Explore Bhutan’s History, from Ancient Mystics to Modern Monarchs
The name Bhutan could derive from the Sanskrit Bhotant and mean “end of Tibet,” or from Bhu Uttan, which means “high land”; historically, the population of the country refers to their land with the name Druk Yul, or “land of the thunder dragon,” since tradition has it that thunder is the roar of Chinese dragons (a creature that also decorates the national flag). Although it is thought that Bhutan was inhabited as early as 2000 BC, Bhutanese history begins in 600 with the arrival of the Tibetan king Sogsten Gampo. The spread of Buddhism should instead have begun around the 2nd century, even if traditionally its roots are traced back to the visit in the 8th century of Guru Rinpoche, a tantric mystic, considered to be a second Buddha.
Bhutan’s Unification and the Wangchuck Dynasty
Until the 16th century, numerous clans and noble families lived in the various valleys of the country, engaged in continuous internal struggles and conflicts with Tibet. 1616 saw the arrival of Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyal, a Tibetan monk of the Drupa Kagyu Buddhist school, who proclaimed himself the religious leader of the country, repelled the Tibetans, and transformed the southern valleys into a unified state called Druk Yul. Thus was born the current Bhutan. However, while the political system established by him remained in force until the early 20th century, the death of Shabdrung in 1705 was followed by two hundred years of political instability, which ended only with the rise of Ugyen Wangchuck, elected in 1907 as the first king of Bhutan. Thus began the Wangchuck dynasty.
Bhutan’s Slow Path to Modernization
In 1947, Bhutan obtained independence and was recognized by India as a monarchy. Jigme Dorje Wangchuck is considered by the population to be the most important king, as he initiated a development plan for the country that continues today, thanks to King Jigme Singye Wangchuck. The latter implemented the policy of slow modernization, with particular attention to the preservation of Bhutanese culture. Among his ideals were an autonomous and self-confident economy and Gross National Happiness (Gross National Happiness is considered by the king to be far more important than Gross Domestic Product; economic growth should not, therefore, be achieved at the expense of quality of life). His coronation in 1974 also marked the first time international media were admitted into the country, ending its isolation from the international scene. The first group of tourists landed in Bhutan that same year.
Political Reforms and Modern Challenges
Among the major political reforms brought about by this king, in 1998, he dissolved the Council of Ministers and announced that the ministers, formally appointed by him, had to be elected through free elections. He, therefore, gave up part of his powers to form a government. In 1999, television and the Internet were introduced in the country. In 2005, the project for a Constitutional Charter of Bhutan was made official, and in 2006, Jigme Singye Wangchuck abdicated in favor of his son. In 2008, the first legislative elections took place, transforming the country into a parliamentary monarchy.
The circumstances of the election of the senators are curious: their average age is, in fact, 25, given that in Bhutan only the latest generations have started attending university.
The Nepalese Refugee Crisis
One of the most burning issues in current Bhutanese politics is the issue of Nepalese refugees. Between 1960 and 1970, thousands of Nepalese settled in Bhutan, attracted by labor contracts to build new settlements in the south of the country. But the high fertility of this community of Nepalese workers—who demanded recognition and a special political status, thus threatening to subvert the internal order of the country that they defined as undemocratic—alarmed the Bhutanese of the north, making them feel almost a minority.
In the late 1980s, a law on citizenship rights started a sort of purge that affected the Nepalese. The government established that the population of Nepalese origin would obtain citizenship only if they could demonstrate that they were in possession of a ‘land tax receipt’, a document that attested to land ownership prior to 1958. As a result, approximately 100,000 Bhutanese-Nepalese citizens (of the Lhotshampas ethnic group) were forced into exile and now live in eastern Nepal where, being refugees, they are not recognized by the Nepalese government and do not enjoy any rights. Therefore, they live only under the protection of the UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees). Unfortunately, this is a crisis that has not yet been resolved in fifteen subsequent negotiations between Nepal and Bhutan. The constitution was expected to attempt to overcome this humanitarian problem, but the draft does not show any commitment in this direction.
