“History, despite its wrenching pain, cannot be unlived, but if faced with courage, need not be lived again.”–Maya Angelou
“People are trapped in history, and history is trapped in them.” –James Baldwin
Last month, the Bhutanese government (and people) came under vociferous attack by Gelugpa-biased Tibetan exiles in the exile Parliament (CTA) and various media outlets, with insults and accusations being thrown at them for Bhutan’s recent use of the term “Xizang Autonomous Region” (China’s preferred name for Tibet). This issue arose following an announcement by the Bhutanese Ministry for Foreign Affairs and External Trade which referred to a cultural troupe from Tibet as from the “Xizang Autonomous Region of the People’s Republic of China,” who were scheduled to perform in Thimphu.
Two female MPs raised the issue in the Tibetan exile parliament and emphasized that such terminology influences perceptions of Tibetan performers and reflects a possible lack of formal communication between the exile Tibetan government and Bhutan. One further noted that while Bhutan hosts a troupe from Tibet, exiled Tibetans are unable to send their own cultural performers to Bhutan, despite the presence of a vibrant Tibetan Opera Troupe in exile.
Other Tibetan exile activists were reported delivering a letter to the Bhutanese Embassy in New Delhi, addressed to Foreign Minister Lyonpo DN Dhungyel and signed by a coalition of 144 Tibet support organizations.
“We respectfully call on the Bhutanese government to rectify its use of ‘Xizang,’ revert to the accurate name, Tibet, and halt any further use of ‘Xizang’ in all communications. This would demonstrate respect for the historical and cultural ties between Bhutan and Tibet, and uphold the importance of preserving Tibet’s unique identity,” the letter was quoted as saying.
Led by Dharamsala media reporting of this incident, the news was also broadcast by Tibetans on social media insulting and calling the Bhutanese all sorts of names and false accusations.
Yet these critiques are apparently clueless about the deep-rooted historical and cultural ties between Tibet and Bhutan (འབྲུག་རྒྱལ་ཁབ Drug Gyal-Khab in Dzongkha, which means “land of the Dragon”), and the Gelugpa-Tibetan military takeover and violence (of Tibet and Ladakh) that led to the founding of Bhutan in the 17th Century. As well as three subsequent military invasions, led by the Gelugpas, that not only murdered thousands of Tibetan people, but miserably failed in their goal.
In addition, even more recently, the alleged planned assassination by Gelugpa Tibetan exile sectarians in the 1970s on the young 18-year-old Bhutanese King, just prior to his coronation is also something Tibetans seem to be unaware of, or unwilling to see. This assassination attempt included the 14th Dalai Lama’s brother, Gyalo Dondrup and Lhading, his personal representative in Bhutan, who were named by the Bhutanese authorities as the principle agents of the assassination conspiracy. Thus continuing the bloody sectarian history of the Dalai Lamas/Gelugpas attempting to invade or meddle with Bhutan (more on that below).
So, although, it is understandable why Tibetans in exile (who no longer have any political or religious control over Tibet) would not want people to refer to Tibet as Xizang, before they start lecturing them and everyone else, and throwing insults at Bhutanese, they would do well to “look in the mirror” and humbly study their own political and religious history more.
It “beggars belief” that the Tibetan exile politicians and activists really think they can influence and dictate to the Bhutanese government and people on this issue. If the incident reveals anything it is not Bhutanese betrayal or anti-Tibetan sentiment the Tibetan exile community’s lack of understanding and humility to acknowledge their own history and wrongs against the Drugpa Kagyu and Bhutanese people.If they did that more, and offered real practical support and reparation for wrongs committed against the Drugpa Kagyu (and other main Tibetan Buddhist lineages), then the Bhutanese might be a little more willing and open to “formal communications” with them.
In practical reality, the Bhutanese have no good reason at all to seek Tibetan exile approval anyway. After all they are a small landlocked nation between two giants of Asia, India and China. As I wrote last year in the Mongolian-Gelug Shadow over Tibet, Six Decades of Failed US-Gelug alliance has been a disaster for Tibetans in Tibet and in exile, and worse has significantly damaged political and diplomatic relations between India, China, Bhutan and Nepal.
