The Zhabdrung’s Legacy: Buddhism and Constitutional Transformation in Bhutan

Whitecross, Richard W.

Abstract

The charismatic Tibetan religious hierarch, the Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyal unified Bhutan in the second quarter of the seventeenth century. The Zhabdrung introduced a “dual system” of secular and religious government that remained in place until the establishment of the current monarchy in 1907. Major institutional reforms implemented by the third king saw the state-sponsored Central Monk Body gain roles in the National Assembly and the Royal Advisory Council that lasted until 2008. In its transition to a democracy in 2008 Buddhism was declared to be separate from politics with monks, nuns, and lay practitioners (gomchen) prohibited from taking part in elections or voting. The chapter outlines the transformation from a theocratic “dual system” to a constitutional monarchy and the unforeseen consequences of the separation of religion and politics now emerging in Bhutan.

Citation

Whitecross, R. W. (2022). The Zhabdrung’s Legacy: Buddhism and Constitutional Transformation in Bhutan. In T. Ginsburg, & B. Schonthal (Eds.), Buddhism and Comparative Constitutional Law (73-98). Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009286022.007

• Online Publication Date: Nov 18, 2022
• Publication Date: 2022
• Deposit Date: Dec 13, 2022
• Publicly Available Date: Dec 13, 2022
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Pages: 73-98
• Series Title: Comparative Constitutional Law and Policy
• Book Title: Buddhism and Comparative Constitutional Law
• Chapter Number: 4
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009286022.007
• Keywords: Buddhism, constitutionalis, Bhutan, Tibet, theocracy, secularism
• Public URL: http://researchrepository.napier.ac.uk/Output/2982771