinational alliance built on trade and commerce. To emphasize this plan, the king built roads throughout Bhutan, while also building schools and hospitals. In 1971, Bhutan joined the United Nations, partially as a defense against Chinese aggression in the wake of China's annexation of Tibet in 1951. When Bhutan joined the UN, Jigme Dorji granted approval to the National Assembly to depose a Bhutanese monarch with a two-thirds majority, if the event was ever required. Jigme Dorji was never a healthy monarch, suffering from a heart attack at the age of twenty. He continued to suffer from medical ailments and finally died in Nairobi, Kenya, in 1972 while attempting to remedy his illness. His son, Jigme Singye, succeeded him.
Date of Death: 21 July 1972
Successor: Jigme Singye
Other Monarchs Who Died Today:
- Manuel II, emperor of Constantinople (1425)
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