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285 
E. A. Gait — The Koch Kings of Kdmarupa. 
Bhuiyas under his power. He defeated the Bhuiyas of Uguri and 
Luki* * * § but was defeated by Charu Bliuiya. While wandering about 
after this defeat, be was met by Parvati disguised as a Mechani, and 
following her advice, be again attacked Charu Bliuiya at the time of 
the Baisakh Biliua, when his soldiers had dispersed for the festival, and 
thus overcame and hilled him and the few soldiers that were left with 
him. Following up this success, ho defeated and slew the Bhuiyas of 
Phulguri and Bijni, the former of whom is described as being of the 
race of S'iva.f He gradually extended his power, and after defeating 
all the Bhuiyas, went and]: built a magnificent city in Koch Bihar. 
He worshipped S'iva and Durga and gave gifts to the disciples of Vishnu. 
Other accounts mention that he assumed the Hindu name of Visva 
Simha and that his brother S'isu called himself S'iva Simha, while the 
men of his tribe who accepted Hinduism described themselves as Raja- 
vamsis. He gave alms to the priests, and astrologers, and also to the 
poor and to the visitors from distant countries. He made S'isu Yuvaraja, 
and appointed twelve ministers from the twelve chief families of the 
Meches, viz : — Two councillors ( one for foreign and one for internal 
affairs), a commander of the army, a brahman, an astrologer, a physician, 
a betelnut-bearer, a cook, a store-keeper, an accountant, a thdr (prophet) 
and a porter. He also introduced a regular state organization by appoint- 
ing Thahurids over 20 coolies, Saikids over 100, and Ilazctris over 1,000, 
TJmrds over 3,000, and Nawdbs over 66,000. Excluding the old and the 
young, he took an account of his able-bodied male subjects, and fouud 
that the number of persons fit to carry arms amounted to no less than 
5,225,000. He is said to have possessed numberless elephants, horses, 
asses, buffaloes, and camels. It is related that he went to make war on 
the A'homs, but fell short of provisions on the way, and thinking it 
wrong to plunder, returned home.§ He was preparing to undertake a 
second expedition, when Kali appeared to him and told him not to 
engage in war himself. She told him instead to marry, and prophesied 
that he would have eighteen sons, who would conquer the whole world. 
In accordance with the divine mandate, he married in one day eighteen 
wives according to the Grandharva ceremony. Two of these wives 
* If this account can be relied on, it seems to prove that the Koch Kingdom 
rose in Kdmarupa and gradually extended itself westwards, instead of beginning in 
Itafigpur as is generally stated. 
f It may be interesting to note that the use of firearms is referred to in the 
account of his buttles with the Bhuiyas. 
t Gunabhirama says that he took from them as tribute muga silk, cotton, cop- 
per, tin, lead, silver, gold, iron, potters’ clay, &c , 
§ The Ahom version which says that he was defeated and made tributary, is 
more likely to be the real explanation of his return. 
