NationMaster - Encyclopedia: History of Bhutan

The history of Bhutan: Bhutanese rulers have styled themselves as Desi Druks (see dual system of government under Ngawang Namgyal), maharajas, and kings. ... Jigme Khesar Namgyal Wangchuck (born February 21, 1980) is the fifth Dragon King of Bhutan and head of the Wangchuck dynasty. ... The Lhengye Shungtsog is the council of ministers or cabinet of the kingdom of Bhutan. ... The following is a list of the prime ministers of the Kingdom of Bhutan. ... Lyonpo Kinzang Dorji has been the Caretaker Prime Minister of Bhutan since August 3, 2007. ... The Je Khenpo (Tibetan: à½¢à¾—à½ºà¼‹à½˜à½à½“à¼‹à½”à½¼à¼; Wylie: Rje Mkhan-po), formerly called the Dharma Raj by orientalists, is the title given to the highest religious official of Bhutan. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Bhutan is an absolute monarchy with no legal political parties. ... Elections in Bhutan gives information on elections and election results in Bhutan. ... Parliamentary elections to the National Council of Bhutan, the upper house of the Parliament of Bhutan, will be held for the first time on 26 December 2007. ... Bhutan will hold its first general election in 2008. ... The Royal High Court of Bhutan is apex court of Bhutan. ... Bhutan is divided into 20 districts (dzongkhag, singular and plural): Bumthang Chukha (old spelling Chhukha) Dagana Gasa Haa Lhuntse (old spelling Lhuntshi) Mongar Paro Pemagatshel (old spelling Pemagatsel) Punakha Samdrup Jongkhar Samtse (old spelling Samchi) Sarpang Thimphu Trashigang (old spelling Tashigang) Trashiyangste Trongsa (old spelling Tongsa) Tsirang (old spelling Chirang... Foreign Relations of Bhutan // Main article: Suzerainty#Bhutan Peoples Republic of Bangladesh; in Thimphu, Bhutan Canada through the Canadian Cooperation Office [1] as a conduit; in Thimphu, Bhutan Republic of India; in Thimphu, Bhutan Republic of India; in Puntsholing, Bhutan United Nations; in Thimphu, Bhutan See also Bhutanese diplomatic... Information on politics by country is available for every country, including both de jure and de facto independent states, inhabited dependent territories, as well as areas of special sovereignty. ... This article is about the study of the past in human terms. ...

[edit] Prehistory

Archeological finds suggest the mountain valleys of Bhutan have been inhabited for several thousand years. The Bhutanese believe the Lhopu (a small tribe in southwest Bhutan who speak a Tibeto-Burman language) to be the aboriginal inhabitants of the country, who were subsequently displaced by the arrival of Tibetans of Mongolian descent. Others consider the identification too narrow, and suggest that various other tribes represent the aboriginal peoples. The Ngalop, the ethnic group that comprises the majority of the population concentrated in the central and western valleys, are clearly related to the Tibetans to the north, sharing physical, linguistic, and cultural traits, indicating that at some unknown time in the past a significant migration of Tibetans arrived over the Himalayan mountain passes to establish the base of the present population. The Lhop or Doya are a little-known tribe of southwest Bhutan. ... Sino-Tibetan languages form a language family of about 250 languages of East Asia, in number of speakers worldwide second only to Indo-European. ... The term indigenous people has no universal, standard or fixed definition, but can be used about any ethnic group who inhabit the geographic region with which they have the earliest historical connection. ... The Tibetan people are a people indigenous to Tibet and surrounding areas stretching from Central Asia in the West to Myanmar and China in the East. ... The Bhutias are people of Tibetan origin, who migrated to Sikkim, India after the 15th century through Bhutan, where they are also known as Ngalop and constitute half of the countrys population. ... The Tibetan people are a people indigenous to Tibet and surrounding areas stretching from Central Asia in the West to Myanmar and China in the East. ... For the movie Himalaya, see Himalaya (film). ...

