Bhutan History Answers

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The history of Bhutan:

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.

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.

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.and this is how it all began.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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).

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.

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).

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.

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.

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.

Current issues

Assamese separatists

Several guerilla groups seeking to establish an independent Assamese state in northeast India have set up guerilla bases in the forests of southern Bhutan from which they launch cross-border attacks on targets in Assam. The largest guerilla 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 guerillas.

Military action against Assamese separatists December 2003

On 15 December 2003 the Royal Bhutan Army began military operations against guerilla camps in southern Bhutan, in coordination with Indian armed forces who lined the border to the south to prevent the guerillas 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.

"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.

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]

Preparing for formalized democracy

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.

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.

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. BhutanÌs relations with its closest neighbour and friend, India, has reached new heights. International organisations and bilateral development partners are ready to support BhutanÌs development efforts and political transformation."