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History of Bhutan
History
and Government
History: Existing archives trace Bhutanese
history back to AD 450 but many of the intervening
events remain a mystery. Bhutan has never
been conquered or ruled by another foreign
power. It first became a coherent political
entity around the 17th century under the direction
of a succession of Tibetan lamas who established
an administrative and political structure
over the area, relying principally on the
appointment of a set of regional governors.
Spiritual and temporal roles were subsequently
divided among the leadership (known as dharma
raja and deb raja respectively). The UK first
came into formal contact with Bhutan in the
18th century, as a result of which the East
India Company made a treaty with the territory
in 1774. Throughout the 19th century, a series
of struggles for influence between the regional
governors destabilised the country.
In 1910, the British government took control
of Bhutan's foreign affairs, while agreeing
not to interfere with the internal ruling.
Meanwhile, the first of the present dynasty
of hereditary rulers - who reunited the spiritual
and temporal aspects of their mission - worked
to consolidate their position. In 1947 and
1949, agreements were reached with India by
which the Indian government advised Bhutan
on external relations. Trade agreements with
India, essential to sustain the Bhutanese
economy, have been the subject of regular
rounds of negotiation. The most recent pact,
concluded in Thimphu in 1990, was accompanied
by diplomatic progress on the still-disputed
border between the two countries. The presence
on Bhutani territory of Assamese guerrillas
seeking independence from India for their
region of northeast India has also proved
an irritant in bilateral relations; there
has been an upsurge of Assamese activity since
the beginning of 2000.
Despite its close relations with Delhi, Bhutan
has occasionally switched its support to its
other great neighbour, China. This has been
particularly noticeable in international forums,
such as the Non-Aligned Movement and the UN
General Assembly, which Bhutan joined in 1971.
Relations with China have been dominated over
the years by the issue of Tibet: thousands
of refugees entered Bhutan after the Chinese
occupation of Tibet in 1959 and the country
has since become a centre for Tibetan exile
politics.
On the domestic front, the regime has faced
a growing challenge since the late 1980s from
the Bhutan People's Party formed predominantly
by ethnic Nepalis (one of the country's two
main ethnic groups; the other is the Drupka).
The BPP has campaigned for greater democracy
through demonstrations and occasional acts
of violence. The monarch, Jigme Singye Wangchuck
(the fourth of the current dynasty), has so
far relied on a mixture of repression and
controlled development to keep the lid on
the unrest, which persisted in most parts
of the country throughout the 1990s, although
it has yet to seriously threaten the regime.
Anything which may pose a threat to the established
social order is excluded from the mountainous,
isolated country. The country's first television
station only began broadcasting in 1999; a
single Internet provider began operating at
the same time. Bhutan was, however, an enthusiastic
founder member of the South Asian Association
for Regional Co-operation and hosted its first
meeting in 1985.
Government: Bhutan has no written constitution
and is ruled by a monarchy. Power is shared
between the King, the Tsogdu (National Assembly)
and the Je Khemp (Monastic Head) of the lamas.
Of the 151-member Tsogu, 105 members are elected
by adult suffrage. The remaining seats are
reserved for officials, members of the King's
advisory council and religious bodies.
Copyright ©
2002 Columbus Publishing
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