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Introduction
The Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan was
isolated for 300 years. During the 1900s , it gradually established links
with the outside world while preserving its culture and tradition. Now
in the 1990s a political conflict has arisen that could be
critical for the country's future.
Bhutan, a country the size of Switzerland climbs like a staircase from
the plains of northeast India to the hill plateau of Tibet.
It was the last of the Himalayan kingdoms to adopt the doctrine of economic
development and confront the political uncertainties of the world beyond its
foothills. However, the image of an unchanging medieval idyll is a little
misleading. Bhutan's history is complex and has been influenced by developments
outside its borders. Its current political problems demonstrate this fact.
Bhutan was unified by the Shabdrung, a Buddhist lama of the Drukpa Kagyu sect
who fled from Tibet in 1616. From the 1600s until the early 1900s, Shabdrungs
were Bhutan's spiritual and temporal rulers. During the 1800s they ruled
decayed, and the Shabdrungs lost much of their temporal power to feuding
district governors. In 1907, the office of the Shabdrungs was quietly abolished
and Sir Ugyen Wangchuck became the first king with the approval of the British,
whom he had supported during their incursions into Tibet.
Since 1907, Bhutan has been ruled by four kings of the Wangchuck line; the
present king, Jigme Singye Wangchuck, began his reign in 1972.
The Peoples of Bhutan
Bhutan is known to its inhabitants as Druk Yul, (the land of the
Dragon), after the Buddhist Drukpa Kagyu sect that first united it. The Buddhist
peoples who inhabit its highland areas are known collectively as Drukpas. Some
19 languages are spoken throughout Bhutan, and three main ethnic groups - the
Ngalong in the west, the Sharchhop in the east, and the Nepalis in the
south-comprise perhaps 85 per cent of the total population. The Sharchhop and
the people of central Bhutan have their origins to the east of the kingdom. They
were conquered by the Ngalong, who came from Tibet, early on in Bhutan's
history. All now show a fair measure of cultural unity as Drukpas. They share
the same religious faith and speak closely related languages, although the
Ngalong tend to dominate the religion politically, and their language, Dzongkha,
is the national language.
The Nepali-speaking people of the south were settled in Bhutan from the late
1800's onward. Most of them practise Hinduism, although some are Buddhist. They
originally spoke a variety of languages, but the Nepali language has displaced
them.
Lacking census data, the Bhutanese government could for many years only
estimate the size and ethnic composition of the population of Bhutan. In 1979,
it gave a figure of 1.2 million. In 1988, the published figure was 1.375
million. But in 1991, following a more detailed survey, the figure was
drastically reduced to 600,000. It is probable that none of the main ethnic
groups is in a majority. Estimates for the Ngalong vary from 10 to 28 per cent,
for the Sharchhop 30 to 40 per cent, and for the Nepalis 25 to 52 per cent. All
figures should be treated with caution.
Bhutan's culture has evolved over the centuries and developed its own
distinct characteristics. Nonetheless, it came originally from Tibet, and until
the early 1900s, Bhutan looked toward Tibet as a commercial partner. The
majority of the kingdom's trade was carried out over the Himalayan passes to the
north. The south of Bhutan, bordering the plains of India, remained an
undeveloped region behind the ruler's backs. In the early 1900s, the British
began to make their presence felt and Bhutan had to begin setting up completely
new, foreign links. Inside Bhutan, there was a struggle between those who wished
to maintain the traditional connections with Tibet and those who felt that
Bhutan's fortunes depended on links with the British.
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