[edit] Arrival of Tantric Buddhism

Padmasambhava, also known as Guru Rimpoche, is usually credited with bringing Tantric Buddhism to Bhutan, but two rare sites representing an earlier influence predate him. Kyichu in Paro and Jambey in Bumthang were built in 659 AD, a century or so ahead before Guru Rimpoche's arrival, by the quasi-legendary King of Tibet Songtsen Gampo. Guru Rinpoche, the patron saint of Sikkim. ... A mandala used in Vajrayana Buddhist practices. ... Kyichu Lhakhang, Paro Valley Kyichu Lhakhang or Kyerchu Temple is a Buddhist temple in Paro District in Bhutan. ... location of Paro dzongkhag within Bhutan. ... Location of Bumthang dzongkhag within Bhutan Bumthang is one of the 20 dzongkhag (districts) comprising Bhutan. ... Ealdormen in Mercia rebel against Northumbrian rule and proclaim Wulfhere king. ... A statue of Emperor Srong-rtsan Sgam-po in his meditation cave at Yerpa Songtsen Gampo (à½¦à¾²à½¼à½„à¼‹à½–à½™à½“à¼‹à½¦à¾’à½˜à¼‹à½”à½¼à¼‹ Wylie: Srong-btsan Sgam-po) (604â€“650 CE) was the thirty-third king of the Yarlung Dynasty of Tibet. ...

In the 8th century the Indian Guru Padmasambhava arrived in Bhutan, bringing Tantric Buddhism (which would evolve into Tibetan Buddhism over the next 400 years). He established a number of temples and monasteries, including the famous Taktshang monastery built high on a cliff face above the Paro valley and Kurjey Lhakhang in Bumthang. (7th century — 8th century — 9th century — other centuries) Events The Iberian peninsula is taken by Arab and Berber Muslims, thus ending the Visigothic rule, and starting almost 8 centuries of Muslim presence there. ... Guru Rinpoche - Padmasambhava statue - near Kullu, India Guru Rinpoche, the patron saint of Sikkim. ... A mandala used in Vajrayana Buddhist practices. ... Tibetan Buddhism is the body of religious Buddhist doctrine and institutions characteristic of Tibet, the Himalayan region (including northern Nepal, Bhutan, Sikkim and Ladakh), Mongolia, Buryatia, Tuva and Kalmykia (Russia), and northeastern China (Manchuria: Heilongjiang, Jilin). ... Taktshang Monastery Taktshang is the most famous of monasteries in Bhutan. ... location of Paro dzongkhag within Bhutan. ... Kurjey Lhakang, also known as Kurjey Monastery, is located in the beautiful Bumthang valley in the Bumthang district of Bhutan. ... Location of Bumthang dzongkhag within Bhutan Bumthang is one of the 20 dzongkhag (districts) comprising Bhutan. ...

[edit] Bhutan emerges as a country

Until the early 1600s, Bhutan existed as a patchwork of minor warring fiefdoms until unified by the Tibetan lama and military leader Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyal. Escaping political foes in Tibet he arrived in Bhutan in 1616 and initiated a program of fortification and military consolidation, overseeing the construction of impressive dzongs or fortresses such as Simtokha Dzong which guards the entrance to Thimphu valley. An insightful leader, he used cultural symbols as well as military force to establish a Bhutanese national identity, including the initiation of a number of sacred dances to be performed in the annual tsechu festivals. Under the system of feudalism, a fiefdom, fief, feud, feoff, or fee, often consisted of heritable lands or revenue-producing property granted by a liege lord in return for a form of allegiance, originally often to give him the means to fulfill his military duties when called upon. ... Not to be confused with Llama. ... The Shabdrung (also Zhabdrung) is the most important tulku lineage in Bhutan, equivalent in many ways to the Dalai Lama lineage of Tibet. ... Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyal (b. ... Year 1616 (MDCXVI) was a leap year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a leap year starting on Monday of the 10-day slower Julian calendar). ... Dzong architecture is a distinctive type of fortress architecture found in the former and present Buddhist kingdoms of the Himalayas, most notably Bhutan. ... View of Tashichoedzong, Thimphu Thimphu from Sangey Gang Thimphu (Tibetan script: à½à½²à½˜à¼‹à½•à½´à¼‹) is the capital of Bhutan, and also the name of the surrounding valley and dzongkhag, the Thimphu District. ... In Bhutan an annual religious festival held in each district featuring sacred Cham Dances. ...

The Shabdrung also established the dual system of government by which control of the country was shared between a spiritual leader (the Je Khempo) and an administrative leader (the Desi Druk), a policy which exists in modified form to this day. The Je Khenpo is the title given to the highest ranking religious official of Bhutan. ... Look up policy in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

After the Shabdrung's death in fighting, the civil war eroded the power of the shabdrung for the next 200 years until 1885, when the Penlop of Trongsa, Ugyen Wangchuck gained an upper hand over rival forces and sought to cultivate ties with the British in India. 1885 (MDCCCLXXXV) is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Saturday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... Trongsa, previously Tongsa, is one of the 20 dzongkhag (districts) comprising Bhutan. ... Ugyen Wangchuck (or Ugyen Wangchuk) (1861â€“1926) was the first king of Bhutan from 1907 to 1926. ...

