289 
1893.] E. A. G-ait — The Koch Kings of Kamarupa. 
Subsequently he deputed Silarai to go and conquer Harme^vara, 
the king of Hidamba or Cachar. It is related that Silarai broke open, 
the gate of the capital with two strokes of his riding whip.* Seeing this, 
Harmesvara feared to offer resistance and at once made his submission. 
He gave 84 elephants and other presents and agreed to pay an annual 
tribute of 70,000 silver and 1,000 gold moharsand 60 elephants. f The 
Koch king then sent messengers to the Raja of Manipur, calling on 
him to submit and pay tribute, and the Raja feeling himself too weak 
to resist so powerful a prince, at once complied with his requisition. 
His tribute is said to have been fixed at Rupees 20,000, 300 gold coins 
and ten good elephants. After this Silarai gave battle to the king of 
Jaintia and slew him with his own hand. Kara Narayana set up the de- 
ceased Raja’s son as king, after making him promise to pay an annual 
tribute, and then despatched Silarai to wage war against the king of 
Tippera. It is said that Silarai’s army consisted of 40,000 men, and 
that in the battle which took place, no fewer than 18,000 men of the 
Tippera army were slain. The king is said to have met his death, like 
the king of Jaintia, at the hands of Silarai himself. Kara Narayana 
placed the deceased king’s brother upon the vacant throne, and made 
him pay tribute to the extent of Rs. 10,000, one hundred gold mohars 
and thirty war horses. In the meantime, "Vdryavanta the Raja of 
Khairam, having heard of Kara Narayana’s prowess and wishing to avoid 
the fate which had overtaken the kings of Jaintia and Tippera, 
hastened to make submission, His tribute was fixed at 15,000' Rupees, 
900 gold coins, 50 horses and 30 elephants. He was also made to 
promise not to stamp coins in his own name, but in that of Kara 
Narayana.J The next victory was over the Raja of Dimuria who was 
taken prisoner, but was subsequently released on his undertaking to 
pay an annual tribute of Rs. 7,000. In the course of this expedition, 
Kara Narayana is said to have straightened the course of the Rrahma- 
putra opposite Pandunatha, a place near the foot of the Nilachal hill, 
some four miles west of Gauhati. After stopping some time at a village 
* Other similar feats are attributed to Silariii. On one occasion he is said to 
have leapt over the Bharali river on the back of his war horse. 
f This story of the invasion of Cachar by Nara Narayana is confirmed by a 
tradition current amongst the Dehans, a small tribe of that district, who claim to 
be descended from the Koches who invaded the district. According to theii 
account, however, the leader of the expedition was not Silarai, but his brother 
Gosain Kamala. 
J No coins of this king have as yet been found, and the earliest coin of the 
ltajas of Jaintia which I have seen is dated more than a hundred years later. Ex- 
cluding Ahom coins, the only extant coins of this period stamped by kings in Assam 
are those issued by Nara Narayana and his successors. 
