Paro Province (

Dzongkha Dzongkha (; ) is a Tibeto-Burman languages, Tibeto-Burman language that is the official and national language of Bhutan. It is written using the Tibetan script. The word means "the language of the fortress", from ' "fortress" and ' "language ...

: སྤ་རོ་; Wylie: ''spa-ro'') was one of the nine historical

Provinces of Bhutan The Provinces of Bhutan were historical regions of Bhutan headed by penlops and dzongpens (both translated as "governor"). Provincial lords gained power as the increasingly dysfunctional "Tibetan dual system of government, Dual System of Governmen ...

. Paro Province occupied lands in western

Bhutan Bhutan, officially the Kingdom of Bhutan, is a landlocked country in South Asia, in the Eastern Himalayas between China to the north and northwest and India to the south and southeast. With a population of over 727,145 and a territory of , ...

, corresponding approximately to modern Paro District. It was administered from the Paro Dzong in the town of Paro. The ruling governor was known as the Penlop of Paro, or ''Parob'', a chief contender for power before the establishment of the monarchy. By the 19th century, the Penlop of Paro effectively controlled the western half of Bhutan.

History

Under Bhutan's early theocratic dual system of government, decreasingly effective central government control resulted in the '' de facto'' disintegration of the office of Shabdrung after the death of Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyal in 1651. Under this system, the Shabdrung reigned over the temporal Druk Desi and religious Je Khenpo. Two successor Shabdrungs – the son (1651) and stepbrother (1680) of Ngawang Namgyal – were effectively controlled by the Druk Desi and Je Khenpo until power was further splintered through the innovation of multiple Shabdrung incarnations, reflecting speech, mind, and body. Increasingly secular regional lords ( penlops and dzongpons) competed for power amid a backdrop of civil war over the Shabdrung and invasions from

Tibet Tibet (; ''Böd''; ), or Greater Tibet, is a region in the western part of East Asia, covering much of the Tibetan Plateau and spanning about . It is the homeland of the Tibetan people. Also resident on the plateau are other ethnic groups s ...

, and the

Mongol Empire The Mongol Empire was the List of largest empires, largest contiguous empire in human history, history. Originating in present-day Mongolia in East Asia, the Mongol Empire at its height stretched from the Sea of Japan to parts of Eastern Euro ...

. The penlops of Trongsa and Paro, and the dzongpons of Punakha,

Thimphu Thimphu (; ) is the capital and largest city of Bhutan. It is situated in the western central part of Bhutan, and the surrounding valley is one of Bhutan's '' dzongkhags'', the Thimphu District. The ancient capital city of Punakha was replac ...

, and Wangdue Phodrang were particularly notable figures in the competition for regional dominance. During this period, there were a total of nine provinces and eight penlops vying for power. Traditionally, Bhutan comprised nine provinces: Trongsa, Paro, Punakha, Wangdue Phodrang, Daga (also Taka, Tarka, or Taga), Bumthang,

, Kurtoed (also Kurtoi, Kuru-tod), and Kurmaed (or Kurme, Kuru-mad). The Provinces of Kurtoed and Kurmaed were combined into one local administration, leaving the traditional number of governors at eight. While some lords were Penlops, others held the title Dzongpen (

: རྗོང་དཔོན་; Wylie: ''rjong-dpon''; also "Jongpen", "Dzongpön"); both titles may be translated as "governor". The Penlop of Paro controlled western Bhutan; the rival Penlop of Trongsa controlled eastern Bhutan; and dzongpons controlled areas surrounding their respective

dzong Dzong architecture is used for dzongs, a distinctive type of fortified monastery (, , ) architectural style, architecture found mainly in Bhutan and Tibet. The architecture is massive in style with towering exterior walls surrounding a complex of ...

s. The Penlop of Paro, unlike Trongsa, was an office appointed by the Druk Desi's central government. Because western regions controlled by the Penlop of Paro contained lucrative trade routes, it became the object of competition among aristocratic families. The 10th Penlop of Trongsa Jigme Namgyel (''r.'' 1853–1870) began consolidating power, paving the way for his son the 12th Penlop of Trongsa (and 21st Penlop of Paro)

Ugyen Wangchuck ''Gongsar'' Ugyen Wangchuck (, ; 11 June 1862 – 26 August 1926) was the first Druk Gyalpo (King) and founding father of the Kingdom of Bhutan from 1907 to 1926. In his lifetime, he made efforts to unite the fledgling country and gain the trus ...

to prevail in battle against all rival penlops and establish the monarchy in 1907. With the establishment of the monarchy and consolidation of power, the traditional roles of provinces, their rulers, and the dual system of government came to an end. Pp. 38–43.

References

{{coord missing, Bhutan Provinces of Bhutan

History

See also

References