[edit] Treaties with Britain

Although subject to periodic Tibetan invasions from the north, Bhutan has retained continuous autonomy since its founding by the Shabdrung. In the early 1700s, the Bhutanese invaded the kingdom of Cooch Behar to the south, placing it under Bhutanese suzerainty. In 1772 the Cooch Behari appealed to the British East India Company who joined with the Behari in driving the Bhutanese out and attacking Bhutan itself in 1774. A peace treaty was concluded in which Bhutan pulled back to its pre-1730 borders. The peace was not to hold, however, and border conflicts with the British were to continue for the next hundred years including the Duar War (1864-1865), fought over control of the Bengal Duars. This article is about historical/cultural Tibet. ... For other uses see Cooch Behar (disambiguation) Cooch Behar (Bengali: à¦•à§‹à¦šà¦¬à¦¿à¦¹à¦¾à¦° Pronunciation: kOOch bÄhÃ¤r`) is the district headquarters and the largest town of Cooch Behar District of Indian state of West Bengal. ... Year 1772 (MDCCLXXII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a leap year starting on Sunday of the 11-day slower Julian calendar). ... The British East India Company, sometimes referred to as John Company, was the first joint-stock company (the Dutch East India Company was the first to issue public stock). ... Chesma Column in Tsarskoe Selo, commemorating the end of the Russo-Turkish War. ... The Duar War was a war fought between British India and Bhutan in 1864-1865. ... 1864 (MDCCCLXIV) was a leap year starting on Friday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a leap year starting on Sunday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar. ... 1865 (MDCCCLXV) is a common year starting on Sunday. ... For other uses, see Bengal (disambiguation). ...

[edit] Civil wars

The 1870s and 1880s were marked by civil war between the rival power centers of Paro and Trongsa valleys. In 1885 Ugyen Wangchuck, the penlop (governor) of Trongsa, gained control of the country and ended the civil war, aided by support from the British (the penlop of Paro being aligned with the Tibetans). location of Paro dzongkhag within Bhutan. ... Trongsa, previously Tongsa, is one of the 20 dzongkhag (districts) comprising Bhutan. ... 1885 (MDCCCLXXXV) is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Saturday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... Ugyen Wangchuck (or Ugyen Wangchuk) (1861â€“1926) was the first king of Bhutan from 1907 to 1926. ... Penlop is a Dzongkha term which can be roughly translated as governor. ...

[edit] Establishment of the monarchy

Under British influence a monarchy was formally established on December 17th, 1907 with Ugyen Wangchuck as the First King of Bhutan. This day is celebrated in today as National Day of Bhutan. Three years later a treaty was signed whereby the country became a British protectorate. The monarchy initially had to work to gain legitimacy against the machinations of their opponents who promoted the reincarnation of the Shabdrung as the rightful ruler of Bhutan. The issue came to a head in 1931 when the Shabdrung made an appeal to Mahatma Gandhi to terminate the Wangchuck dynasty, after which the Shabdrung was assassinated by pro-royalty agents. For the documentary series, see Monarchy (TV series). ... December 17 is the 351st day of the year (352nd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... Year 1907 (MCMVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Monday of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... Ugyen Wangchuck (or Ugyen Wangchuk) (1861â€“1926) was the first king of Bhutan from 1907 to 1926. ... The Shabdrung (also Zhabdrung) is the most important tulku lineage in Bhutan, equivalent in many ways to the Dalai Lama lineage of Tibet. ... Year 1931 (MCMXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1931 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... â€œGandhiâ€ redirects here. ...

