268 
E. A. Gait — The Koch Kings of Kamarupa. 
[No. 4, 
The Koch Kings of Kamarupa. — By E.?A. Gait, Esq., I. C. S. 
Introduction. 
Perhaps the most interesting epoch in Assam history is that 
in which the Koch dynasty rose to power, and after defeating the 
petty chiefs amongst whom the country had been split up after the 
fall of the Pala rulers, succeeded in consolidating their rule throughout 
the ancient Kamarupa, and in reviving for a time the pristine glories of 
that once famous kingdom. 
Several accounts of the Koch dynasty are already available,* but 
by far the most detailed narrative of the early founders of this king- 
dom with which I am acquainted, is that contained in a manuscript his- 
tory [ Vams&vali or Furushandma ( Sanskrit ) ] in the possession of 
Raja Lakshmi Narayana Kuar, the leading representative of the Dar- 
rang branch of the Koch family. 
This history is supposed to have been written, about 1806 A. D., 
by Surya Hari Ganaka, under the orders of Raja Samudra Narayana.f 
It is inscribed on oblong strips of Saehi bark, and each page is illus- 
trated. The story ends suddenly with the death of Parikshit, and as 
there is nothing to show that the work was considered finished, it is con- 
jectured that the author died before he had completed it. 
As no account of this Vamsdvali has hitherto appeared in print, I 
propose to furnish an abstract of it now, and to take the opportunity 
to give a sketch of what is known of the country before the Koch kings 
rose to power, and to examine one or two questions connected with this 
dynasty regarding which existing accounts differ, in the light of 
the information afforded by this history and also of inscriptions on 
temples and other sources. J 
* Cf. A'sdmburanjis by Bisveswar and Rai Gunabhiram Barua, Robinson’s 
Descriptive Account of Assam, Dr. Hunter’s Statistical accounts of Koch Bihar and 
Rangpur, and the accounts by Buchanan Hamilton, Babu Ram Chandra Ghosh and 
other authorities cited in Dr. Hunter’s works. 
t Surya Hari Ganaka is reputed to have been the greatest Sanskrit scholar of 
his time in Assam. He was the author of numerous Sanskrit and Assamese works, 
and his descendant, Manbhal Mandal, holds a deed of gift dated 1720 S'ak (1804 
A. D .) by which the A liom King made a grant of land to Surya Hari in recognition 
of his learning and piety. 
t Including the Vamtdvali of Raja Prasiddha Narayana Kuar, a manuscript 
copy of the Yocjini Tantra in the possession of a Brahman of Haul! Mohanpur, 
in which the prophecies of the gods have from time to time been brought up to 
date, and lastly a few inscription in temples, and the references made to the Koch 
