Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyal

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Shabdrung in a nineteenth century painting

Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyal (ཞབས་དྲུང་ངག་དབང་རྣམ་རྒྱལ། zhabs drung ngag dbang rnam rgyal) (1594–1651) was the unifier of Bhutan as a nation state. In addition to unifying the various warring fiefdoms for first time in the 1630s, he also sought to create a distinctly Bhutanese cultural identity, separate from the Tibetan culture from which it was derived.

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[edit] Birth & Enthronement at Ralung

Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyal was born at Ralung, Tibet as the son of the Drukpa lineage holder Mipham Tenpai Nyima ('brug pa mi pham bstan pa'i nyi ma) [1567-1619], and Sonam Pelkyi Butri (bsod nams dpal gyi bu khrid), daughter of the ruler of Kyisho (sde pa skyid shod pa) in Tibet[1]. On his father's side Ngawang Namgyal descended from the family line of Drogon Tsangpa Gyare [1161–1211] the founder of the Drukpa Lineage. In his youth Ngawang Namgyal was enthroned as the eighteenth Drukpa or throne-holder and “hereditary prince” at the traditional Drukpa seat and estate of Ralung (rwa lung) and recognized there as the the immediate reincarnation of the Fourth[nb 1] Gyalwang Drukchen ('brug chen), the "Omniscient" Pema Karpo (kun mkhyen padma dkar po 1527-1592).

His recognition and enthronement at Ralung as the Gyalwang Drukchen incarnation was however opposed by Lhatsewa Ngawang Zangpo, an influential follower of Drukchen Pema Karpo, who promoted the recognition of a rival candidate, Pagsam Wangpo - an illegitimate son of the Chongje Depa, Ngawang Sonam Dragpa, as the Drukchen incarnation. Lhatsewa and supporters of the Chongje Depa conducted an enthronement ceremony of Pagsam Wangpo as the incarnation of Kunkhyen Pema Karpo and Gyalwang Drukchen at Tashi Thongmen monastery. The Chongje Depa, then persuaded the Tsang Desi (or Depa Tsangpa), the most powerful ruler in Tibet and patron of the rival Karma Kagyu sect to support the recognition of Pagsam Wangpo as Gyalwang Drukchen and incarnation of Kunkhyen Pema Karpo. By 1612 the Tsang Desi, Karma Phuntsok Namgyal (karma phun tshogs rnam rgyal) had gained control over all Central Tibet (U & Tsang).

For a time Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyal continued to live at the main Drukpa seat of Ralung as, irrespective who was entitled to be considered as the true incarnation of Kunkhyen Pema Karpo, Ngawang Namgyal was the main Drukpa hereditary lineage–holder, and legitimate throne-holder at Ralung monastery the traditional seat of the Drukpa Lineage.

[edit] From Tibet to Bhutan

However following a misunderstanding Zhabdrung Rinpoche and his party had with an important Karma Kagyu lama, Pawo Tsugla Gyatsho [1568–1630], the Tsang Desi demanded compensation be paid and that the sacred religious relics of Ralung such as the Rangjung Kharsapani should be surrendered to him so they could be given to the rival Gyalwang Drukchen incarnate Gyalwa Pagsam Wangpo.

The Tsang Desi prepared to send covert armed guards to arrest Zhabdrung Rinpoche and enforce his demands. In 1616 facing arrest, and following visions (in which it is said that the chief guardian deities of Bhutan offered him a home) Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgayal left Tibet 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.

[edit] Unification of Bhutan

He consolidated control over western Bhutan subduing rivals belonging to the Lhapa, a branch of the Drikung Kagyu sect which had built some of the original dzongs in Bhutan. The Drukpa Kagyu, the Lhapa Kagyu and the Nenyingpa had all controlled parts 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 Southern Drukpa Kagyu is supported as the established state religion of Bhutan).

In 1627, the first European visitors to Bhutan (the Portuguese Jesuits 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.

[edit] Dual system of government

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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) to preside over the religious institutions and an administrative leader (the Druk Desi) as head of secular affairs, a policy which exists in modified form to this day.

[edit] Relations with Ladakh

Sengge Namgyal, who ruled Ladakh from 1616-1623 and 1624-1642, was a devoted to the Ralung lineage of the Drukpa Kagyu school. Like Bhutan, Ladakh then had differences with the new Gaden Photrang government of Tibet established by the 5th Dalai Lama which attempted to annexe Ladakh[2] A invitation was sent to Bhutan requesting Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyal to become the state priest. As Shabdrung was occupied confronting an invasion from Tibet and consolidating the new Bhutanese state, he sent Choje Mukzinpa as his representative to the court of Ladakh.[3]. Several religious estates were offered to the Bhutanese in Ladakh and Zangskar and one of them, Tagna or "Tiger's nose" monastery established by Choje Mukzinpa, became the main seat of the Southern Drukpa Kagyu tradition in Ladakh. This monastery still preserves artifacts and documents related to Bhutan — some of them said to have been gifted by Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyal.[4]

[edit] Death of the Shabdrung

The Shabdrung ruled the country from Pungtang Dechen Photrang 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 dubious as the decades wore on.

The Shabdrung's body lies preserved in a sacred inner chamber in Pungtang Dechen Photrang 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 lamas. Not even the king is allowed in the inner chamber.

[edit] Reincarnations of the Shabdrung

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See the article under Shabdrung for more information on his subsequent reincarnations.

[edit] Alternate Names

  • Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyal
  • Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyel

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ Depending on whether or not Tsangpa Gyare is enumerated in the list of Gyalwang Drukchen incarnations, Kunkhyen Pema Karpo is either the fourth or the fifth Drukchen, and Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyal or Pagsam Wangpo counted as the fifth or sixth. Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyal's biography and some other Bhutanese & Ralung sources do not enumerate Tsangpa Gyare as the first Drukchen incarnation but instead count Gyalwang Je Kunga Paljor (1428-1476) as the first.

[edit] References

  1. ^ Dorji & Kinga (2008). p.3
  2. ^ Dorji & Kinga (2008) p. 171.
  3. ^ Dargey & Sørensen (2008) p. 264
  4. ^ Dargey & Sørensen (2008) n.188, p.140-141.

[edit] Sources

  • Dargye, Yonten (2001). History of the Drukpa Kagyud School in Bhutan (12th to 17th Century A.D.). Thimphu. ISBN 9993661600. 
  • Dargye, Yonten; Sørensen, Per; Tshering, Gyönpo (2008). Play of the Omniscient: Life and works of Jamgön Ngawang Gyaltshen an eminent 17th-18th Century Drukpa master. Thimphu: National Library & Archives of Bhutan. ISBN 9993617067. 
  • Dorji, Sangay (Dasho); Kinga, Sonam (translator) (2008). The Biography of Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyal: Pal Drukpa Rinpoche. Thimphu, Bhutan: KMT Publicaions. ISBN 9993622400. 

[edit] External links

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shabdrung_Ngawang_Namgyal"