Author Affiliation: Researcher, the Centre for Bhutan Studies.
摘要
Social roles and political power of various kheng nobilities like Dung (gDung), Khoche, Gadpo (rgad-po) and Ponpo (dpon-po) of medieaval Bhutan declined especially after many social and political reforms initiated by the Third King in the early 1950s. This landmark reform abolished serfdom which then prevailed all over the country. These noble families did not enjoy social ascendancy or respect of the past and their noble ancestral claims were cast aside as anachronistic past as the country progressed through several reforms of the successive monarchs. Modern education has further diminished knowledge about them and only a few descendants know a little about their lineages. Until now, research on this subject has appeared almost insurmountable, as available literatures are either lost or inaccessible. The old people are the only reliable sources of information who transmit information orally if they can remember anything. In absence of any scholarship on the subject, this article draws heavily on the oral sources to construct a rough hi(story), and shed some light on the subject. Where available, literary sources were referred. This discrete chronicle does not focus on one topic, but explores various themes that are related to the nobility.
目次
Abstract 31 Decline of Kheng Nobilities 32 Contended Origin of Kheng Nobilities 33 Religious superiority for Social Distinctions 36 Space of Nobilities within Khenrig Nam Sum 38 Tagma Dung’s Extraordinary Encounter with Terton Pema Lingpa 39 The Arrival of Pema Lingpa’s Kudung in Tagma 40 Tagma Dung’s Subordination of Berti Mon 42 Disintegration of Samkhar Dung 44 Fateful Collapse of Nyakhar Dung and Its Cause 45 Goleng Dung: A Renegate Nobility 47 Jang Ponpo’s Dungkar (conch) flew to Kurtoe Dungkar Choje 49 Buli Ponpo’s Power and Myth 50 Age-old Rivalry Between Tunglabi and Nyakhar Dungs 53 The Nobilities and the Annual Tax 54 Conclusion 55 References 56 Endnotes 56
