The history of the Chogyals too is closely associated with Guru Padmasambhava who travelled through this region in the 8th century, for it was he who foretold the rule of kings in Sikkim. In 1642, the Namgyal dynasty was founded by the fifth-generation decendents of Guru Tashi, a prince of the Minyak house from Tibet’s Kham region. The first Chogyal of Sikkim, Phunsog Namgyal was crowned as the first king of Sikkim, in a place called Yuksom, about 30 km away from Rabdentse. He was succeeded by his son Tensung Namgyal who moved the kingdom’s capital to Ranbdantse in 1670. Once he established his capital here, he built the royal palace which was named ‘Song Khim’ meaning New Palace by one of his three queens who belonged to the Limbu clan. It is said that the name ‘Sikkim’ is derived from this very word.