1838.] History of Cooch Behdr. 5 



the contrary, about that time, or not long after, the western parts of 

 this country, as far as the JBrohrnoputro, seem to have been subject 

 to a family of princes, the first of whom, that has left any traces, was 

 Dhormo Pal. Whether or not from his name we may suppose that he 

 was one of the Pal family, which preceded the dynasty of Adisur, who 

 in the wreck of his family may have saved a portion, I shall not venture to 

 determine. From the works that are attributed to Dhormo Pal, he 

 would appear to have been a person of some power, and even the works 

 attributed to relations and dependents of his family, possess some degree 

 of magnitude. He is said to have had a brother named Manikchon- 

 dro, who seems to have died early, and to have left the management of 

 his son and estate to his wife Moynawote. This lady makes a con- 

 spicuous figure in the traditions of the natives, and is said to have killed 

 Dhormo Pal in an engagement near the banks of the Tista ; at least 

 the raja disappeared during the battle between his troops, and those of 

 his sister-in-law. Moynawote's son Gopichondro succeeded his 

 uncle, and seems to have left the management of his affairs to his mother, 

 and for some time to have indulged himself in the luxury of 100 wives, 

 among whom the two most celebrated for beauty and rank were Hodna 

 and Podna, one of whom, if not both, was the daughter of a person of 

 considerable rank named Horischondro. When Gopichondro had 

 grown up, and probably, when he had been satiated with the pleasure 

 which women bestow, he wished to interfere in business. His mother 

 had then the art to persuade him to dedicate his life to religion ; and 

 having placed him under the tuition of her spiritual guide (guru) Ha- 

 ripa a religious mendicant, (yogi) of remarkable sanctity, this prince, 

 changed from voluptuousness to superstition, adopted the same manner 

 of life with his instructor, and is supposed to be now wandering in the 

 forests. The people of Kamrup are still frequently entertained by the 

 songs of itinerant bards of the low castes called yogi, who repeat the poem 

 called Sibergit, which gives an account of Gopichondro, of his pious 

 resignation of power, and the lamentations of his hundred wives, who by 

 no means approved of his change of life. This song is in the vulgar 

 language, and its repetition occupies four or five Hindu hours for two 

 days. 



As the father is praised by the Hindus for his piety, his son Horo- 

 chondro, or Bhovochondro as his name is here more usually pro- 

 nounced, is given as an example of stupidity, who with his minister Go- 

 vochondro did nothing like other people, and turned night into day, 

 and day into night. Many examples of their stupidity are related to serve 

 as amusement to the youth of Bengal ; but the raja seems to have lived 



