Situated strategically between Chinese-occupied Tibet and India, Bhutan commands several important Himalayan Mountain passes that connects Assam of India to Tibet and are the only entry-points into the kingdom. The difficulty in getting access to the Kingdom of Bhutan and its policy of keeping itself ‘isolated’ from the rest of the world for centuries has earned it the name of the ‘Mountain Fortress of the Gods.’ Bhutan was never invaded actually and was never colonized by the British, though they managed to claim it as their territory for a very brief time by threatening to take over the plains in the extreme south of the country. However, independence quickly followed.
Being sandwiched between Tibet and India, Bhutan is a potential Sino-Indian battleground. Currently, India has a greater political influence over Bhutan because at the time when British granted sovereignty to South Asian holdouts, they annexed Bhutan for a brief time to India along with Sikkim. However, Bhutan soon got its independence but still has a special treaty relationship with India. India provides about sixty percent of its government finances, has helped the country to develop the infrastructure of roads in the country and the Indian Army patrols Bhutan's frontiers for it. Chinese attacks on Tibet from 1949 to 1959, were not well taken by Bhutanese and was perceived by Bhutan as the threat to being invaded by China, as Bhutan shares history, religion and culture with Tibetans to a great extent.
