History

Prehistory

Archaeological finds suggest the mountain valleys of Bhutan have been inhabited for thousands of 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 in the 8th century, but two rare sites representing an earlier influence predate him. Kyichu in Paro and Jambey in Bumthang were built in 659 AD 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.

The Founding of Bhutan

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 polity which exists in modified form to this day.

To avoid political chaos in the wake of his death in 1651, his closest advisors hid the news of his death for 54 years. During this time he was said to be ruling the country while in seclusion. After the news of his death was released, the following civil war eroded the power of the shabdrung for the next 200 years until 1885, when the Penlop (governor) of Trongsa, Ugyen Wangchuck gained an upper hand over rival forces and sought to cultivate ties with the British in India.

Peace Treaties

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.

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.

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.

In 1999, the king lifted a ban on television and the Internet, making Bhutan one of the last countries to introduce television. In his speech, the king said that television was a critical step to the modernisation of Bhutan as well as a major contributor to the country's Gross National Happiness but warned against the misuse of television which may erode traditional Bhutanese values.

One Nation, One People

In the 1980s, Bhutan began a 'one nation, one people' campaign, notably in its Citizenship Act of 1985, which made residents prove that their parents lived in Bhutan in 1958. With the later Driglam namzha decree from the King in 1989, usage of Dzongkha was fostered as the national language. By 1990, many of them protested these initiatives as attempts to destroy their culture, as well as the monarchy itself. In response to these protests, Bhutan expelled around 100,000 Nepali-speaking residents, though other reports say only 5,000. Regardless, refugees or claimed refugees numbering around 107,000 from this are still in Nepal today, with the Bhutanese government refusing to take them back and the Nepali government refusing them entry to Nepal.

End of Absolute Rule

The 3rd and 4th kings of Bhutan both promoted the elimination of their own absolute powers over the objections of the National Assembly. Beginning in 1969 and lasting until his death in 1972, the Third King of Bhutan ended his veto power over the National Assembly. Upon his death, the national assembly gave back the veto power to the king's son, now the Fourth King of Bhutan, who later followed in his father's footsteps by convincing the assembly in 1998 to again formally end the absolute veto power of the king, teaching that it was better for the future of the country that his powers be circumscribed by theirs.

In December 2005, the 4th king announced publicly that he would abdicate in 2008 to coincide with the first national election and introduction of Bhutan's new constitution. However, in late 2006 he shocked the nation by announcing his immediate abdication and handing over to his son, the Crown Prince, as the 5th king of Bhutan.

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.

On 15 December 2003, the Royal Bhutan Army began military operations against the guerrilla camps, in coordination with Indian armed forces who lined the border to the south to prevent the guerrillas from dispersing back into Assam. By January, government news reports indicated the guerrillas had been routed from their bases.