The Shabdrung (also Zhabdrung) is the most important tulku lineage in Bhutan, equivalent in many ways to the Dalai Lama lineage of Tibet. The lineage traces through the founder of the country, Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyal (b. 1594 -d 1651), who was the first to unify the warring valley kingdoms under a single rule. In Bhutan the Shabdrung is revered as the third most important personality behind Guru Rimpoche and the Buddha. In Tibetan Buddhism, a tulku is the reincarnation of a lama or other spiritually significant figure. ... The 14th and current Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso (born 1935) The 13th Dalai Lama, Thubten Gyatso (1876-1933) In Tibetan Buddhism, the successive Dalai Lamas (taa-lai bla-ma) form a tulku lineage of Gelugpa leaders which trace back to 1391. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyal (b. ... Events February 27 - Henry IV is crowned King of France at Rheims. ... // Events January 1 - Charles II crowned King of Scotland in Scone. ... Guru Rinpoche, the patron saint of Sikkim. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyal initiated many important Bhutanese customs including the system of dual government by which power was shared between an administrative leader, the Druk Desi, and a religious leader, the Je Khempo. These offices proved important upon the death of the Shabdrung in 1651 as power effectively passed to them instead of to his son. In order to forestall a dynastic struggle and a return to warlordism, the authorities conspired to keep the death of the Shabdrung secret for 54 years. During this time they issued orders in his name, explained he was on an extended silent retreat, and kept his son under wraps. Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyal (b. ... The Je Khenpo is the title given to the highest ranking religious official of Bhutan. ... // Events January 1 - Charles II crowned King of Scotland in Scone. ...

Eventually the fiction could no longer be maintained, and the ruling authorities were faced with the problem of succession. An important person such as the Shabdrung, already recognized as a tulku, would be expected to be reincarnated shortly to take control of the country. How could this be prevented? And how could their own power be maintained during a transition? It has been suggested that the Druk Desi and Je Khenpo devised a practical solution, as the Shabdrung was indeed reincarnated, but not as a single person, but as three separate persons -- a body incarnation, a mind incarnation, and a speech incarnation. Despite their efforts at maintaining the power established by the original Shabdrung, the country sank into warring factionalism for the next 200 years.

The body incarnation lineage died out in the mid-18th century, while the mind and speech incarnations of the Shabdrung continued into the 20th century. In 1907 the Bhutanese monarchy was established, with Ugyen Wangchuck, the penlop of Trongsa installed as hereditary king with the support of Britain and against the wishes of Tibet. The royal family suffered from questions of legitimacy in its early years, with the reincarnations of the various Shabdrungs posing a threat. In 1931 when the 6th Shabdrung, Jigme Dorji, made an appeal to Mahatma Gandhi to oust the monarchy, the Shabdrung was assassinated by royalist forces. 1907 (MCMVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Wednesday of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... Ugyen Wangchuck (or Ugyen Wangchuk) (1861–1926) was the first king of Bhutan from 1907 to 1926. ... Trongsa, previously Tongsa, is one of the 20 dzongkhag (districts) comprising Bhutan. ... 1931 (MCMXXXI) is a common year starting on Thursday. ... Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (Devanagari/Hindi: मोहनदास करमचन्द गांधी; Gujarati: મોહનદાસ કરમચંદ ગાંધી; October 2, 1869 – January 30, 1948) was the spiritual and political leader of India who led the struggle for Indian independence from the British Empire, empowered by tens of millions of Indians. ...

In 1962, Jigme Nawang Namgyal (known as Shabdrung Rimpoche to his followers), the last of the Shabdrung incarnations , fled Bhutan for India where he spent the remainder of his life. Up until 2002, Bhutanese pilgrims were able to journey to Kalimpong, just south of Bhutan, to visit with the Master. In April 5, 2003, the Shabdrung died. Some of his followers claim he was poisoned, while Indian newspapers took pains to explain he died after an extended bout with cancer. 1962 (MCMLXII) was a common year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ... 2002 (MMII) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Kalimpong is a hill station (a hill town) nestled in the Shiwalik Hills (or Lower Himalaya) in the Indian state of West Bengal. ... April 5, 2003 The Senate of Belgium approves a change in the nations war crimes law so that it will no longer apply to citizens of nations with sufficient human rights laws. ...

List of successive Shabdrungs

Source: Bhutan News Online
Source for birth of Jigme Nawang Namgyal (1955): The Bhutan Today Events April 5 - In Virginia, Native American Pocahontas marries English colonist John Rolfe. ... // Events January 1 - Charles II crowned King of Scotland in Scone. ... Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyal (b. ... Events February 27 - Henry IV is crowned King of France at Rheims. ... // Events January 1 - Charles II crowned King of Scotland in Scone. ... Events January 4 - Palace of Whitehall in London is destroyed by fire. ... // Events Treaty of Aargau signed between Catholic and Protestants. ... 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Events Pope Clement XII elected September 17 - Change of emperor of the Ottoman Empire from Ahmed III (1703-1730) to Mahmud I (1730-1754) Anna Ivanova (Anna I of Russia) became czarina Births April 16 - Henry Clinton, British general (d. ... Events April 16 - The London premiere of Alcina by George Frideric Handel, his first the first Italian opera for the Royal Opera House at Covent Garden. ... // Events January 4 — The Netherlands, Britain & France sign Triple Alliance February 26-March 6 What is now the northeastern United States was paralyzed by a series of blizzards that buried the region. ... Events April 16 - The London premiere of Alcina by George Frideric Handel, his first the first Italian opera for the Royal Opera House at Covent Garden. ... Events April 16 - The London premiere of Alcina by George Frideric Handel, his first the first Italian opera for the Royal Opera House at Covent Garden. ... Events February 4 - Court Jew Joseph Suss Oppenheimer is executed in Württenberg April 15 - Premiere in London of Serse, an Italian opera by George Frideric Handel. ... // Events January 12 - Two-month freezing period begins in France - The coast of the Atlantic and Seine River freeze, crops fail and at least 24. ... Events February 4 - Court Jew Joseph Suss Oppenheimer is executed in Württenberg April 15 - Premiere in London of Serse, an Italian opera by George Frideric Handel. ... Events February 4 - Court Jew Joseph Suss Oppenheimer is executed in Württenberg April 15 - Premiere in London of Serse, an Italian opera by George Frideric Handel. ... 1761 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... Events January 14 - King Philip V of Spain abdicates the throne February 20 - The premiere of Giulio Cesare, an Italian opera by George Frideric Handel, takes place in London June 23 - Treaty of Constantinople signed. ... 1761 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... 1762 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... 1788 was a leap year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... 1762 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... 1788 was a leap year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... 1791 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... Liberty Leading the People by Eugène Delacroix commemorates the July Revolution 1830 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... 1791 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... Liberty Leading the People by Eugène Delacroix commemorates the July Revolution 1830 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... 1831 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... 1861 is a common year starting on Tuesday. ... 1831 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... 1861 is a common year starting on Tuesday. ... 1862 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... 1904 (MCMIV) is a leap year starting on a Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1862 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... 1904 (MCMIV) is a leap year starting on a Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1905 (MCMV) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... 1931 (MCMXXXI) is a common year starting on Thursday. ... 1905 (MCMV) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... 1931 (MCMXXXI) is a common year starting on Thursday. ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1955 (MCMLV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Note: traditions states that Ngawang Namgyal was not in fact the first Shabdrung, that the lineage traces back farther in Tibetan history.