4 History of Cooch Befidr. [ J AH. 



our era 76. This raja is said to have been of the tribe called in the 

 . Songskrito language Dhwor, which is usually applied to the Kaibortos of 

 Bengal ; but it may be doubted, whether the prince belonged to that tribe 

 which is not one of Kamrup. The worship of the linga according to 

 the prophecy would begin in the 19th year of Saka ; some indefinite time 

 after that period, a brahman born of the Korotoya river and named 

 Nogosonkor, would be king, and extend the doctrine. After him, but 

 at what interval is not mentioned, would be a raja named Jo l pes war, 

 who would still further encourage that worship, and who would build the 

 celebrated temple of Jolpis. Very considerable ruins are at no great dis- 

 tance from that place as will be hereafter described ; but they are ascribed 

 to a Prithu, who may, however, have been a person of the same family* 



This Prithu raja from the size of his capital, and the numerous 

 works raised in the vicinity by various dependents and connections of the 

 court, must have governed a large extent of country, and for a consider- 

 able period of time. Although he is in some measure an object of wor- 

 ship among the neighbouring Hindus, they have few traditions concern- 

 ing the place from whence he came, nor at what period he lived ; and I 

 heard it only mentioned by one old man, that he governed before the 

 time of the dynasty which will be next mentioned. 



As usual he is considered as having been a very holy personage, who 

 was so much afraid of having his purity sullied, that, on the approach 

 of an abominable tribe of impure feeders named Kichok, he threw him- 

 self into a tank, and was followed by all his guards, so that -the town was 

 given up to plunder, and the family ceased to reign. At present the 

 Kichok are a kind of gipsies, that are thinly scattered in the northern 

 parts of India, and live by snaring game, telling fortunes, and it is usually 

 supposed by stealing. It must, however, be observed, that this tribe, 

 which in the Songskrito language is called Kir at, would at one time 

 appear to have been really powerful in this vicinity ; and according to 

 the Yogini Tontro, was not reduced to its present miserable state, until 

 the time of Vis wo Sing ho, who will be hereafter mentioned. 



There is also a tradition in the country, that a much greater portion 

 of Kamrup formerly belonged to the Bhoteas than does at present. 

 I am inclined to think, that these Bhoteas were really the Chinese, whose 

 histories, I believe, mention their conquests in this part of India, and 

 might naturally be confounded with the Bhoteas, from their impure 

 feeding and from having made their attack through the country of that 

 people. 



It would not appear, that during the dynasty of Adisur, any part of 

 this district was comprehended in the Hindu kingdom of Bengal. On 



