Ideology of the Bhutanese State:
I have written this essay to present the ideology of the Bhutanese Empire. The Bhutanese Emperors and their people have always believed that they are the center of the universe. Those who surround them are considered to be Barbarians. All civilization that exist outside of Bhutan are considered to be inferior to Bhutan. The ideology of the Bhutanese state is that Bhutan is the place between the Heavens and Hell. Hell is where the 'Barbarians' live.
The Emperor is considered to be the Son of Heaven and the representive of Buddha on earth. So, he is divine and no one can question his authority. Buddhist Monks have huge influence in the country. Bhutan has the largest number of Buddhist monasteries on earth. Lhasa is the capital of Bhutanese Buddhism and the Emperor pays a visit to Lhasa at least once every year.
Bhutan is divided into 12 Provinces, ruled by a Governor. Each province is divided to 20 Duchies, ruled by Dukes. The Governors are relatives of the Emperor, while the Dukes are friends of the Imperial Family. All other state officials take office only when they manage to pass tests on Buddhist Philosophy.
Bhutan has a huge army of 300,000 men. However, the majority of them are either archers, swordmen or cavalrymen and the Empire lacks rifles and has only 60 cannons. So, the Bhutanese military doctrine is to defeat the enemy by huge numbers alone. Also, the rugged terrain of Bhutan helps to defeat any invaders.
Bhutan has a long history of Opera. There are many Opera houses all over Bhutan. Most Operas have eithe to do with legendary heroes or the life of Buddha. The history of Opera in Bhutan is 3,000 years old. Also, calligraphy is considered a great skill in Bhutan. While other countries focus more on mathematics and physics, Bhutanese culture focuses mainly on calligraphy.
Bhutan is also known to be a very peaceful Empire. The Bhutanese Emperors follow the teachings of Buddha and use their armies only for self-defense. The Emperors of Bhutan have to follow the teachings of Bhudda and many of Bhutanese Emperors are known to be Saint-Rulers, looking more about the welfare for their people than to enjoy the pleasures of the court. Also, many Emperors write books about Bhuddist Philosophy.