1838.] History of Cooch Behdr. 17 



his part of the country for only a very short period. About the begin- 

 ning of the 18th century the Muhammadans, under the command of a 

 certain Ebadut Khan, were able to wrest from his descendants the 

 districts which in the Bengal atlas were called JBoodah and Rung-pur ; 

 and, as if they had conquered the whole, erected them into a new sirkar 

 called Koch Vihar or Kochar. Indeed it comprehends at least a third 

 of the whole principality, and that by far the most improved, although 

 this is probably owing, in a great measure to its change of masters. 



The confusion that ensued in the Mogul government secured the Vi- 

 har family from farther encroachment on that side, but their reduced 

 state now exposed them to the depredations of Dev raja who deprived 

 them of one half of their remaining territories. The attack indeed was 

 on the point of proving entirely ruinous, when Dorpo Dev the Ray hot, 

 or hereditary minister, having laid aside all regard to his duty, rebelled 

 against his sovereign and kinsman. He entered into an alliance with 

 the Dev raja, and ceded to him a considerable portion of the Boftris- 

 hazdri, on condition of being supported in overthrowing the raja, to 

 whose title in fact there were some objections. Having procured troops 

 from Bhotan he invaded Vihar. The raja in despair* applied for as- 

 sistance to the Company, and to secure protection engaged to pay one half 

 of his revenue. Accordingly in 1772 Captain Jones with a battalion of 

 sepoys routed Dorpo Dev, who took refuge in Bhotan. Captain Jones 

 followed and in 1773 took the fortress of Dolim Koth, on which the 

 Dev raja and Dorpo sued for peace. This was granted, and the parts 

 of Bottris-hazdri that had not been ceded to Bhotan, were restored to 

 Dorpo ; but he was placed exactly on the same footing as an ordinary 

 zemindar, and a revenue was fixed on his lands, while he lost all authority 

 in the remnant of Vihar which does not now exceed cne-third of its ori- 

 ginal dimensions, and pays as a tribute what is supposed to be one half 

 of its net revenue. In settling the frontier great favor and lenity seem 

 to have been shown to the Bhoteahs, probably with a view of gaining 

 their friendship in an expectation of commercial advantages, that would 

 appear to be chimerical ; some favor, however, has also been shown to 

 the raja. When the Moslems settled their new conquest of sirkar 

 Kooch Vihar, they gave the zemindaries, or management of the soil, to 

 various officers and servants of the raja, by whose treachery they pro- 

 bably had been assisted. Among these, three considerable estates were 

 in the possession of a branch of the family, from among the members of 

 which the Nazir deo or commander of the troops, was always ap? 



* The raja was carried off by the Bhoteas and tbe Nazir deo applied to the 

 English Government. 

 c 



