BHUTAN, on the N.E. of British India, is situated between lat. 26° 30' and N., and long. 88° 45' to 92° 25' E., and occupies from the southern declivities of the great central ridge of the Himalaya mountains, to the level ground in front of that portion of their inferior chain which constitutes the natural northern boundary of the Assam valley eastwards from Sikkim to where the Brahmaputra passes through the mountains. Bhutan is bounded on the north by Tibet, on the west by Sikkim, on the south by the British territory, and on the east by several independent mountain tribes. It consists of a number of rough transverse chains of hills at right angles to the parent range, which forms the backbone of Asia. Between the ridges are precipitous valleys, at the bottom of each of which a mountain stream runs. The first intercourse of the British with Bhutan commenced with the expedition sent in 1772 for the relief of the raja of Koch-Bahar. The Buteah being driven out of Koeh-Bahar, and pursued into the hills, threw themselves on the protection of Tibet. The Tesoo Lama, then regent of Tibet, and guardian of the Grand Lama of Lassa, addressed the Government of India on their behalf. The application was favourably received, and a treaty of peace was concluded on 25th April 1774. From that year, with the exception of two unsuccessful commercial mis sions in 1774 and 1783, there was little inter course with Bhutan, until the British occupation of Assam, which connected the British and Bhutan frontiers. From that time there had been a con tinued series of aggressions by the Buteah on British territory, followed by reprisals on the part of the British Government, and the occupa tion of the Doars or passes which lie at the foot of the Buteah hills. During the 18th and 19th centuries, missions were sent to Bhutan under Mr. Bogle, Captains Turner and Pemberton, and Mr. (Sir) Astley Eden ; but the ruling race and the people aro faithless and immoral, and the Inter course ended by the British annexing the marchers or Dears on the 11th November 1865.
The upper classes, and particularly the highest officers, are described as shameless beggars, bullies and sycophants, while the lower classes are charac terized as tolerably honest and truthful. They weave a coarse cloth, make paper from the bark of the Dinh tree ; distil a spirit from wheat, rice, and millet, and indulge freely. Chastity is little regarded, and very little practised. The custom of a community of wives between brothers, five or six cohabiting with one woman, obtains here as well as among other countries in the hills. The women are indelicate and immodest, but polyandry prevails far more extensively in the northern and central portions of Bhutan than in the southern. Mr. Eden says the intercourse between the sexes is, in reality, promiscuous. On the death of any head of a family, however numerous his children, and whether male or female, the whole of the property becomes escheated to the Deb or Dharma. The spiritual
ruler, or Dharma raja, is supposed to be an incarnation of Buddha. The Deb raja is chosen from amongst the chief officers of the country, and is supposed to vacate the government after three years ; in practice, however, he holds office as long as he has power to do so. Below the Deb and Dharma rajas are the spiritual council, com posed of twelve Buddhist monks, and the secular council, consisting of six Zimpe. Subordinate to the Deb are the Para Pilo or Penlo, who has the management of the country west of the Tchinchoo river, and the Tougu Pilo of the country to the cast towards Assam. Each of these Pilo has under him six Soubahs, or Commissioners of Division.
The Ghylong or Lama priests are estimated at 1500 to 2000, and there are many nuns.
The Lhopa race are quarrelsome and cruel, but not brave. They have invariably black hair, which is cut close to the head. The eye is small, black, with long pointed corners. Their eye lashes are so thin as to be scarcely perceptible, and the eyebrow is but slightly shaded. Below the eyes is the broadest part of the face, which is rather flat, and narrows from the cheekbones to the chin,—a character of countenance far more strongly marked in the Chinese. Their skins are remarkably smooth, and most of them arrive at a very advanced ago before they can boast even the earliest rudiments of a beard ; they cultivate whiskers, but the best they produce are of a scanty straggling growth. Many of these moun taineers are more than 6 feet high.
The Changlo are a branch of the Lhopa of Bhutan. The Changlo dialect has a considerable amount of glossarial peculiarity with Tibetan, but in other respects it is entirely Tibetan, softened and slightly changed in phonology. The Changlo dialect is spoken along that portion of the north ern frontier of the valley which extends from the Binji Dear to the confines of the Kuriapera Doer, or from about 90° to 92° of east long. Neither its northern limit nor the numbers speak ing it have been ascertained. The inhabitants of this tract occupy the lesser elevation of the southern Himalaya range, and are, generally speaking, agricultural. Their physical appearance exhibits a few shades of distinction noticeable between them and the tribes of the Sub-Himalaya.
1 Thoy are smaller, leas muscular, and the line of their skin pommel a deep habelline tint. From tho latter circumstance, probably, they derive their appellation, the term Changlo meaning black.—flogle, Turner, and Pembertmes Embanks; Aitcheson's Treaties, pp. 105, 142, YU. p. SW ; l'rinscp's Tibet, p. 17; •raser's Him. ..3Its. p.33.5; Gerard's Klinawar; Hook. Him. Ans. ; Jour. Ind. Arch. 185:3.