[edit] End of absolute rule

Over the objections of the National Assembly, both the third and fourth kings of Bhutan promoted the elimination of their own absolute powers. Beginning in 1969 and lasting until his death in 1972, the Third King of Bhutan Jigme Dorji Wangchuck, ended his veto power over the National Assembly. After his death, the National Assembly gave back the veto power to Jigme Sinye Wangchuck, the Fourth King of Bhutan, who eventually continued his father's policy of limited government and convinced the assembly in 1998 to formally end the absolute veto power of the king, arguing that it was better for the future of the country that his powers be circumscribed by theirs. In December 2005, the Jigme Singye Wangchuck announced that he would abdicate in 2008 to coincide with the first national election and introduction of Bhutan's new constitution. However, a year later he announced his immediate abdication and handed power over to his son, Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck (who was 26 at the time). Also: 1969 (number) 1969 (movie) 1969 (Stargate SG-1) episode. ... Year 1972 (MCMLXXII) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Jigme Dorji Wangchuck (2 May 1929-15 July/21, 1972) served as the Dragon King of Bhutan and is the third person to have served as king. ... Jigme Singye Wangchuck, (or in a pronunciation-based Romanization Jimi SinggÃª Wangchu) is the King of Bhutan. ... Year 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar). ... Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck is the Crown Prince of Buthan. ...

[edit] Emergence from isolation

Under the direction of Bhutan's third king, Jigme Dorji Wangchuck, Bhutan adopted a policy of gradual exposure to the outside world. Bhutan gained United Nations recognition as a sovereign country in 1971. This article does not cite its references or sources. ... UN and U.N. redirect here. ... Year 1971 (MCMLXXI) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar) of the 1971 Gregorian calendar, known as the year of cyclohexanol. ...

Jigme Singye Wangchuck, the fourth king in the line, ascended to the throne in 1972 at age 17 upon the death of his father. His coronation in June 1974 was the occasion for inviting a select number of diplomats and guests from around the world to the isolated kingdom, marking the beginning of regular (if modest) interaction with outside visitors. Jigme Singye Wangchuck (born November 11, 1955) was the fourth Dragon King (Druk Gyalpo) of Bhutan from 1972-2006. ... Year 1972 (MCMLXXII) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1974 (MCMLXXIV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar) of the 1974 Gregorian calendar. ...

The fourth king has since shown great skill in steering his country towards 21st century modernity while preserving the distinctive Bhutanese cultural with its roots in the 17th century. He is best known in the West for his goal of seeking the highest Gross National Happiness for his country, rather than the more conventional Gross National Product. Modernity is a term used to describe the condition of being related to modernism. ... Gross National Happiness (GNH) is an attempt to define a standard of living in more holistic and psychological terms than Gross National Product. ... Measures of national income and output are used in economics to estimate the value of goods and services produced in an economy. ...

[edit] Current issues

[edit] Assamese separatists

Several guerrilla groups seeking to establish an independent Assamese state in northeast India have set up guerrilla bases in the forests of southern Bhutan from which they launch cross-border attacks on targets in Assam. The largest guerrilla group is ULFA (United Liberation Front of Asom). Negotiations aimed at removing them peacefully from these bases failed in the spring of 2003. Bhutan is faced with the prospect of having to strengthen its token army force to obtain an eviction of the guerrillas. The United Liberation Front of Asom is a separatist armed opposition group from Assam, among many other such groups in North-East India. ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

[edit] Military action against Assamese separatists December 2003

On 15 December 2003 the Royal Bhutan Army began military operations against guerrilla camps in southern Bhutan, in coordination with Indian armed forces who lined the border to the south to prevent the guerrillas from dispersing back into Assam. News sources indicated that of the 30 camps that were target, 13 were controlled by ULFA, 12 camps by the National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB), and 5 camps controlled by the Kamatapur Liberation Organisation (KLO)[1]. By January, government news reports indicated the guerillas had been routed from their bases. is the 349th day of the year (350th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Royal Bhutan Army (RBA), formed in 1950, is the all-volunteer army of the Kingdom of Bhutan. ... Flag of the National Democratic Front of Boroland The National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) is an armed group that seeks to obtain a sovereign Bodoland for the Bodo people in Assam. ...

[edit] "The People in the Camps"

In 1988 Bhutan was reported to have evicted over 100,000 Nepali-speaking residents (Bhutanese reports say about 5000) from districts in southern Bhutan, creating a large refugee community that is now being detained in seven temporary United Nations refugee camps in Nepal and Sikkim. The actual numbers are difficult to establish, as many of those in the camps are reported to be holding forged identity papers, and impoverishhed nepali citizens along the border claimed to be refugees to receive aid. After years of negotiations between Nepal and Bhutan, in 2000 Bhutan agreed in principle to allow certain classes of the refugees to return to Bhutan. However the situation is at a standstill, after violence was committed on Bhutanese officials by the very people they were trying to help, the people in the camps. Significant unrest is now reported to be fermenting in the camps, especially as the United Nations terminates a number of educational and welfare programmes in an effort to force Bhutan and Nepal to come to terms. Year 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full 2000 Gregorian calendar). ...

