282 
E. A. Gait — The Koch Kings of Kdmarupa. [No. 4, 
Buchanan's identification of the Baro Bhuiyas with the aboriginal 
tribe called Bhungiya or Bhuiya was endorsed by Dalton and other 
writers, but Dr. Wise has made it clear that the word “ Bhuiyd ” has 
nothing to do with caste but is simply a word formerly used to denote 
a chief or ruler.* * * § He shows that one at least of the “Bhuiyas” was 
a Musalman, and (quotes Janie as follows ; — “ Non se tamen dixere 
reges sed Boiones, quasi forsan Principes.” Bhuiya therefore simply 
means chief, and connotes nothing regarding the caste of the persons 
to whom it is applied. 
Why these Bhuiyas should always he referred to as 12 in number 
is less clear. It may be that the term was originally “ Bar ” or “ great,” 
and somehow got changed in course of time to Baro or twelve ; hut this 
seems unlikely. All that can be said in explanation is that twelve seems 
to be a favourite number to be fixed for councillors or feudatories in 
the constitution of kingdoms in this part of India The Raja of 
Jaintia had twelve dalais, and we shall see subsequently that when 
Visva Simha came to the throne, he appointed twelve chief Ministers 
of State.f 
The tradition current in Assam regarding the immigration of the 
Baro Bhuiyas of this Province is as follows : — A Raja of Kamathapura 
named Durlabha Narayana went to war with another Raja named 
Dharma Narayana, who called himself Gaudesvara— the Lord of 
Gauda.J When peace was concluded Gaudesvara§ sent seven houses 
of Brahmans and seven of Sudras ( Kayasthas ) to Durlabha who 
settled them on his frontier as lords of the marches and gave them 
lands and slaves. Prom the position accorded to them, it seems 
certain that they must have been persons of position in their own coun- 
try The names of the seven Brahmans were Krishna Pandita, Ra- 
ghupati, Ramavara, Lohar, Bayan, Dharma and Mathura ; and of the 
seven Kayasthas — Hari, S'riHari, S'ripati, S'ridhara, Chidananda, Sada- 
nanda and Ohandivara. The last mentioned, who was the ablest and 
* It is in fact simply the Sanskrit equivalent of the Persian word Zamindar. 
The title was sold by the last kings of Cachar to any one willing to pay for it. 
Dr. Wise’s essays on the Baro Bhuiyas of Bengal will be found in the J. A. S. B. 
1874, p. 197 and 1875, p. 181. 
t Cf. also the 12 niisals of the Kh dlisa. 
X The whole story is told at length in the Guru Charitra. 
§ It appears that this title was often claimed, even by petty princes, and in the 
time of the visit to Paundradesa of Jayapida, the Raja of Kasmira (779-813 A. D.) 
there were no less than six petty princes in the province of Gauda or Varendra 
all of whom claimed the title of Gaudesvara. The same state of affairs is said by 
Taranatha to have prevailed in the beginning of the ninth century, immediately 
before the rise of the Pala princes. (Arch. Sur. of Ind. Vol. XV, p. 111.) 
