1838.] History of Cooch Behdr. 1 1 



formerly mentioned. Among these by far the most powerful were the 

 Koch, who had a number of chiefs, at first independent, but who gradu- 

 ally united under the authority of one of themselves named Hajo. He 

 seems to have been a person of great vigour, and reduced under his 

 government the whole of this district except Ghoraghat, together with 

 most of that portion of Assam which is included in the government of 

 Gohati or Kamrup. He had no children, except two daughters Hira 

 and Jira. 



Hira, before the rise of her family, had been married to a certain 

 Herya, who is said to have been of the impure tribe called Mech. 

 Whether Jira was married or not is not known, but she had a son 

 named Sisu, while her sister bore a son named Visu. The former is 

 said to be ancestor of several branches of the family that are now sub- 

 ject to the company ; but Visu succeeded to the whole power of his 

 grandfather. As he was not contented with the instruction of the 

 Kolitas, who seem to have been the original priesthood of his tribe, 

 nor with the learning of the brahmans of Maithilo, who had been for- 

 merly introduced, he procured some men of piety (JBaidiks) from Sri- 

 hotto, and gave them the title of Kamrupi brahmans, and these form 

 the second colony of the sacred order that has settled in this country. 



To this era may probably be referred the composition, or as the Hin- 

 dus would say the publication of many, or most of the books called 

 Tontros which are supposed to have been communicated by the god Siva 

 to his wife Parboti about 5000 years ago. One of the most celebrated 

 of these compositions the Yogini Tontro I am indeed informed, men 

 tions the amours of Hira and the government of her son ; nor is there 

 any doubt that Kamrup is usually considered as the grand source of this 

 system of magic, and the period between the time of Visu and of his 

 great-grandson Porikhyit seems to have been the only period, when 

 the learning of the brahmans flourished in that country. The doctrines 

 contained in these works admit of many indulgences necessary for new 

 converts, and to enable the brahmans to share in the pleasures of a most 

 sensual people ; and they inculcate chiefly the worship of the female spirits 

 that are appeased with blood, which was the original worship of the coun- 

 try, and which has now become very generally diffused among the brah- 

 mans of Bengal, with whom these Tontros are in the highest request. 



It was now discovered that the raja was not a son of the poor barba- 

 rian Herya ; but that his mother although born a Koch, was not only 

 of a celestial origin, but had been the peculiar favorite of the god Siva ; 

 who had passed much time in amorous dalliance with the damsel, and 

 was the actual father of the prince, who took the name of Viswo Singho, 

 c 2 



