Preface THE COUNTRY AND ITS NAMES MonLhomonkhazhi--the Mon of four approaches Menjong--the medicinal country Country bestrewn with Tsanden Drukyul--the Land of the Thunder Dragon Bhutan--a British legacy THE LAND AND ITS PEOPLE The Subtropical Lowlands The Temperate Midlands The Alpine Highlands The People MANY TONGUES Central Bodish group Dzongkha Chocha Ngacha/Tsamangpikha Jyokha of Merak and Sakteng Jyokha of Dur Lakha language Bökay or Tibetan East Bodish group Bumthangkha Khengkha Kurtöp Ngenkha Chalibikha Dzalakha Dakpakha Monkha/Olekha Other Bodic languages Tshangla Lhopikha Gongdukpikha Lepcha Limbu, Rai, Tamang, Sherpa, etc. Kurux Indo-European languages Nepali Hindi English HISTORY AND PREHISTORY In the presence of the past The Prehistoric Period EARLY HISTORIC PERIOD: EARLY DIFFUSION OF BUDDHISM Songtsen Gampo and the two temples Padmasambhava and the two kings The refugees EARLY HISTORIC PERIOD: LATER DIFFUSION OF BUDDHISM The dung lineages The Ura dung The Ngang dung Dung/dung reng The religious lines Bön religion The Lhapa Kagyu school The Drukpa Kagyu school The Nyingma school Tertöns in rough chronological order Pema Lingpa and other local Bhutanese tertöns Lhomon Kathogpa Chagzampa tradition Nenyingpa Barawa of Kagyu school Sakyapa Shingtapa of Gelug school Kamtshang of Kagyu school Drigung of Kagyu school Other prominent religious visitors Indian visitors A sketch of society and polity THE MEDIEVAL PERIOD: THE UNIFICATION OF THE DRAGON COUNTRY The historical conditions Zhabdrung''s dispute in Tibet Zhabdrung arrives in Bhutan The Portuguese guests Zhabdrung''s first dzong and the second Tibetan invasion The Palace of Great Bliss and the third Tibetan invasion The Dalai Lama''s rule and Zhabdrung''s victory Gaden Phodrang''s second defeat and Zhabdrung''s celebrations Zhabdrung''s retreat and expansion of the state ZHABDRUNG''S LEGACYAND THE EARLY MONK RULERS Zhabdrung''s legacy of a religious state Sustaining Zhabdrung''s legacy The pressing question of succession The beginning of internal strife The alternate line of succession Overture to Ladakh and disclosure of the ''open secret'' MULTIPLE INCARNATIONS AND THE RISE OF LAY RULERS The Shaman of Wang and the rise of the first lay ruler The proliferation of incarnations and the fall of Bearded Desi Two incarnate brothers and the last Tibetan invasion Mipham Wangpo''s escape and the continuation of Bönbji rule The glorious days of Sherab Wangchuk THE RISE OF SOUTHWARD RELATIONS AND INTERNAL STRIFE Zhidar and Bhutan''s affairs with Cooch Behar The opportunistic EIC Bogle and the first British Mission to Bhutan The reign of Jigme Sengay and more white men Factional fighting and the imbroglio of incarnations The clash of incarnations and the first pressure from the east Bhutan''s stake in British expansion Death, destruction and reappearance CIVIL WARS AND FRONTIER TROUBLES First clash with the British in the east The fear of the unknown and the Pemberton mission Chakpa Sangay''s rebellion and an unaccomplished mission Two capitals, two rulers and oaths of reconciliation The loss of the luminaries and re-ignition of strife The fate of Jigme Norbu and the fall of Chakpa Sangay The incessant conflicts The rise of Jigme Namgyal THE DUAR WAR AND THE BLACK REGENT Continued frontier outrages The humiliation of Ashley Eden The Duar War Resumption of civil war THE EMERGENCE OF UGYEN WANGCHUK AND END OF CIVIL WAR The Rise of Ugyen Wangchuk Bhutan''s last internal strife and the battle of Changlingmethang Ugyen Wangchuk as king-maker and mediator The final years of a religious republic EARLY MODERN PERIOD: THE INTRODUCTION OF MONARCHY The sociopolitical setting The King is crowned King Ugyen Wangchuk''s deeds and devotion The reign of Jigme Wangchuk The weight of the golden yoke Securing the sovereignty THE MODERN PERIOD: THE DRAGON''S NEW JOURNEY Decentralization, democracy and dasho aspirants Security, sovereignty and the dragon''s wrath Socioeconomic development and cultural transformations The dragon''s tryst with happiness Bibliography Notes Acknowledgements.