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Bhutan is a small country nestled in the heart of the Himalayas. Best known for its stunning location and its practice of Tibetan Buddhism, Bhutan was one of the most isolated and underdeveloped countries in the world. However, over the last 30 years, it has experienced rapid development and has taken steps to integrate itself into the global community. In the process, they've introduced several policies that are not found anywhere else. Learn more about the history and development of Bhutan on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily. This episode is sponsored by Quinn's. As the weather cools here in Wisconsin, I'm swapping in the pieces that actually get the job done that are warm, durable and built to last. And Quince delivers every time with wardrobe staples that'll carry you through the season. I've told you before about my duvet cover, my blanket and my black cashmere sweater that I all got on Quince, all of which will be helping me get through this fall and winter. 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There's a good chance that most of you have heard of Bhutan, but probably don't know much about it. It's seldom in the news, receives very few visitors, and hasn't had many events that have ever put it in the history books. There's a reason why it's traditionally been called the Hermit Kingdom. Bhutan is a landlocked country located between China to the north and India to the south. The country sits in the heart of the eastern Himalayas. Tall mountains, deep valleys and fast paced rivers define the country's geography. Bhutan's location makes it the most mountainous country in the world, with 98.8% of its land covered by mountains. The highest point in Bhutan is Gonkarpunsam, situated in the northwestern part of the country on the border with China. The summit is 7,570 meters, or 24,836ft above sea level, making it the 40th highest point on earth. This mountain remains the tallest unclimbed mountain in the world. Climbers have attempted four expeditions in the past to climb it and they have all failed. And since Bhutan now bans mountaineering, successful ascents seem highly unlikely anytime soon. The lowest point in Bhutan is located in the southern part of the country and has an elevation of just 97 meters, or 318ft above sea level. Most of Bhutan's 727,000 people reside in the central portion of the country as it's more accessible and has more arable land compared to the rest. Additionally, the four main rivers within Bhutan are all located in this region, providing fertile river valleys for food production. Bhutan's climate varies based on the elevation. The northern portion of the country experiences an environment similar to that of polar regions, characterized by year round snow and colder temperatures, whereas the southern part of the country is actually subtropical. Bhutan has five different seasons spring, summer monsoon, autumn and winter. The western portion of Bhutan experiences the heaviest monsoon season, characterized by high humidity and heavy rainfall. As for animals in Bhutan, there's a large number of primates such as lemurs and monkeys, as well as species such as the clouded leopard, the snow leopard, the Bengal tiger, the red panda, and the sloth bear. Much of Bhutan's early history is actually shrouded in mystery. There is evidence that Bhutan was inhabited as early as 2000 BC by humans. Archaeological evidence includes tools, remnants of stone structures, elephant tusks and weapons. Some theories suggest that the ancient states of Lohman and Manul may have been located in modern Bhutan between the years 500 BC and 600. This theory originates from Tibetan and Bhutanese chronicles which spoke of such a state, but it's never been confirmed. We do know that by the 7th century, people were already present in modern Bhutan's borders as the Tibetan king Songsten Gampo expanded his empire into Bhutan. When the empire expanded into Bhutan, two Buddhist temples were created which were used to promote and spread Tibetan Buddhism. In the 9th century, Tibet faced a period of political turmoil and because of the instability, many Tibetan Buddhist monks fled to safety in Bhutan. Tibetan Buddhism has had a profound impact on the country's historical and political development as the religion significantly shaped the country's politics and culture. In the 12th century, a Buddhist school called the Drukpa Kagiyupa was established. This school played a pivotal role in preserving Tibetan Buddhism as the primary religious practice in Bhutan. The formation of modern day Bhutan dates back to the 17th century. This government was founded by a Drukpa monk by the name of Nagwan Namgril, also known as the Zabrung Rinpoche. Drukpa monks in Bhutan practiced a form of Tibetan Buddhism founded by a monk named Drukpa Kagyu who had unusual Buddhist practices. He was nicknamed the Mad Monk due to his more open minded perspective on enlightenment. Drukpakagyu believed the constraints that many Buddhists held themselves to were too constrictive. He felt that vices like alcohol and sex, which were normally considered taboo for monks, could be embraced. Nagwan Namgil arrived in Bhutan in 1616 after leaving Tibet. He left Tibet after having a vision in which the deities of Bhutan were said to offer him a home. In reality, he was fearful of being arrested following a misunderstanding with religious artifacts, which is why he fled Tibet. Upon arriving in Bhutan, Nagwan Nam Gril began to consolidate power, starting with the western region of the country before unifying all of Bhutan. For this, he is viewed as the first great historical figure in Bhutanese history. As a leader, he created a code of law and built a network of forts. These forts helped bring the local lords into a centralized power structure. Within this centralized power structure, the country was better equipped to defend itself against potential invasion from Tibet. Although he was a Drukpa monk, Nagwan Namarial still allowed some of the other Buddhist sects to practice. The most notable of these was the Nyingma school. The Nyingma school differs from the Drukpa Kagyo lineage in that it uses the earliest translations of the Buddhist teachings into Tibetan and emphasizes the traditional path to enlightenment. Today, the Nyingma schools account for about 30% of Bhutan's Buddhist monks. The earliest records of Western countries in Bhutan date back to the year 1627, when the Portuguese arrived. The Portuguese were en route to Tibet when they encountered Bhutan. Bhutan and Tibet were at war at the time, so the Portuguese offered to support Bhutan in their conflict. Nagwan Namriel refused to take the Portuguese up on their offer, however, as for Bhutan, they continued to face invasions from Tibet in 1629-1631-1639-1647 and a joint Mongol Tibetan invasion attempt in 1643. The invasions were due to Tibet's fear of Nagwan Namragil's popularity. Unfortunately for Tibet, these invasions were repeatedly thwarted by