308 
E. A. Gait — The Koch Kings of Kamarupa. 
[J5To 4, 
Raja.* * * § Ho was succeeded by his brother Indra Narayana, who was at that 
time only five years old. During his minority, the A'homs took advantage 
of dissensions amongst his councillors to strengthen their hold on the 
country. Darrang alone remained in his possession, and even for this 
he bad to pay an annual tribute. During his reign, Darrang is said 
to have been surveyed under the orders of the A'hom Raja, presuma- 
bly with the object of ascertaining the amount of tribute which Indra 
Na ray an a would be able to pay.f When his son A'ditya Narayana suc- 
ceeded him in 1725, the kingdom consisted only of that portion of the 
present sub-division of Mangaldai, which lies south of the Gosain 
Kamala Ali, and three years later, the greater part of this small ves- 
tige of the heritage of his ancestors was wrested from him by his 
younger brother, Madhu Narayana, who took also one of the two family 
idols. J From this time, the family sank into comparative insignifi- 
cance. They were now mere subordinates of the Ahoms, and exer- 
cised no powers except such as were conferred on them by the A'hom 
prince. 
Later on, their position was still further reduced, and instead of 
being tributaries, they were simply agents for the A'hom King, and in 
return for managing Des Darrang were allowed the hinds which were 
cultivated by their personal slaves and servants, which were surveyed, 
and carefully recorded in the state records of the Ahoms. § When 
the English came into possession of the country they were allowed to 
retain these lands subject to the payment of half the usual revenue 
on the area under cultivation, so long as they themselves remained in 
possession. On alienation of any of these lands, however, the privi- 
lege of paying at half rates is withdrawn, and an assessment at full 
rates introduced. The existing representatives of the family still hold 
most of the land originally granted to them, but owing to their bad 
management and extravagant habits, they are now reduced' to a condi- 
tion of comparative poverty. 
* In Prasiddha Narayana’s TaMdvali, it is said that he was detained in Bengal 
for 50 years and only returned to Assam in 1725 A. D., where he died ten years 
afterwards. 
f According to the manuscript Yogini Tantra this survey took place in 1707 
A. D., and was carried out by one Dhanirama. 
I These are the Durga or Buri Gosaini and S'iva or Bura Gosain. The gold 
ornaments of these two idols were stolen within a few months of each other, some 
seven years ago. 
§ Report on the Darrang district by Oaptain Mathie, Principal Assistant 
dated 15th February, 1835. 
