History Bhutan’S Early History Is Steeped in Buddhist Folklore and Mythology; It Features Tremendous Deeds and Beings with Supernatural Powers
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© Lonely Planet Publications 25 History Bhutan’s early history is steeped in Buddhist folklore and mythology; it features tremendous deeds and beings with supernatural powers. It’s said that a saint who had the ability to appear in eight different forms, one of them being Guru Rinpoche, visited Bhutan on a flying tiger and left the imprint of his body and his hat on rocks. School texts describe demons that threatened villages and destroyed temples until captured through magic and converted to Buddhism. Tales abound of ghosts who destroyed temples, and angels who rebuilt them. Researchers have attached dates to many events, though these often do not seem to fit together into a credible and accurate chronology. When reading Bhutanese history, it’s easier to let your imagination flow. Try visualising the spirit of the happenings rather than rationalising events as historical truth. This will, in part, help prepare you for a visit to Bhutan, where spirits, ghosts, yetis, medicine men, and lamas reincarnated in three different bodies are accepted as a part of daily life. Bhutan’s medieval and modern history is better documented than its ancient history, but is no less exotic. This is a time of warlords, feuds, giant fortresses and castles, with intrigue, treachery, fierce battles and extraordinary pageantry 0 50 km HISTORICAL PLACES 0 30 miles Current Borders Border Before 1865 Wagye La C H I N A Lhobrak C H I N A Ya La Kulha ( T I B E T ) Gangri ( T I B E T ) Ganghar Lhodrak La Puensum Mon La Karchung Lingzhi Gasa Jhomolhari I N D I A I N D I A Tremo La Phari Trashi ( A R U N A C H A L ( S I K K I M ) Drugyel Punakha Jakar Yangtse P R A D E S H ) Dzong Thimphu Trongsa Wangdue Paro Phodrang Sakten Haa Simtokha B H U T A N Gangtok Mongar Trashigang Zhemgang Kalimpong Daga Zamirkot Duar Chhukha Dewangiri Daifam Chamurchi Duar Samtse Chichacotta Samdrup Phuentsholing Jongkhar Buriguma Lakhu Duar Duar Sinchula Chapakhama Duar GhurkholaKalling Teesta Sidli Bagh or Chapaguri Duar Bijni Duar Duar Buxa Bhulka Duar Bijni or Ambari Duar Duar Ripu Duar Warsi Banska Falakati Bura Duar Duar Duar ASSAM River Duar Duar BENGAL DUARS DUARS River Cooch Guma Behar I N D I A B A N G L A D E S H ( A S S A M ) Brahmaputra TIMELINE 6th Century 7th Century The animist Bon religion is established in several valleys of The first Buddhist temples are in Bhutan, such as Kyichu what is now Bhutan Lhakhang (AD 659), near Paro 26 RUNNINGHEADHISTORY •• Early •• HistoryRunningsubhead lonelyplanet.com all playing feature roles. The country’s recent history begins with a hereditary monarchy that was founded in the 20th century and continued the country’s policy of isolationism. It was not until the leadership of the third king that Bhutan emerged from its medieval heritage of serfdom and seclusion. Until the 1960s the country had no national currency, no telephones, no schools, no hospitals, no postal service and certainly no tourists. Development efforts have now produced all these – plus a national assembly, airport, roads and a national system of health care. Despite the speed of modernisation, Bhutan has maintained a policy of careful, controlled growth in an effort to preserve its national identity. The government has cautiously accepted tourism, TV and the internet and is set to embark on perhaps its biggest challenge – democracy. EARLY HISTORY www.ctf.gov.bt is the Many of the important events in the country’s early history involved saints Cultural Trust Fund and religious leaders and were therefore chronicled only in scriptures. Most website and is dedicated of these original documents were destroyed in fires in the printing works of to the preservation and Sonagatsel in 1828 and in Punakha Dzong in 1832. Much of what was left promotion of Bhutan’s in the old capital of Punakha was lost in an earthquake in 1897 and more rich cultural heritage. records were lost when Paro Dzong burned in 1907. Therefore much of the early history of Bhutan relies on reports from British explorers, on legend and folklore, and the few manuscripts that escaped these disasters. Archaeological evidence suggests Bhutan was inhabited as early as 1500– 2000 BC by nomadic herders who lived in low-lying valleys in winter and moved their animals to high pastures in summer. Many Bhutanese still live this way today. The valleys of Bhutan provided relatively easy access across the Himalaya, and it is believed that the Manas River valley was used as a migration route from India to Tibet. Some of the early inhabitants of Bhutan were followers of Bon (known as Ben cho in Bhutan), the animistic tradition that was the main religion throughout the Himalayan region before the advent of Buddhism. It is believed that the Bon religion was introduced in Bhutan in the 6th century AD. Buddhism was probably first introduced to parts of Bhutan as early as the 2nd century, although most historians agree that the first Buddhist temples were built in the 7th century AD. See the boxed text, p129 , for the story of the construction of these temples. The kingdom of Cooch Behar, in what is now West Bengal, influenced Bhutan from the early days. The rulers of Cooch Behar established themselves in Bhutan, but their influence faded in the 7th century AD as the influence of Tibet grew along with the introduction of Buddhism. VISITS OF GURU RINPOCHE In AD 746 Sendha Gyab (also known as Sindhu Raja), the king of Bumthang, became possessed by a demon, and it required a powerful tantric master to exorcise it. He sent for the great teacher Padmasambhava, better known as Guru Rinpoche (Precious Master). The Guru captured the demon and converted it to Buddhism. For good measure, he also converted the king and his rival, restoring the country to peace. For a complete description of Guru Rinpoche’s efforts, see the boxed text, p173 . The Guru returned to Bhutan via Singye Dzong in Lhuentse and visited the districts of Bumthang, Mongar and Lhuentse. He was returning from 746 841 Guru Rinpoche (Padmasambhava) visits Bhutan and is credited with The Tibetan Buddhist prince Tsangma is banished from Tibet to the subduction of evil spirits and further conversions to Buddhism eastern Bhutan.