Bhutanese history traces back to AD450. Bhutan has never been conquered or ruled by another foreign power. Guru Rinpoche is believed to have brought Mahayana Buddhism to Bhutan from Tibet in the eighth century. It first became a coherent political entity around the 17th century, under the direction of Tibetan lamas who established an administrative and political structure over the area.
In 1910, the British government took control of Bhutan's foreign affairs, while agreeing not to interfere with the internal ruling.
In 1947 and 1949, it was agreed that the Indian government advised Bhutan on external relations. Trade agreements with India, essential to sustain the Bhutanese economy, have been the subject of regular rounds of negotiation.
The presence on Bhutanese territory of Assamese and Bodoland guerrillas, seeking independence for their respective regions of northeast India, has also proved an irritant in bilateral relations. Bhutan has occasionally switched its support to its other great neighbour, China, particularly noticeable in international forums, such as the Non-Aligned Movement and the UN General Assembly, which Bhutan joined in 1971.
Neighbouring Nepal hosts an estimated 100,000 Bhutanese refugees housed in camps in the east of the country. Most are ethnic Nepalis whose citizenship is in dispute. (The Bhutanese population is divided between two main ethnic groups: the Nepalis and the Drupka.) The Nepali government wants them to return to Bhutan; the Bhutanese refuse to take them.
A key reason for Bhutan’s stance is that the main domestic challenge to the Bhutanese regime has come from the illegal and Nepali-dominated Bhutan People's Party (BPP).
The Tantric form of Mahayana Buddhism (Drukpa Kagyu) is the state religion; the majority of Bhutanese people follow the Drukpa school of the Kagyupa sect. Those living in the south are mainly Hindu.
Social conventions:The lifestyle, manners and customs of the Bhutanese are in many respects unique to the area. The strongest influence on social conventions is the country's state religion, and everywhere one can see the reminders of Buddhism and the original religion of Tibet, Bonism. There are no rigid clan systems and equal rights exist between men and women. The majority of the Bhutanese live an agrarian lifestyle.
In 1989, it was made compulsory for citizens to wear national dress and failure to comply at official functions or in government buildings incurs a fine; the men wear a gho, a robe resembling a dressing gown with upturned white cuffs and knee-high socks, whilst the women wear a kira, a sari-like garment that is furnished with ornate brooches, and worn over a blouse. Bhutan has outlawed the sale of tobacco products, and also banned smoking in public places. Healthcare and education are free. The political leaders of the country have also been religious leaders historically.
For years the country has deliberately isolated itself from visitors, a policy which is now to some extent being reversed. But Bhutan continues to bear the hallmarks of seemingly peculiar customs borne from legacy and legend. Giant phalluses can often be seen painted onto walls, etc, in order to ward off evil spirits and ensure good crops and healthy children. Climbing some of the Himalayan peaks is banned due to the belief that the mountains are the repository of the gods and all life, animal or plant, is treated with respect as a divine gift.
Dzongkha is the official language. A large number of dialects are spoken, owing to the physical isolation of many villages. Sharchop Kha is spoken in eastern Bhutan. Nepali is common in the south of the country. English has been the language of education since 1964 but there is growing emphasis on learning Dzongkha to strengthen national identity.
