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<p>This article examines an inscription on a maṇi wall in the village of Ura in southeastern Bhutan that the author noticed during a stay in the area in 2002. The inscription records that the wall was constructed during the time of Mingyur Tenpa (mi 'gyur brtan pa), who ruled areas of eastern Bhutan before taking the position of Desi (sde srid) of Bhutan. The inscription gives the names of other participants in the construction, none of whom were able to be identified by the author. Ardussi gives an overview of the historical situation of Bhutan in the 17th century, from which he draws the conclusion that the wall must have been built sometime between 1667-1680, when Mingyur Tenpa was Desi of Bhutan. The artilce includes two photographs, one of the inscription stone and one of the wall, and the text of the inscription along with a translation. (Ben Deitle 2006-02-06)</p>
<p>This introduction to the Bhutan section of <em>Impressions of Bhutan and Tibetan Art</em>, a volume of the proceedings of the ninth seminar of the International Association for Tibetan Studies, briefly explores areas of inquiry and recent trends in the field of Bhutan Studies. (Ben Deitle 2006-03-15)</p>
<b>Publisher's Description</b>: This illustrated volume presents a wide variety of themes from the historical and modern periods of Bhutan, illustrating change and adaptation to new realities. Topics covered include the exploration of early history, Buddhism and the lives of Bhutanese Buddhist saints, the changing role of local, non-Buddhist religious practitioners in today's society, traditional law and the emergence of a modern legal system, and the seasonal celebrations of an aristocratic family from central Bhutan. The book will be of special interest to students of early Tibetan history, legal history, comparative sociology and cultural anthropology of the Himalayan regions.
<p>This article deals with the founding of the religious state of Bhutan ('bras ljongs) by Zhapdrung Ngawang namgyel (zhabs drung ngag dbang rnam rgyal) in the 17th century. Internal power struggles within the Drukpa Kagyü ('brug pa bka' brgyud) leading up to the founding are discussed. The political system that emerged in Bhutan is compared with other models of government in Tibet and Sikkim. The article also discusses the biography of Zhapdrung written by Tsang Khenchen (gtsang mkhan chen), which justifies the Zhapdrung's state building enterprise through the use of common Buddhist archetypes of that time. This text is contrasted to a similar work by Desi Sanggyé Gyatso (sde srid sangs rgyas rgya mtsho) (1653-1705) justifying the activities of the 5th Dalai Lama. (Ben Deitle 2006-02-08)</p>
This volume of papers from the proceedings of the ninth seminar of the International Association for Tibetan Studies is divided into two sections. The first section consists of papers on various aspects of Bhutan. The second section is devoted to papers on Tibetan Art. The back of the book contains a number of full color plates. (Ben Deitle 2006-03-15)