Pramanasamuccaya
1594-1651 - Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyal, one of the two incarnations of the fourth Drukchen, contributed to unite Bhutan as a state [RY]
17th century; the 1st, 1594-1651 [RY]
zhabs drung ngag dbang rnam rgyal [17th century founder of Bhutan] [IW]
Short biography of Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyal
Shabdrung Ngawang Namgyal, 1594-1651. Was the reincarnation of Pema Karpo ('brug chen pad ma dkar po), born into the royal Gya (rgya) family descended from Tsangpa Gyare Yeshe Dorje. He was enthroned as the 18th Abbot of Ralung (rwa lung), the first 'brug pa monastery to be established in Tibet. Following the prophecy of pad ma dkar po, zhabs drung ngag dbang rnam rgyal left for western Bhutan, where the 'brug pa bka' brgyud school had already been established, and founded the Cheri Monastery in 1619 in Thimphu valley. In 1629, he founded his first fortress, Dzong Simtokha, near Thimphu. As the temporal and spiritual ruler of Bhutan, zhabs drung ngag dbang rnam rgya unified Bhutan for the first time in its history.