A LITTLE ABOUT THE KOCHES. The word KOCH is a term of some ambiguity. In ASSAM, it has become the name of a HINDU caste, into which are received the converts to HINDUISM from the ranks of the KACHARIS, LALUNG, MIKIRS and other tribes. The KOCHES are frequently referred to as KUVACHA, in the PURANAS and TANTRAS. The historians of MUHAMMAD BAKHTIYAR KHILJI’S invasion at the end of the 12th century says that the features of “ the, MECH and THARU TRIBES “ resembled those of a tribe of SOUTHERN SIBERIA. That acute observer BRYAN HODGSON classed the KOCH with the BODO and DHIMAL, and the same view is taken by BUCHANAN. On the other hand, COLONEL DALTON considered them to be DRAVIDIAN, and RISLEY, while admitting an intermixture of with MONGOLOID stock, held that DRAVIDIAN characteristics predominate. This divergence of views seems to have arisen from the confusion caused by the use of the term RAJBANSI. It originally referred to an entirely distinct community of DRAVIDIAN affinities, but was afterwards adopted by the KOCHES west of the MANAS RIVER , who when they attorned to HINDUISM, appropriated the caste name of the most numerous HINDUIZED community in their neighbourhood. So long as the KOCH kings ruled, there was a considerable intermingling of the two races in the country, subject to their domination. There seems, however, to be no doubt that the true KOCHES were MONGOLOID race, very closely allied to the MECHES and GAROS; and we find in JALPAIGURI, KOCH-BEHAR and GOALPARA, the persons now known as RAJBANSI are either pure KOCHES who though dark, have a distinctly MONGOLOID physiognomy, or else a mixed breed, in which the MONGOLOID element usually preponderates. The KOCH language is now practically extinct but the traces of it which remain show that it was almost identical with GARO. Ralph FLITCH, who visited THE Koch KINGDOM IN THE 16TH CENTURY, SAYS, “ The people have ears which be marvellous great, of a span long, which they draw out by devices when they be young. “ This practice, though since abandoned by the KOCHES, is still common amongst the GAROS. In former times, the KOCHES and MECHES freely intermarried. East of the MANAS, where there were no RAJBANSIS, properly so-called, the KOCHES, as the dominion tribe, were admitted to HINDUISM without any change of their tribal name, but members of other MONGOLOID tribes, who afterwards followed their example were allowed to do so only by sinking their old designation and joining the rank of the already HINDUIZED KOCHES. There are numerous old manuscripts which contain some account of the KOCH kings, but by far the most detailed narrative yet brought to light is that contained in the” bansavali” of the DARRANG RAJAS.This manuscript, which ends abruptly with the death of PARIKHIT, belonged to the late RAJA LAKHMI NARAYAN KUAR. It is written in metrical ASSAMESE on oblong strips of SANCHI bark, and is believed to have been compiled by a well-known ASSAMESE writer in the year 1806. The progenitor of the KOCH kings was a MECH or KOCH,- it is not certain which-named HARIYA MANDAL, a resident of CHIKANGRAM, a village in the KHUNTAGHAT PARAGANA of the GOALPARA district .He was recognised head of 12 leading families of MECHES ( KOCHES ), living in the paragana He married two sisters named HIRA and JIRA, the daughter of one HAJU, by whom he had two sons , namely BISU, the son of HIRA, and SISU, the son of JIRA. They were born some years before the conquest of KAMATA, by HUSSAIN SHAH. But he did not retain permanent hold on the country, and the people, left to themselves , split up into many petty principalities, each under its own chief. BISU was a man of unusual courage and forced his way to the front. He defeated the chiefs, or BHUYANS of UGURI and LUKI. He then subdued the chiefs of PHULGURI, BIJNI and other places, and gradually extended his rule as far as the KARATOYA in the west and the BAR-NADI IN THE EAST. He rose to power about A.D. 1515. BISU, assumed the name BISVA SINGH and his BROTHER SISU became SIB SING, while many of his followers called themselves RAJBANSIS. BISU, moved his capital from CHIKANGRAM to KOCH-BEHAR, where he built a fine city. He made his brother SISU, or SIB SINGH-JUBRAJ and appointed 12 ministers of state from the 12 chief families of the MECHES .And thus started the famous dynasty of the KOCH kings. ( collected from GAITT’S “ A HISTORY OF ASSAM. ) --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Posted on: Sat, 08 Mar 2014 04:09:11 +0000
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