Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyal 1090947 225680934 2008-07-14T21:39:55Z Ysogo 7209451 +it.wiki [[Image:Replace this image male.svg|right|140px]] '''Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyal''' (<font style="font-size: larger; font-family: Jomolhari, 'Tibetan Machine Uni';">ཞབས་དྲུང་ངག་དབང་རྣམ་རྒྱལ།</font> ''zhabs drung ngag dbang rnam rgyal'') (1594–1651) was the founder of [[Bhutan]]. In addition to unifying the country for the first time in the 1630s, he also sought to create a distinctly [[Culture of Bhutan|Bhutanese cultural identity]], separate from the [[culture of Tibet|Tibetan culture]] from which it was derived. ==From Tibet to Bhutan== Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyal was descended from the same family line as Drogon Tsangpa Gyare the founder of Drukpa lineage. Ngawang Namgyal was recognized as one of the two prophesized reincarnations of the fourth Gyalwang Drukpa Pema Karpo,and enthroned as the 18th abbott of [[Ralung monastery]] in Tibet, a powerful position as Ralung was the traditional seat of the Drukpa Lineage. In 1616 Following visions and prophecies he went to establish a new base in western Bhutan, founding [[Cheri Monastery]] at the head of [[Thimphu valley]]. In 1627 he built [[Simtokha Dzong]] at the entrance to Thimphu valley. From this dzong he could exert control over traffic between the powerful [[Paro valley]] to the west and [[Trongsa valley]] to the east. ==Unification of Bhutan== He soon eliminated the rivals belonging to the [[Lhapa]], branch of the [[Drikung Kagyu]] sect, a rival [[Kagyupa]] order who had built the original [[dzong]]s in Bhutan. The Drukpa and the Lhapa had been struggling for control of western Bhutan since the 12th century. Later he would conquer and unify all of Bhutan, but would allow the ancient [[Nyingma]] sect to continue in central and eastern Bhutan (today the Nyingma comprise approximately 30% of Bhutan's monks even though they are privately funded while the [[Drukpa]] are supported as the [[state religion]] of Bhutan). In 1627, the first European visitors to Bhutan (the [[Portugal|Portuguese]] [[Jesuit]]s [[Estevao Cacella]] and [[João Cabral]]) found the Shabdrung to be a compassionate and intelligent host, of high energy and fond of art and writing. In keeping with his position as a high [[lama]] he was also meditative and had just completed a three year silent retreat. He was proud to have the Jesuits as guests of his court and was reluctant to grant them permission to leave and offered to support their proselytizing efforts with manpower and church-building funds, but they pressed on to [[Tibet]] in search of the apostate church said to be isolated in the heart of [[central Asia]] (cf. [[Nestorian Stele]]). In 1634, in the [[Battle of Five Lamas]] Ngawang Namgyal prevailed over the Tibetan and Bhutanese forces allied against him and was the first to unite Bhutan into a single country. ==Dual system of government== The Shabdrung also established the distinctive [[dual system of government]] by which control of the country was shared between a spiritual leader (the [[Je Khempo]]) and an administrative leader (the [[List of rulers of Bhutan|Druk Desi]]), a policy which exists in modified form to this day. ==Death of the Shabdrung== The Shabdrung ruled the country from the [[dzong]] at [[Punakha]] until his death in 1651. To avoid political chaos in the wake of his death, his closest advisors hid the news of his death for 54 years. During this time he was said to be ruling the country while in seclusion, a not unreasonable explanation given the extended silent retreats he was known to take during his life, although the length of the retreat must have seemed more and more incredible as the decades wore on. The Shabdrung's body lies preserved in a sacred inner chamber in [[Punakha Dzong]] where it has been under perpetual watch since his death in the 17th century. The task of watching over him is one of the most sacred duties in the kingdom, carried out by two high [[lama]]s. Not even the king is allowed in the inner chamber. ==Reincarnations of the Shabdrung== See the article under [[Shabdrung]] for more information on his subsequent reincarnations. ==འབྲེལ་མཐུད== ==References== * ''Author:'' Ardussi, John ; ''Title:'' [http://www.digitalhimalaya.com/collections/journals/jbs/pdf/JBS_11_02.pdf Formation of the State of Bhutan ('Brug gzhung) in the 17th Century and its Tibetan Antecedents] ''in'' [http://www.digitalhimalaya.com/collections/journals/jbs/index.php Journal of Bhutan Studies], Vol 11 2004, [[Centre for Bhutan Studies]], Thimphu. [http://www.thdl.org/texts/reprints/jbs/JBS_11_02.pdf],[http://www.bhutanstudies.org.bt/admin/pubFiles/v11-2.pdf], [http://www.digitalhimalaya.com/collections/journals/jbs/pdf/JBS_11_02.pdf] ==External links== *Article: [http://rywiki.tsadra.org/index.php/Shabdrung_Ngawang_Namgyal Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyal] at the Dharma Dictionary. *Images: [http://www.himalayanart.org/search/set.cfm?setID=1138 Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyal] at HimalayanArt.org. *Image: [http://www.honoluluacademy.org/dragonsgift/images/web-gallery/85-TH-98.01_002.jpg 18 C painting of Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyal from Tango Monastery, Bhutan] [[Category:1594 births]] [[Category:1651 deaths]] [[Category:Kagyu]] [[Category:Tibetan Buddhists from Bhutan]] [[et:Ngawang Namgyal]] [[fr:Ngawang Namgyal]] [[it:Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyal]] [[nl:Ngawang Namgyal]] [[no:Ngawang Namgyal]] [[ru:Шабдрунг]]