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Bhutan,
is traditionally called ‘Druk Yul’. It is a land-locked
country with no access to sea. It is located
in the eastern Himalayas bordered by India in the south, east and
west and by the Tibetan Autonomous Region of China in the north.
It has an area of 46,500 Sq. Km. between latitudes 26 45 0
North and 28 10 0 North and between
longitudes 88 45 0 east and 92 10 0
east. At its longest east-west dimension, Bhutan stretches around
300 kilometres and it measures 170 kilometre at its maximum north-south
dimension. Bhutan shares about 1075 km of land boundaries with its
neighbours - China 470 km, India 605 km. It is roughly
the size of Switzerland.
The origin of Bhutan
and its earlier history is unknown. Guru Padma Sambhava, an
Indian saint made his legendary trip from Tibet to Bhutan at the end
of eighth century.
Bhutan’s history is shrouded
in mystery, prior to the arrival of yet another Tibetan Lama
(monk),
Zhabdrung
Nawang Namgyal from Ralung Monastery of Tibet in
1616. After being threatened in Tibet, he escaped to Bhutan,
in 1616.
Zhabdrung
Nawang Namgyal
Before
Zhabdrung Nawang Namgyal‘s arrival, numerous clans ruled in different
valleys of Bhutan, having internecine war and quarrel
among themselves and with Tibet. The arrival of Zhabdrung
Nawang Namgyal is considered as the most
important era in the history of Bhutan.
Zhabdrung
literally
means, "at whose feet one submits".
Over the next thirty years, he conquered and
unified the country under his central leadership, which otherwise
was fragmented into petty principalities, ruled over by the tribal
feudal chiefs.
Zhabdrung
established himself as the country's supreme leader. He ruled
over Bhutan for thirty-five years until his retirement in 1651 A.D.
During his
reign of 35 years,
he built dzongs (fortress), monasteries,
and religious institutions. He established the Drukpa
Kargyupa school of Tantric Mahayana Buddhism in Bhutan.
His
reign was marked by the introduction of the unique dual system of
governance called the Chhoesid. This new system was characterized
by the sharing of power and authority between the Deb Raja
or the Desi who was the head of secular affairs and the Dharma
Raja or the spiritual head, called as Je Khempo
. He also codified laws for the country. The laws were based on
medieval theocratic principles called the Tsa-Yig.
The successive ‘Dharma Rajas’ were the incarnations of the
Shabdrung whereas the post of the Deb Raja was like that
of the Prime Minister. In course of time, the Dharma Rajas
preferring religious matters withdrew themselves into seclusion
while the Deb Rajas consolidated their authority exercising
sole responsibility over the secular affairs.
The seventh and eighth
Zhabdrung reincarnates ( avtars) died in
1931 and 1953.
The
dual form of governance continued until the birth of the Wangchuk
dynasty and establishment of hereditary Monarchy in 1907. Ugyen
Wangchuck was elected as the first hereditary monarch of Bhutan
on December 17, 1907. The present King Jigme Singye Wangchuck is
the fourth hereditary king.
HH
Zhabdrung
Jigme Ngawang Namgyal
The Current HH
Zhabdrung, Jigme
Ngawang Namgyal
is accepted as the ninth
reincarnation by his followers.
He was born
in Manla at Trashigang district of eastern Bhutan.
He was living in exile in India. He
died in
the CMS Hospital at Vellore, India on April
5, 2003. Reportedly, he was hospitalized after complaining of stomach
pain. Sources :
The Himalayan Times :
Telegraph Calcutta:
Times of India. However, the Royal Government of Bhutan does not
recognize him as Zhabdrung and simply describes him as any Lama.
Kuensel
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