Identity area
Type of entity
Authorized form of name
Parallel form(s) of name
བསོད་ནམས་སྟོབས་རྒྱས་རྡོ་རྗེ
Sir Raja Sonam Tobgye Dorji
Standardized form(s) of name according to other rules
Other form(s) of name
Tobgye
Identifiers for corporate bodies
Description area
Dates of existence
History
2nd Gongzim of Bhutan (Prime Minister) 1917-1952.
Lived at Bhutan House, an estate in Kalimpong, West Bengal, India owned by the Dorji family of Bhutan. It served as an administrative and diplomatic hub allowing Bhutan to foster relationships with Tibet and British India.
Inherited the role of Gongzim from his father Ugyen Dorji. Was also given the role of Bhutan Agent from the British Government due to his experience he got from assisting his father on many expeditions. Also inherited the British-India's 'Raja' title. (Aris 1994: 106)
1918, he marries Rani Chuni Wangmo, the sister of the king of Sikkim. They have five children: his eldest son Jigme Palden (1919-1964) who became Prime Minister of Bhutan; the second eldest, a daughter Tashi (b.1923), who helped in the affairs of the Bhutan House; Kesang Choden (b.1930), who married the third King of Bhutan; Ugyen (1933-2006), a reincarnation of a high priest in Tibet; and Lhendup (1935-2007). His children were all born and brought up in Bhutan House and educated in the elite schools set up by the British within Darjeeling and Kalimpong. (Khandu-Om Dorji 2008:10)
Was an avid fan of football. Promoted sports by brining in outside teams and sponsoring local teams in different areas in North Bengal, introducing them to new techniques and strategies. Tobgye and Rai Saheb Bhimbahadur Pradhan levelled and increased the size of the Mela Ground where hockey and football games were played. (Khandu-Om Dorji 2008:13)
Places
Bhutan
Legal status
Functions, occupations and activities
Politician and administrator
Mandates/sources of authority
Internal structures/genealogy
General context
Relationships area
Related entity
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Description of relationship
Access points area
Subject access points
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Occupations
Note
held posts of Gongzim (Prime Minister), Deb Zimpon (Cheif Secretary), and Trade Agent to the Government of Bhutan
Control area
Authority record identifier
Institution identifier
Rules and/or conventions used
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Dates of creation, revision and deletion
Created: 10 August 2026, C.Kemnitz
Language(s)
Dzongkha
English
Script(s)
Latin
Tibetan
Sources
A Brief History of Bhutan House in Kalimpong by Khandu-Om Dorji. Journal of Bhutan Studies, vol. 19, Winter 2008, p. 9-33.
Aris Michael. 1994. The Raven Crown: The Origins of Buddhist Monarchy in Bhutan. London: Serindia Publications.
Photograph: Image of Raja Sonam Tobgye (left) and Rani Choni Wangmo Dorji (right) taken on 17 September 1934. Photographer Margaret Williamson. From the Williamson Collection, Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, Cambridge. (N.130656.WIL | CC BY-NC-ND 4.0).https://collections.maa.cam.ac.uk/photographs/423924/