 Bhutan - national flag
The flag was set in the 1960's, but its symbols were in use as early as the
1800's. The saffron color stands for the king's worldly authority, and orange is
the color of Buddhism. The dragon, which illustrates the country's name, "the
land of thunder dragons", holds pearls in its claws as a sign of wealth and
perfection.
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Bhutan (Religion)
Mahayana Buddhism in the Tibetan form is the state religion in Bhutan. The
framework of religious life is the numerous monasteries scattered around the
country. Of particular importance are the large monastery castles (dzong),
which are state monasteries and at the same time the seat of the local
administration. Nearly five thousand monks serve the many Buddhist monasteries
and shrines. The monks perform tasks other than religious and social. They often
act as both doctors and astrologers. The head of the monastic order (je
kempo) is the highest religious authority of all Buddhist
institutions. According to tradition, Buddhism was introduced in the
700's. of Padmasambhava. In the 1600's. gathered a Tibetan lama from the drupa
kagyu sect, Ngawang Namgyal, the country and acquired both the spiritual and the
secular power. His successors, who ruled the country until the early 1900's, were
considered reincarnations by him.
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such as RUB which represents the official name of Bhutan.
The official state religion is not practiced by the entire population of
Bhutan. The country consists of many ethnic groups, each with their own cultural
characteristics. The largest ethnic group is called bhutia. Nearly 60%
of the population belong to this group and are residents of northern and central
Bhutan. They are of Tibetan origin and largely follow the Tibetan form of
Buddhism. In the eastern part of the country, the most famous group, the Sherduk,
is also of Tibetan origin. It is also a supporter of Lamaism, but in its
religious practice elements from the pre-Buddhist Bon religion are often
mixed. The Nepalese immigrants are Hindus and differ from the other ethnic
groups.
Bhutan - Constitution
Bhutan has had several features in common with a constitutional monarchy
since 1968. A new constitutional proposal was adopted in 2005. The National
Assembly has approximately 150 members (number may vary): 110 are elected for three
years in direct elections, ten are Buddhist monks, and one is a representative
of the industry; the rest are appointed by the government. The National Assembly
must vote every three years on the trust of the king and is in theory able to
depose him.
Bhutan - art
The art of Bhutan is a pure religious art. It aims to visualize the deity and
thought content of Mahayana Buddhism. Bhutanese art is difficult to distinguish
from Tibetan. Art objects from the Himalayan area have long been known and
valued outside the borders of these countries, thangkas (picture scrolls)
and artfully crafted bronze figures.
The image composition of the Thangkas follows carefully established
rules. Each deity is ascribed to a particular color and depicted with special
attributes. In addition to the historical Buddha, the numerous other Buddhas
belonging to the pantheon of Tibetan Buddhism are depicted. Among the
Bodhisattvas, Avalokiteshvara is the most important. A very popular figure
is Padmasambhava, who according to tradition brought Buddhism to Bhutan.
A common motif in Bhutanese visual art is the mandala, which adorns the
walls and ceilings of temples and monasteries in the form of frescoes or is
painted on thangkas. Mandalas are magical patterns and diagrams that are usually
symbolic representations of divine palaces or of the universe of Buddhism.
Architecture, too, is to some extent governed by religion. The many stupas (chörten)
that characterize the landscape are built to house relics of tall llamas and
holy men; they are the object of daily worship. The temples are constructed as
depictions of the universe as it appears in Buddhist cosmography; these are
mandalas in architectural form.
Bhutan (History)
A real state formation in Bhutan took place in the early 1600's, when various
powerful families were united under a theocratic rule, in which the
monastic leaders of the Tibetan Buddhist drupa kagyu sect had great
influence; the country's name, Druk Yul, refers to the sect. During
the 1700's. internal contradictions grew, and the British colonial power in India
began to assert itself; a peace treaty was signed in 1774. Growing unrest and
border disputes led to British annexation of territories up to Assamagainst
economic compensation in 1841 and again in 1865. As a buffer state between Tibet
and British India, Bhutan took the side of the British. In 1907, the current
hereditary monarchy was created, and the British promised by a treaty in 1910 to
pay an annual maintenance and not interfere in Bhutan's internal administration,
while Bhutan in turn agreed to align its foreign policy with British
wishes. Bhutan has since been in the sphere of Indian influence, and in 1949 the
independent India renewed the 1910 Treaty with increased annual payments. A slow
process of modernization in the isolated, economically and technologically
backward country began in the 1960's. Bhutan has for a number of years been
marked by ethnic strife between the indigenous people and a large minority of
(Hindu) Nepalese immigrants,
Rebel movements from Assam in India have established military bases in
southeast Bhutan. They posed a major security problem and a political problem in
relation to India; in 2003, Bhutan's armies drove the rebel groups out of the
country.
In 2000, there was a breakthrough in negotiations with Nepal over the
approximately 100,000 ethnic Nepalese who the Nepalese government claims have
fled Bhutan and who now live in camps in eastern Nepal. A joint commission has
been set up to assess who has the right to resettle in Bhutan, but the process
is still unfinished. A series of bomb blasts in early 2008 has been linked to
this ethnic conflict.
In 2005, the plans for a new constitution were announced, which as a result
will have the introduction of parliamentary democracy. Former Crown Prince Jigme
Khesar Namgyel Wangchuk was proclaimed king in 2006. In the first free elections
in Bhutan in 2008, the Royalist Bhutan Party for Peace and Welfare won 44 of the
47 seats in parliament. In the 2013 election, the opposition People's Democratic
Party won 32 seats.
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