So, rather than demand that the Bhutanese appease the small (and powerless) group of Tibetan exiles intent on eliminating the use of Xizang to describe Tibet (which is just a mere name, as they say in Buddhist philosophy), have such Tibetan exile critics ever considered that it might actually be wiser and more Buddhist for the Bhutanese to try to live harmoniously, and on friendly terms with their Chinese neighbours? Instead of them self-centredly seeing it as a betrayal of Tibetans, perhaps the Bhutanese attempt at harmony and peace (and self-protection) in that region will benefit millions more people than those who still pursue the Gelugpa narrative of Tibetans as innocent, helpless “victims” of outside events.
A Bhutanese woman wrote to me and asked me to write something about this incident. Thus, in this brief article, I explore some of these historical ‘ties’ and attacks by of Gelugpa-influenced Tibetans on Drugpa Kagyu and Bhutan, that had nothing to do with “unification” purposes or respect for culture at all.
The founding of Bhutan: Gelug-Mongolian military violence, forced exile of Drugpa Kagyu and three “failed” military invasions of Bhutan
The bloody, murderous history that led the Bhutanese in particular to “ban” Gelugpa and the Dalai Lamas from entering their newly founded country, stems right back to the violent takeover of Tibet by the Mongolian-Gelugpas in the 17th Century. A foreign military invasion that not only decimated many Tibetan monasteries of the Kagyu, Nyingma and Jonang lineages, caused mass murder and massive breaches of monastics Vinaya by monk-soldiers who killed and destroyed whoever seemed to be not a pro-Gelugpa, but also the political appointment of the Dalai Lama institution to rule over Tibet for the first time having a spiritual leader as having both political and religious power in one person.
Many Tibetan exiles (and their US-foreign allies) do not seem to know Tibetan history (other than Gelugpa-biased narrative given to them in their media outlets and schools). This narrative glibly portrays mass murder and violence as a “unifying force” of the Gelugpa-Mongolian takeover of Tibet, ignoring the destruction of monasteries, censorship of Buddhist texts and forced exile of great masters, like 10th Karmapa, forced to live like a beggar and unable to return to Tsurphu Monastery for many years.The 17th Karmapa recently spoke (here and here) about how almost all the Karma Kagyu shedras and monasteries in Central Tibet were destroyed by the military invasion and how they were unable to revive that tradition of study and debate until recently (hardly unifying is it?).
Similarly, many may not be aware that the Gelugpa-Mongolian forces, via the Tibetan regent Sonam Chophel (to the 5th Dalai Lama), forced the Drugpa Kagyu to flee Tibet and also flee Ladakh, where they were the main teachers of the Ladakhi Kings and Ladakhi people. And that it was this brute, hostile military action that led to the founding of the country Bhutan by the Drugpa Kagyu lineage teachers, like Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyal (1594–1651), who was a Tibetan Buddhist Drukpa Kagyu school master, and the unifier of Bhutan as a nation-state.
Yet, the Gelugpas not satisfied with driving the Drugpa Kagyu out of Tibet, attempted three full military invasions with the requested assistance of the Mongolian army, to takeover Bhutan, yet failed to do so [1]:
“In the summer of 1656 Sonam Chopel launched a third military invasion of Bhutan, with [his brother] Norbu commanding four armies advancing from U, Tsang, Kham and Kongpo. He went to the border area to supervise but the result was as before.
After a year of guerrilla tactics by the Bhutanese in their jungles and ravines, the Tibetan armies, bogged down with sickness and low morale, suffered another ignominious defeat and retreated in disarray. Once again, Norbu was accused of colluding with the Bhutanese.