[edit] The Shabdrung

In early 2007, reports alleged that the current Shabdrung, Pema Namgyel, who is a small child, has been held under house arrest in Bhutan along with his parents since 2005.[2] Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... The Shabdrung (also Zhabdrung) is the most important tulku lineage in Bhutan, equivalent in many ways to the Dalai Lama lineage of Tibet. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

[edit] Preparing for formalized democracy

[edit] Draft of the Constitution distributed March 2005

On March 26, 2005, "an auspicious day when the stars and elements converge favourably to create an environment of harmony and success"[1], the king and government distribute a draft of the country's first Constitution, requesting that every citizen review it. A new house of parliament, the National Council, is chartered consisting of 20 elected representatives from each of the dzonghags along with 5 distinguished persons selected by the King. The National Council would be paired with the other already existing house, the National Assembly.

Per the Constitution, the monarchy is given a leadership role in setting the direction for the government as long as the King shall demonstrate his commitment and ability to safeguard the interests of the kingdom and its people.

[edit] A new King -- Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck -- the fifth Druk Gyalpo

On December 15th, 2006, the fourth Druk Gyalpo, His Majesty Jigme Singye Wangchuck, abdicated all of his powers as King to his son, Prince Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, with a specific intention to prepare the young King for the country's transformation to a full-fledged, democratic form of government due to occur in 2008. This article is considered orphaned, since there are very few or no other articles that link to this one. ...

The previous King's abdication in favour of his son was originally set to occur in 2008 as well, but there was an apparent concern that the new King should have hands-on experience as the nation's leader before presiding over a transformation in the country's form of government. According to the national newspaper, the Kuensel, the previous King stated to his cabinet that "as long as he himself continued to be King, the Crown Prince would not gain the actual experience of dealing with issues and carrying out the responsibilities of a head of state. With parliamentary democracy to be established in 2008, there was much to be done; so it was necessary that he gained this valuable experience."

The fourth Druk Gyalpo further "explained that Bhutan could not hope for a better time for such an important transition. Today, the country enjoys peace and stability, and its security and sovereignty is ensured. After phenomenal development and progress, the country is closer than ever to the goal of economic self reliance. Bhutan’s relations with its closest neighbour and friend, India, has reached new heights. International organisations and bilateral development partners are ready to support Bhutan’s development efforts and political transformation."

[edit] External links

[edit] See also

Categories: Articles lacking sources from November 2007 | All articles lacking sources | History of Bhutan | National histories Map of Asia, 1892 The history of Asia can be seen as the collective history of several distinct peripheral coastal regions, East Asia, South Asia, and the Middle East linked by the interior mass of the Eurasian steppe. ... This is a list of articles on the history of contemporary countries, states and dependencies. ... This article is about the History of South Asia. ... Kings of Bhutan: Ugyen Wangchuk (1907-1926) Jigme Wangchuk (1926-1952) Jigme Dorji Wangchuk (1952-1972) Jigme Singye Wangchuk (1972-present) Categories: Lists of office-holders | Bhutan ... Map of Asia, 1892 The history of Asia can be seen as the collective history of several distinct peripheral coastal regions, East Asia, South Asia, and the Middle East linked by the interior mass of the Eurasian steppe. ... This is an alphabetical list of the sovereign states of the world, including both de jure and de facto independent states. ... The history of the Peoples Republic of China details the history of mainland China since October 1, 1949, when, after a near complete victory by the Communist Party of China (CPC) in the Chinese Civil War, Mao Zedong proclaimed the Peoples Republic of China (PRC) from atop Tiananmen... The history of Hong Kong began as a coastal island geographically located in southern China. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... This article is about the history of Korea, up to the division of Korea in the 1940s. ... For the history of Korea before its division, see History of Korea. ... The History of South Korea traces the development of South Korea from the division of the Korean Peninsula in 1945 to the present day. ... People of various cultures have lived in the peninsula over a span of more than 5,000 years. ... The recorded History of Sri Lanka boasts of 25 chronicled centuries. ... The United Arab Emirates was formed from the group of tribally organized Arabian Peninsula sheikhdoms along the southern coast of the Persian Gulf and the northwestern coast of the Gulf of Oman. ... This is a list of countries spanning more than one continent. ...

Encyclopedia > History of Bhutan

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