History of Bhutan
The age of the Shabdrung
The person who had the greatest impact on the history of Bhutan was Shabdrung Ngwang Namgyel (1594-1651). Shabdrung Rimpoche meaning, “the precious jewel at whose feet one submits”, as he is reverently referred to, was a great spiritual personality, and a statesmen and leader of exceptional ability, as well as a great architect and builder. He crushed several foreign aggressions and in the process set up a chain of sturdy monastery-fortress called Dzong, which became centers of stability to the country by establishing a strong and dynamic administrative system and by codifying a set of strict but fair and just laws of such enduring value that they have formed the framework for the present judicial system of Bhutan.
The dual system of administration that Ngwang Namgyel established, whereby a spiritual leader looked after the clergy and a temporal ruler looked after the affairs of state, endure until the establishment of hereditary monarchy in 1907.
