Bhutan Hid Founder’s Death Secret

In 1651, Tibetan Buddhist lama Ngawang Namgyal, the first unifier of Bhutan, died after building the country into a unified state. To prevent a dynastic struggle and a return to warlord rule, the authorities hid his death and kept issuing orders in his name. From 1651 to 1705, they claimed he had entered an extended silent retreat, turning 54 years of political cover-up into a religious explanation.

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