As result of a theological and political dispute in Tibet over the reincarnation of the Drukpa Lineage-holder in the early 17th century, there were two men who claimed to be the rightful 18th abbot of Ralung Monastery: Ngawang Namgyal and Gyalwang Pagsam Wangpo. Both were backed by different groups within the Drukpa sect, but the latter also enjoyed the support of the Tsangpa dynasty that dominated central Tibet at the time. The conflict eventually escalated, and Ngawang Namgyal, whose "high level of intelligence, charisma and ambition were perceived as significant threats to the establishment", chose to go into voluntary exile in 1616/17. Invited by the lama of Gasa, he and his retinue settled down in the region that would later become western Bhutan. This area was at the time divided among several different chiefdoms, petty kingdoms and Buddhist sects that constantly fought for supremacy. Ngawang Namgyal was well received by the local Drukpa Kagyu clergy and began to garner support among the local populace while continuing to openly defy his rivals in Tibet, including the Tsangpa dynasty. As his fame and popularity grew, "he acquired the sobriquet ‘Zhabdrung Rinpoche’, literally ‘the precious jewel at whose feet one submits’."