Driglam Namzha and silenced ethnicity in Bhutan’s monarchical democracy

Bhutan’s democratic development has not involved a definitive break with theocracy and monarchy. Thus, the regime is best understood as a monarchical democracy in which democratic freedoms, religious etiquette and monarchical reverence live side by side. The complicated relationship between freedom, mandatory etiquette, democracy and hierarchy in Bhutan inspires this article to ask: what can lived experiences of traditional etiquette (Driglam Namzha) demonstrate about the nature of Bhutan’s monarchical democracy? To answer this question the article presents interview data and vignettes from anthropological fieldwork at a Bhutanese college. It is concluded that the emphasis on Driglam Namzha in this monarchical democracy shows both that social cohesion is accepted as an important element in Bhutanese society and that a strong emphasis on uniformity silences ethnicity. Driglam Namzha, furthermore, cultivates and maintains pre-democratic hierarchical divisions which informants opposed. The article advances our understanding of Bhutan’s democracy through a discussion of Driglam Namzha’s current place in society.