The Raven Crown: The Origins of Buddhist Monarchy in Bhutan
Michael Aris (1946-1999) was Research Fellow in Tibetan and Himalayan Studies at St Antony’s College, Oxford. He had also been Visiting Professor at Harvard University and a Fellow of the Indian Institute of Advanced Studies. In 1967-72 he lived in Bhutan and worked there as a royal tutor, government translator and historical researcher. On returning to England he obtained a doctorate in Tibetan literature from London University. His earlier publications includeBhutan: The Early History of a Himalayan Kingdom(1979),Views of Medieval Bhutan: The Diary and Drawings of Samuel Davis, 1783(1982),Sources for the History of Bhutan(1986), andHidden Treasures and Secret Lives: A Study of Pemalingpa(1450-1521) andThe Sixth Dalai Lama (1683-1706)(1986). Michael Aris was married to Aung San Suu Kyi, a prisoner of conscience and winner of the 1991 Nobel Peace Prize. This book was written while under house arrest with his wife in Rangoon in 1994.