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Bhutan Development of Centralized Government, 1926-52
Ugyen Wangchuck died in 1926 and was succeeded by his
son,
Jigme Wangchuck (reigned 1926-52). The second Druk Gyalpo
continued
his father's centralization and modernization efforts and
built
more schools, dispensaries, and roads. During Jigme
Wangchuck's
reign, monasteries and district governments were
increasingly
brought under royal control. However, Bhutan generally
remained
isolated from international affairs.
The issue of Bhutan's status vis-à-vis the government
of India
(was Bhutan a state of India or did it enjoy internal
sovereignty?)
was reexamined by London in 1932 as part of the issue of
the status
of India itself. It was decided to leave the decision to
join an
Indian federation up to Bhutan when the time came. When
British
rule over India ended in 1947, so too did Britain's
association
with Bhutan. India succeeded Britain as the de facto
protector of
the Himalayan kingdom, and Bhutan retained control over
its
internal government. It was two years, however, before a
formal
agreement recognized Bhutan's independence.
Following the precedent set by the Treaty of Punakha,
on August
8, 1949, Thimphu signed the Treaty of Friendship Between
the
Government of India and the Government of Bhutan,
according to
which external affairs, formerly guided by Britain, were
to be
guided by India
(see Foreign Relations
, this ch.). Like
Britain,
India agreed not to interfere in Bhutan's internal
affairs. India
also agreed to increase the annual subsidy to 500,000
rupees per
year. Important to Bhutan's national pride was the return
of
Dewangiri. Some historians believe that if India had been
at odds
with China at this time, as it was to be a decade later,
it might
not have acceded so easily to Bhutan's request for
independent
status.
Data as of September 1991
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