Sonam Chopel returned to Lhasa with demoralized survivors late in the summer of 1657; there is scarce further mention of him until the spring of 1658 when he fell ill and Lobzang Gyatso [5th Dalai Lama] ordered prayers and rituals to be done for his health and long life. However, on the third day of the third Tibetan month, Sonam Chopel suddenly died following an epileptic fit. He was sixty-three years old [2]”.
Thus, the Drugpa Kagyu Bhutanese “dodged a major karmic bullet”. Unlike Tibet, since then, the Bhutanese have not suffered the same attacks, and military invasion by the communist Chinese as the Gelug-controlled Tibet did. That is why, to this day, there are no Gelugpa monasteries in Bhutan and the Dalai Lamas have never visited there.
Gelugpa-Tibetan (including the 14th Dalai Lama’s brother) alleged planned assassination of the young teenage Bhutanese King, Jigme Wangchug in the 1970s
In 1974, the Bhutanese police arrested and charged several Tibetan individuals (some of whom fled to India), regarding a planned assassination attempt of the young Bhutanese Royal King, Jigme Wangchug, when he was eighteen years old, just before his coronation. The NY Times, and Hindustan Times and other newspapers) reported the arrests saying that:
“Thirty persons, including Deputy Home Minister Phuntsho Dhondup, Tibetan Refugees Rehabilitation Officer Kungo Lhedhing, Royal Bhutan Police Commandant Dada, a leading citizen Tamshing Wangdi, commonly known as “Tortola,” have been arrested in this connection. A large quantity of arms and ammunition, including hand grenades, and poison have been seized from the arrested whose plans also included the burning down of the Tashichho Dzong, widespread espionage and creating panic and confusion in the country. Investigations by local and Indian experts revealed that the plot was the brainchild of Gyalo Thendhup, well known Tibetan resident of Darjeeling. “Tortola” confessed that the conspiracy was hatched at Darjeeling in 1973 and he was offered one lakh Indian rupees to burn down the Dzong.”
The alleged individuals planning to assassinate the Bhutanese King included the 14th Dalai Lama’s brother, Gyalo Dondrup (who recently passed away in February 2025). I was completely unaware of it until I was contacted by this Bhutanese woman. Tibetans were reported as protesting strongly about it in India at the time (as they are prone to do) never once considering if the arrested Gelugpa fundamentalists might be guilty of a plot to kill a young man in the name of their power politics.
This assassination attempt, was no doubt based on the “turning of the tables” by the Chinese communists on the Gelugpas and their loss of any political control or power in Tibet. As well as their continuing annoyance at Bhutanese for stonewalling any of their attempts to gain influence and a foothold in Bhutanese religious, cultural and political affairs, that stems back to the 17th Century.
Bhutan, China and the 16th Karmapa
In fact, the Bhutanese treatment of the 16th Karmapa, while he was still alive, was the opposite of their continuing refusal to entertain the Gelugpas and 14th Dalai Lama. As I wrote about here, the Bhutanese gifted the 16th Karmapa many offerings including a Bhutanese passport, land and property, all of which have yet to find their rightful way into the hands of the current 17th Karmapa, Ogyen Trinley Dorje. For interview with Achi Tsepel (the 16th Karmapa’s oral translator) and his connection with Bhutan, see here.Could this difference in attitude of the Bhutanese to the Drugpa and Karma Kagyu lineages, be another reason why the Gelugpas still desperately insist and feel entitled to some influence there?
It seems the Gelugpas in exile have now hijacked, and using the Bhutanese tulku, 2nd Kalu Rinpoche (a Shangpa and Karma Kagyu lineage teacher) who received his whole lineage from three Karma Kagyu masters (two of whom are still alive), to be their Gelugpa “poster boy” for the 14th Dalai Lama and Tibet? Even worse, Kalu Rinpoche no longer even praises or commemorates the birthdays of his Kagyu lineage masters, nor makes any public offerings to them (see more on that here and the sacking of Kalu Rinpoche from his predecessors’ monastery in West Bengal).
