199 
ISZ-I.] J. Wise— On the Barak Bhuyas of Eastern Bengal. 
or Amin to superintend the whole. Also, that Islam Shall a few years later 
abolished all former regulations regarding jagirs. 
Regarding the position of the twelve Bhuyas towards the paramount 
power we know little. From an occasional reference to them by Muham¬ 
madan historians supplemented by tradition, we learn that they were independ¬ 
ent of each other ; that their rank and jurisdiction were hereditary; that 
they retained armed men and war-boats ; that they remitted to the governor 
the revenue of their districts ; and that they yielded a general obedience to 
the ruling monarch at Dibit. In some respects they were Jagirdars and 
Chaklahdars, but they more closely resembled the Zamindars of later times. 
Under them were Chaudharis. Ralph Fitch mentions that, when he visited 
the city of Sripur in 1586, the Cliaudhari, or “ King,” was in rebellion against 
Akbar. Now, Sripur was within the principality of Bikrampur and within 
a short distance of the residence of one of the Bhuyas. 
The five Bhuyas, whose history is the subject of this paper, ruled over 
portions of the modern districts of Dhaka, Maimansingh, Tiparah, Bhaluah, 
Baqirganj, and Faridpur. Mr. Rainey,* without giving any authority, 
mentions that the Barah Bhuya country extended to Orisa and A'sam. If 
this is proved to be correct, it will be interesting to ascertain the connection 
between the dynasty of the Barah Bhuyas of A'sam, referred to by Dr. 
Buchananf and Colonel Dalton ,% with the Barah Bhuyas of Bengal. 
According to the tradition preserved by the former writer, these princes 
belonged to the Pal family, and were descended from the Bhungya, Bhuniya, 
or Bhuya race. It is remarkable also that Colonel Wilford§, alluding to 
the twelve Bhuyas of Bengal, should call them “ the twelve Bhuniyas, 
Bhattis, or principalities.” 
The five Bhuyas, whose history is now to be narrated, are— 
1. Fazl Ghazi of Bhowal. 
2. Chand Rai and Kedar Rai of Bikrampur. 
3. Lak’han Manik of Bhaluah. 
4. Ivandarpa Narayana Rai of Chandradip. 
5. Tsa Khan, Masnad i ’All of Khizrpur. 
Of the remaining seven Bhuyas, Raja Pratapaditya of Jessore was one, 
and perhaps Mukund Rai of Bosnali was another. 
I. Fazl Gha'zi' of Bhowa'l. 
On the north of Dhaka, extending towards the Garo Hills, lies the 
jungly tract of Bhowal. Its soil chiefly consists of red laterite. Its 
# Proc. A. S. B., December, 1868. 
f Eastern India, Vol. II, 612. 
J Ethnology of Bengal, p. 81. 
§ Asiatic Researches, Vol. XIV. 
