It is now generally given to the heir apparent of the Kingdom of Bhutan, but historically was an important title, for the governor of Trongsa and the surrounding area, and was the route by which the House of Wangchuck came to the throne.

Increasingly secular regional lords (penlops and dzongpens) competed for power amid a backdrop of civil war over the Zhabdrung and invasions from Tibet and the Mongol Empire.

[6] The penlops of Trongsa and Paro, and the dzongpens of Punakha, Thimphu, and Wangdue Phodrang were particularly notable figures in the competition for regional dominance.

A trusted follower of the Zhabdrung, Minjur Tenpa was sent to subdue kings of Bumthang, Lhuntse, Trashigang, Zhemgang, and other lords from Trongsa Dzong.

After doing so, the Tongsa divided his control in the east among eight regions (Shachho Khorlo Tsegay), overseen by Dungpas and Kutshabs (civil servants).

The Nyö clan emerged as a local aristocracy supplanting many older aristocratic families of Tibetan origin that sided with Tibet during invasions of Bhutan.

Because western regions controlled by the Penlop of Paro contained lucrative trade routes, it became the object of competition among aristocratic families.

[11] This period of intense rivalry between and within western and central Bhutan, coupled with external forces from Tibet and especially the British Empire, provided the conditions for the ascendancy of the Penlop of Trongsa.