A Brief History of Bhutan

Although the earliest civilizations in Bhutan may have dated back to 2000 B.C., much is unknown of the mysterious nation until the dawning of Tibetan Buddhism in the 9^th century A.D. The new religion was carried on the backs of the Ngalops, who remain the majority demographic today just as the Mahayana Buddhism (Drukpa Kagyupa discipline) they introduced is still the dominant sect. The Ngalops hold important positions in the government and civil service and their customs have been adopted as the “standard” for all citizens by the monarchy. However, two other ethnic categories exist within Bhutan: The Sharchops, descendants from the earliest inhabitants of Bhutan, reside in the East, and the Lhotsampas, descendants of Nepali ancestors who arrived in the 19^th and 20^th centuries, reside in the “southern foothills.”

            In 1616, Bhutan was consolidated under Ngawana Namgyal who “defeated three Tibetan invasions, subjugated rival religious schools, codified an intricate and comprehensive system of law, and established himself as ruler (shabdrung) over a system of ecclesiastical and civil administrators.” However, this brief period of organized governing dissolved after Namgyal’s death, leading to 200 years of civil war. In 1885, Ugyen Wangchuck, with the help of the British in India, began picking up the pieces and was eventually elected as the hereditary ruler of Bhutan and crowned on December 17^th, 1907. He became known as Druk Gyalpo (Dragon King) and acted as head of state, allowing him to sign the Treaty of Punakha with Britain in 1910 which ensured Britain’s exclusion from internal affairs provided that the colonial power could still enforce “external advice in its external relations.” Bhutan received its independence with India in 1947 under Ugyen’s sun Jigme Wangchuck, who later signed the Treaty of Peace and Friendship with India, eerily similar to Bhutan’s former Treaty of Punakha with Britain.

            Bhutan has slowly been easing itself onto the global stage since 1952 and the rule of Jigme Dorji Wangchuck (son of Jigme Wangchuck), and in 1971 it became a meber of the United Nations, wrote a new code of law, and introduced the Royal Bhutanese Army and the High Court. The most drastic developments proceeded the following year when Jigme Singye Wanchuck, 16 years old, “emphasized modern education, decentralization of governance, the development of hydroelectricity and tourism and improvements in rural developments.” His legacy lies in his philosophy of “Gross National Happiness,” which remains the most defining factor of Bhutanese culture today.