Conclusion
In conclusion, as I began this article, considering all this, can anyone then be that surprised that the Bhutanese may not care that much about Tibetan exile “feelings’ about their referring to Tibet as Xizang? What did the Gelugpa-ruled Tibet ever do for Bhutan? Nothing much other than cause them a lot of death, destruction and trouble.
Some defenders of the Gelugpa actions with Mongolia in the 17th Century onward, defend it by saying they “unified Tibet”. Yet, the reality is “unity” based on sectarian violence, intimidation, destruction, censorship of other lineage texts is not a genuine “unity” or peace at all. How could it ever be unifying to violently invade and takeover a whole country by foreign military force, murder thousands of inhabitants, and effectively force into exile great Drugpa Kagyu masters, or the Karmapas, and destroy their monasteries, steal their texts and forbid them being taught or published for centuries? Forget about Buddhist ethics, it is not even in accordance with general, humane norms of freedom of expression, debate and religious freedoms.
In addition, if it was about Tibetan unity, why would the Gelugpas having taken over Tibet, then try and invade Bhutan three times (and fail)? Why would they, even in the 1970s try and have the Bhutanese King assassinated to get more influence in Bhutan? The answers to these questions seem obvious to anyone familiar with Tibetan religious and political history.
The Bhutanese have wisely learned from history that it currently makes a lot more practical and political sense to align with China than with the US-Gelugpa Tibetan exile groups. In fact, this latest Tibet-Bhutan interaction (played out on media) reveals more than ever before, that rather than Bhutan needing to change their understandable and cautious approach with their powerful neighbour China, it is high time that politically engaged Tibetan exiles changed their attitude, and re-visited their actual “bloody and violent” historical and cultural ties with Bhutan and China.
By doing so, Tibetan exiles could then engage in a far more respectful, formal (and Buddhist aligned) communication with the Bhutanese, based on a fair, unbiased and humble recognition of the actual cultural and historical ties between Tibet and Bhutan, rooted in Gelugpa-led violence and suppression.
Endnotes
[1] “Gushri Khan, Lobzang Gyatso’s pious and devoted disciple, always made his army and his advice available to Sonam Chopel in their joint collaboration. This ensured Lobzang Gyatso’s authority was maintained over the widest unified Tibetan Kingdom established since the time of King Tri Udumtsen (khri ur dum btsan, r.836-842), also known as Langdarma, in the ninth century. However, after all the earlier conquests, Sonam Chopel’s prestige suffered from his serial failures to take Bhutan, especially since these were blamed on his brother Norbu, whom he had appointed to lead the army.” From Sonam Chophel’s biography on Treasury of Lives.
[2] “Lobzang Gyatso [5th Dalai Lama] kept the death a secret for thirteen months while arranging rituals to be done for his welfare as if he were alive. When the death was announced he ordered and oversaw the funerary rituals. Offerings to the value of 14,000 tons of barley were made to 125,000 participating monks. Listed over several pages, they included 50 kilos of gold, 44,000 bolts of different kinds of cloth and 65,000 ceremonial scarves.
In contrast, Lobzang Gyatso paid somewhat muted written tribute to the deceased: “Sonam Chopel took on not only many troubles for the sake of the Geluk, but also performed other extensive activities that are undeniable and known to all.”
Sources and Further Reading
Tibetans protest Bhutan’s China-compliance on ‘Xizang’ usage (Tibetan Review, March 29, 2025)
This Day: June 02, 1974 — Plot to Assassinate Bhutanese King (Hindustan Times, May 2022)
THE MONGOLIAN-GELUG SHADOW OVER TIBET: Six decades of failed US-Gelug policy
KĀLACAKRA AND THE DALAI LAMAS/GELUGPA. The 20th Century/Chinese communist roots of mass Kālacakra empowerments; the 9th Panchen Lama and Chinese support for the first public empowerments , the 14th Dalai Lama’s takeover of Kālacakra in Tibet and exile, inappropriate timing of the empowerments and the Gelugpa’s mass suppression of other lineages and texts