14 History of Cooch Behdr. [Jan. 



The Moslem army took possession of the country about the year 1009 

 of the Bengal era, that is A. D. 1603 or two years before the death of 

 Akber. A Mogul general (Fouzdar) resided at Ranggamati, and 

 the country is said for many years to have undergone considerable im- 

 provements, especially under the government of a certain noble Hindu 

 named Manosingho. 



The usual desire of encroachment, however, induced the Moslems in 

 the reign of Aurungzebe, to invade Assam, the limits of which were then 

 very narrow, but the people were fierce of their independence, were in- 

 vigorated by a nourishing diet and strong drink, and their princes still 

 retained their energy of mind and had not sunk under the enervating 

 and unceasing ceremonies of the Hindu doctrine. The Mogul army 

 under Meer Jumla was completely destroyed, and they were compelled 

 to cede to the Assamese the whole of Sirkar Kamrup, and a portion of 

 Uttovkul and Dokhyin Kul, which have ever since been placed under the 

 management of a great Assamese officer, and form the government of 

 Kamrup, which is about a third part of the whole kingdom. After a 

 residence of 73 years, the Muhammadans withdrew the ( Foujdari) go- 

 vernment of Ranggamati, and placed the station of the governor of the 

 frontier at Ghoraghat, as I have mentioned in my account of Dinaje- 

 pur. Still, however, an officer dignified with the title of Nawab resided 

 at Ranggamati with some troops ; but it seemed to have been the wish 

 of the Mogul government to encourage the growth of forests and reeds, 

 which might serve as a check to the incursions of the Assamese ; and 

 nothing was required of the chiefs descended from Porikhyit, nor from 

 the zemindars of the hilly countries, but a tribute in a great measure 

 nominal. 



The conversion of the kings of Assam to the doctrines of the brah- 

 mans of Bengal, which happened soon after the overthrow of Meer 

 Jumla seems to have put a total stop to their enterprise, and the petty 

 chiefs, who remained nominally under the authority of the nawab of 

 Ranggamati, would have been entirely uninterrupted in cutting each 

 other's throats, and in reducing the country to a desert, had not they been 

 assisted by the Bhoteas, who brought several of them under their au- 

 thority and continued advancing, when the Company's gigantic power 

 put a stop to all petty attacks of that nature. A tolerably settled fron- 

 tier has been obtained ; there are some appearances of a regular govern- 

 ment, and cultivation is beginning to revive, although it is still much 

 retarded by the constant squabbles of the chiefs, and the liberty which 

 they take of dictating to all who reside on their property. 



I shall now finish this historical view with an account of the western 

 division of Viswo Singho's dominions, which fell to the share of his son 



