“Great is not the Nation that appears fancy, but one which values people over diplomacy” -Abhijit Naskar (Hometown Human)

Citizens of the “Happiest Country” in the World (based on an economic principle known as “Gross National Happiness”) – Bhutanese as we know them, is an extension of the word “Bhutan” which literally means “Borderland” of Bhot (Tibet), or some refer as Bhotania (end of the land of the Bhots). Some theory even suggests derivation from the Sanskrit phrase “Bhu-Uttan” meaning “High Land”.   The Kingdom was born in the early seventeenth century when a Tibetan Buddhist monk established his authority as the ruler King, though the first record of people settling in Bhutan dates way back to 14.000 years ago. However, it is very well possible that Bhutan was already inhabited by scattered clusters of tribes much earlier than that.

The Kingdom of Bhutan as it stands today popularly as “Druk Yul” or “Land of the Thunder Dragon”, landlocked between India and Tibet in the Eastern Himalayas has a population of over 754,000 in a territory of 38,394 square kilometres.

Let us venture beyond the borders of this ancient kingdom to explore the unique world of its incredible people.

In popular belief, Tribes reflect a primordial structure from which all subsequent civilizations and states developed.  Tribes are therefore considered to be a unit, from an organization of families, clans, lineages, based on factors such as kinship, ethnicity, language, dwelling place, religious beliefs, traditions, and cultural practices.

These very factors divide Bhutan’s population into various Indigenous Tribes.

The Drukpa’s - The Indigenous population of Bhutan and the largest existing tribe can be further divided into four main ethnic groups: The Sharchops, The Ngalops, The Khengs and The Lhotsampas.

The Sharchops are also known as Tshanglas. As per some historians, they are the descendants of Lord Brahma and speak Tshanglakha. They are the aboriginal inhabitants of Eastern Bhutan and weaving is their main occupation.

The Ngalops – The Western Bhutanese, who dominate the political scene in the Country mainly belong to this group. The early Ngalops’ supposed to have migrated from the Tibetan plateau, thus becoming the major importer of Buddhism, bearing close resemblance to Tibetan culture. For this reason, they are often referred to in the literature as “Bhote” – people of Bhot (Tibet).  They speak the Dzongkha language (descended from old Tibetan) – which is also the National language of Bhutan today and thus the Ngalops constitute, majority of the Bhutanese population, dominating the Western and Northern Bhutan, including the Capital City Thimphu.

The Lhotshampas – the Southerners, were generally classified as Hindus, a heterogeneous group coming from Nepalese ancestry.  Settled in the Southern foothills of the Country, they speak Lhotshamkha (Nepali), and agriculture is their main occupation, cultivating cash crops like ginger, cardamom, and oranges. 

The Khengs and Bumthaps may be the indigenous people of Bhutan occupying mainly Central Bhutan and they could be the smallest of the ethnic groups, along with Monpas from the Black Mountain area. These small linguistic and cultural groups can be broadly absorbed by the term Ngalops now.

The Layaps - “Beyul” or the hidden land, is what they call their Village, the village of Laya in the Gasa District and they call themselves the Layap – inhabitants of the Laya Village, high up in the mountains of Northwest Bhutan.  The unique pointed bamboo hats worn by the beautiful Layap women is a distinct attire that identifies them. The Layaps are mainly Yak herders.

The Brokpas - The semi-nomads, said to have migrated from Tshona region of Southern Tibet (after beheading Dreba-Yabu, a tyrannical King in their ancestral Village in 1347 as per oral tradition), made their way through the mountains to the Land of the Thunder Dragon and settled themselves in the remote villages of Merak and Sakteng in the far Eastern region.

“Brok” means pastoral land in Tibetan, while “Pa” is a demonym- a word that identifies the natives of a particular place.  The place they choose to inhabit is a paradise in itself - the most fascinating blend of vast pastures, lush green forests, and glacial valleys – so geographically remote that a few years ago, the only way to reach the Villages was by way of several days of the gruelling trek.

The remoteness makes the Brokpa’s customs and language unique to other Bhutanese ethnic groups. They speak their own language (Brokpa or Mira Sagtengpa), worship their own deity (Jomo Kuengkhar – Mountain goddess) – they even honour her with a 2-day Festival in Autumn.  They are Yak and Sheepherders, as harsh climatic conditions deter them from any kind of cultivation. The traditional costume of Brokpa women is made of woven yak and sheep wool.  Like the Layaps, their unique identification is the headgear - a hat known as “Tsipee Cham”, made of yak felt with long twisted tufts, designed to prevent rain from running down their faces.

No matter what measures the Brokpas may have taken to preserve their cultural tradition, but one does change and adapt to the times one lives in. In 2012, electricity and communal tap water were provided to the villagers and in 2014 the village of Merek, got connected with a proper road till its village centre, thus modernization has finally crept into their way of life.

The Doyas - With their own unique dress code and dialect, they are considered the aboriginal inhabitants of Western and Central Bhutan, who over the years migrated and settled in the present areas of Dorokha (Samtse district - Southern Bhutan). The origin of the Doyab dance, one of the oldest forms of Bhutanese dances is Dorokha, and the people living in this village are known as Dorokhapa or Doyas.

Besides the above, numerous other smaller ethnic groups make their presence felt in the Bhutanese society, like the Adivasis, Birmis, Lepchas, Tibetans, Turtoeps, etc. These smaller groups contributing to the great diversity of Bhutan’s ethnic makeup, represent less than about 10 per cent of the total population.  

Bhutanese society as it stands today is free of class and caste system. Adhering to their religious practices, old culture, and tradition, they are open, hospitable, and fun-loving too.

The inevitable advent of globalization and modern infrastructure has made access to remote villages easier. Rural-Urban migration has become inevitable as more and more younger generations leave their villages in search of better opportunities in the urban areas, especially the capital city of Thimphu. This together with Inter tribe marriages and the fact that “Dzongkha” being the one national language, has brought about the oneness in all the ethnic groups – which today, can be collectively termed as Drukpas (a broad reference to all the people of Bhutan).

The Kingdom is – “Druk Yul”, the Kingdom’s King - “Druk Gyalpo”, Kingdom’s state religion - Drukpa Kargyu (school of Mahayana Buddhism), thus it is only natural that the beloved people of this Kingdom be called the “Drukpa” - inhabitants of the Land of the Thunder Dragon!