279 
1893.] E. A. Gait — The Koch Kings of Kamarupa. 
greater] part of Kamarupa, Goal para and Rangpur, and also part of 
Bengal. His attempts to extend his dominions were facilitated by the 
struggles which the Afghan Kings of Bengal were then making to 
maintain their independence of the Delhi Emperors. 
Nilambara did much to improve communications, and amongst 
other works, constructed a magnificent road from Kamathapura to Gho- 
raghata, a portion of which still forms part of the main road between 
Koch Bihar, Rangpur and Bogra. The fall of this monarch was in 
this wise. The sou of his councillor, a Brahman named S'auchi Patra, 
was enamoured of the queen, and the king, hearing of it, oideied him 
to be killed and some of his flesh to be cooked. He then invited the 
father to a banquet, and, after making him partake of Ins son’s flesh, 
told him what he had eaten and explained the circumstances under 
which the punishment had been inflicted. The councillor at once left 
the kingdom, under the pretence of making a pilgrimage to the Ganges 
in order to wash away the sin committed by his son. But his real 
object was revenge, and to obtain it, he went to Husain Shah, the 
Nawab at Gauda, and telling him of the weakness of the kingdom, per- 
suaded him to send a large army to invade it. The siege of Kamatha- 
pura is said to have lasted for twelve years * at the end of which period 
Husain Shah gave out that he was going to abandon the siege and re- 
turn to his own country, but that before doing so, his wife wished 
to pay a visit to Nilambara’s Rani. Under this pretence some armed 
men were introduced into the. city in litters, and with their aid the city 
was captured. Nilambara was taken prisoner and put in an iron cage 
to be taken to Gauda, but he made his escape, and Buchanan Hamilton 
says that in his time the common people of Kamarupa still looked for 
his restoration at some future date. The Assam chronicles fix 1498 
A. D. as the date of the capture of Kamathapura, and this date is con- 
firmed by a contemporaneous inscription found by Mr. Westmacott, at 
Maldah bearing date 907 A. H. ( A. D. 1501-2 ), which belonged to a 
Madrasah built by Husain Shah in commemoration of his conquest of 
Kamatha and Kamarupa.f The author of the Riaz refers to the con- 
quest of these and other places, and mentions Rupa Narayana Pala, 
Kuril war Gosa, Lakkhan and Lachhmi Narayana amongst the princes 
subdued. Husain Shah left his soil Danyal with a strong army to com- 
plete the’ conquest, “ but when the rains set in and the roads were closed 
“ the Raja issued with his men from the hills and in a short time they 
were all killed.” A very similar account is given in the ! athiyah 
* This is doubtless an exaggeration. 
f J. A. S. B. 1874, p. 281. A. D. 1498 is also accepted by 
correct date ( J. A. S. B. 1872, p. )■ 
J. l. 3t> 
Blochmann as the 
