The Successors of Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyel - Hereditary Heirs and Reincarnations

Written by Yoshiro Imaeda

Most Bhutanese know Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyel as a religious leader and the founder of the Bhutanese nation. Yoshiro Imaeda’s compelling and holistic portrayal of this highly accomplished religious master and shrewd political leader offers a rarely explored aspect of the most important historical figure in Bhutan. The book’s emphasis is on the battles over succession and the political machinations that followed his death and ultimately set the course for the next two centuries of Bhutanese history. Imaeda carefully traces how these political complexities lead to the legitimization of succession through reincarnation. ​ This book is based on research Yoshiro Imaeda carried out for his Ph.D. thesis published in French in 1987. The author, wishing to share his personal views of Zhabdrung’s legacy, decided to translate and reorganize his dissertation for a more general audience.

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Riyang Books is a small, Bhutan- based publishing house owned and operated by the author, Kunzang Choden and her family. It was founded in November 2012 out of a deep love for literature and the written word as well as a desire to create a welcoming space to encourage and support creative work in Bhutan.