Lho Mon

Lho Mon was the Tibetan name for the Himalayan valleys around Paro and Punakha that became Bhutan. In 1337 the region remained divided among monastic estates and rival lords.

In 1616 the Drukpa lama Ngawang Namgyal fled Gelug pressure in Tibet and came south. He defeated Tibetan invasions, built dzongs and promulgated the Tsa Yig code, forging Drukyul. After his death, civil wars troubled the country for two centuries.