Nagwan Namriel. These failures actually made his Drukba Buddhist practices more popular and strengthened his power. During Nagwan Namgril's rule, he established a dual political system. One head of the political system would be called the J Kenpo, who would be the main religious authority. The political head was called the Druk Dessi. The Druk Desi was responsible for the administrative oversight of the country. Bhutan also had a head of state, the first of which being Nagwan Namgril himself. They would be the ultimate authority in both state and religious matters. As for Bhutan's laws, they were developed around the Buddhist Dharma, which served as the country's religious foundation. The Bhutan's legal code was known as the Tsa Ying, which remained in place until the 1960s. Nagwan Namgril died in 1651 at the age of 57. But news of this fact wasn't announced to the public until 54 years later. This was due to fear that Bhutan would simply fall apart if his death were made public. They instead claimed that he was in a religious retreat for the entire time. Nagwan Namgril's brother and stepbrother did most of the leadership duties during this period. In the early 18th century, the British arrived. Bhutan and the British faced issues over the principality of Koch Bahar, which is a city located in modern day India. Bhutan had aided the principality in a past conflict against the Indian Mogul Empire and so had political influence over the area. During a succession Crisis in the 1770s, the Bhutanese nominee for the throne faced a rival backed by British troops. The city became dependent on the British East India Company, ultimately resulting in the Bhutanese being driven out of town. The British then went further, launching an invasion of Bhutan. This forced Bhutan to sign a peace treaty with the British East India Company, requiring it to make concessions. There were plenty of disputes between the Bhutanese and the British. Most of these disputes stemmed from Bhutan's desire to maintain and protect its independence. This led to military conflicts in 1834 and 1835, resulting in Bhutan temporarily losing some territory. Conflicts between Bhutan and the British continued throughout the 19th century. However, in the early 20th century, there was a significant improvement in relations, primarily due to trade. Much of the improvement in relations was due to the next major Bhutanese leader, Ugin Wangchuck, who held the title Druk Gyalpo or Dragon King. Ogin Wangchuck realized that the dual political system within Bhutan wasn't working, was too ineffective at its job to continue. In 1907, a gathering of government officials, Buddhist monks and prominent family leaders convened to establish an absolute monarchy with Ugin Wangchuck as its leader. He is considered the first king of Bhutan in the Wangchuck dynasty that still rules today. This actually aligned with British interests as well due to the conflict between China and Tibet. At this time, China under the Qing dynasty had laid claim to Tibet, Bhutan, Nepal and Sikkim in India, a move which Bhutan and the British resisted. In exchange for no interference in Bhutan's internal affairs, Bhutan agreed to take British advice on external relations. It also meant that the British would defend Bhutan against China. This resulted in China backing down from attempting to control Bhutan. The reign of Ogyen Wangchuck led to the modernization of Bhutan. These reforms led to improvements in education, some Westernized schools, enhanced trade relations, as well as a revitalization of their religious system. After Ogin wangchuck died in 1926, his son assumed the throne. He continued many of the modernization policies of his father, building more schools and roads while simultaneously consolidating power. The third Bhutanese king, Jigma Dori Wongchuck, who ascended to the throne in 1952, continued to modernize the country. One of his first reforms was developing a national assembly, making the country more of a constitutional monarchy. He later reformed the judiciary, separating it from the executive branch and expanded the power of the prime minister. Other modern reforms that Jigma Dorje Wangchuck enacted included land reforms, the abolition of both slavery and serfdom, the construction of roads, a declaration of a national language, and the creation of a national museum, library and archives. In the 1970s, Bhutan adopted a policy of Gross National Happiness. Rather than focusing solely on material wealth. Bhutan's government uses Gross National Happiness as a guide for policy decisions and to assess whether development projects genuinely enhance citizens quality of life. However, it has remained controversial because some say it's just a distraction from actual economic growth. In 1999, Bhutan became one of the last countries in the world to allow television. For the first time, the average Bhutanese were able to see what the rest of the modern world was like. In 2005 and 2006, Bhutan underwent a transition to democracy which was unusual because it was a top down movement rather than a grassroots one. In December of 2005, King Jigma Sengui Wanchuck surprised the nation by announcing that Bhutan would transition to a constitutional monarchy with democratic elections. The King argued that Bhutan's long term stability required a system not dependent on a single monarch's personality or wisdom. He wanted to institutionalize good governance before the country faced internal or external threats that might destabilize it. In December of 2006, the King abdicated in favor of his 26 year old son, Crown Prince Jigma Kesher Namgil Wangchuck, to ensure that the new democratic system would begin under the next generation of leadership One of the largest aspects of Bhutan's economy today is its vast hydropower resources. Because they produce so much power, they often have surplus power that they are unable to use or export due to low prices. To reclaim value from this excess power, in 2019 the country began mining Bitcoin. Reports indicate that Bhutan's mining generates something on the order of 55 to 75 bitcoin per week using current operations, which as of today is worth about 6.8 to $9.3 million per week. Recent reports suggest that Bhutan has accumulated over 12,000 Bitcoin in reserves worth around $1.5 billion, representing a significant portion of the country's GDP. Bhutan is in many ways still an enigma. It is not well known or understood by most people. It remains one of the most traditional countries on earth despite its efforts to modernize, and it has few links to the yet somehow it's a leader in bitcoin mining. All of these things together makes Bhutan one of the most interesting countries on earth. The executive producer of Everything Everywhere Daily is Charles Daniel. The associate producers are Austin Otkin and Cameron Kieffer. Research and writing for this episode was provided by Olivia Ash. My big thanks go to everyone who supports the show over on Patreon. 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