1872.] 
H. Bio ohm arm — Koch Bihar and Asdin. 
71 
Chamdhurah. At the place Bartinah* which lies halfway between 
Gawahatti and Chamdhurah, the whole army crossed in two days the Brahma- 
putra on boats, on the 6th Rajah [15th February, 1662]. A messenger, who 
had accompanied the former Asamese ambassador, came here into camp with 
an evasive answer. The Rajah of Ddmuriah one of the subjects of 
the Rajah of A'sarn, sent his brother’s son with an elephant to attend on the 
Rajah, begging the Nawab to excuse his absence as he was sick. His rela- 
tion went with the camp. 
At this time Mirza Beg, the Bakhshl of the Nawab, was killed. He 
was stabbed by one of his soldiers ; but though mortally wounded, he 
inflicted two sword-cuts on the man. Mirza Beg died during the night, 
and the murderer was killed by Mirza Beg’s relations. 
At one of the stages, a tremendous storm took place, during which many 
ships were upset ; large pieces of hail also fell, and many horses threw 
themselves into the river. The Asamese, thinkhig that Fort Chamdhurah 
would be, as it had been in former expeditions, the farthest point of the advance 
of the imperialists, had strengthened the fortifications of Simlahgar, which 
lies on the other side of the river, opposite to Chamdhurah. On the 11th 
Rajab [20th February, 1662], the army encamped at the foot of Simlahgar, 
so near the fort that a zambiirak ball from the fort passed over the Nawab’s 
tent. Some of the Nawab’s men wished to take the fort by climbing up ; 
hut as this would have cost much human life, they were ordered not to do 
so, and a siege was commenced. 
Simlahgar is very strong and high. The inhabitants are as numerous 
as ants and locusts. Two sides of the fort have walls with battlements, and 
guns are placed without break upon them. The guns are all manned. At 
the foot of the walls are a ditch and the customary holes with the phdnjis. 
On the south side, the fort ends in a hill extending for four kos. The 
* AaaRj. MS. . The ’Alamgirnamali does not give the name. 
The name ‘ Bartinah’ is doubtful, and our modern maps do not help us to identify 
the place where Mir Jumlah crossed for the left bank of the Brahmaputra. Chamdhu- 
rah lies opposite to Tezpur, the maps giving a Mahail Cliamdhoree and a place of the 
same name. A Chamdhoreegaon I find marked on an island of the Brahmaputra, east 
of Tezpur, half way between Tezpur and the Kamaldiya Temple. 
Simlahgar (for which the Bibl.'Indica Edition of Khafi Khan gives BMmgar) is 
not on our maps ; but it cannot lie far from Tezpur, as it is said to lie opposite to 
Chamdhurah. After the conquest of Simlahgar, the Nawab inspects the fort, and 
encamps on the same day at Kulyabar, which lies on the loft hank of the Bx-ahmaputra, 
S. E. of Tezpur. 
The identification of these names is a difficult matter, as it would appear that 
the numerous branches of the Brahmaputra are often shifting, Mr. Foster (vide pp. 
35 ’ 3y) identifies Bernier’s Cbamdara with a place of the same name five miles from 
Ghargaon. This may be correct ; bnt if so, it is another Cbamdara, because the 
Chamdurah opposite to Simlahgar lies, as will he seen below, seven days’ marches 
west of Lak’hugar, the western point of Majnli Island. 
