Koch dynasty

Koch Kingdom
Koch Dynasty
Koch Kingdom Koch Dynasty
1515–1949–1956
	Flag of Kamata Kingdom
	Historical map of Cooch Behar
Status	historical kingdom
Capital	Chiknabari; Hingulabas; Bijni; Dumuria; Jogighopa; Abhayapuri; Kamatapur (present-day Gosanimari); Cooch Behar
Common languages	Kamtapuri; Koch; Garo; Mech; Sikkimese; Regional / local languages; Sanskrit (for religious and court usage);
Religion	Hinduism; Other ethnic religion
Government	hereditary monarchy
Maharaja
• 1515–1540	Biswa Singha
• 1540–1587	Nara Narayan
• 1581–1603	Raghudev
• 1586–1621	Lakshmi Narayan
• 1922–1947	Jagaddipendra Narayan
Historical era	Early modern period
• Established by Biswa Singha	1515
• Expansion	1510–1577
• Division into Koch Hajo and Koch Bihar	1587
• princely state of British India	1775
• Joined India Union	1949–1956
Currency	Narayani
Preceded by	Succeeded by
	Baro-Bhuyan
Republic of India
Ahom kingdom
Mughal Empire
Kachari kingdom
Today part of	India; Bangladesh; Bhutan

The Koch dynasty (/kɒtʃ/; 1515–1949) ruled parts of eastern Indian subcontinent in present-day Assam and Bengal. Biswa Singha established power in the erstwhile Kamata Kingdom which had emerged from the decaying Kamarupa Kingdom.^[5]^[6] The dynasty came to power by overthrowing the Baro-Bhuyans of the region, who had previously ended the brief rule established by the invader Alauddin Hussain Shah.

The dynasty split into three among the descendants of Biswa Singha's three sons: two antagonistic branches Koch Bihar and Koch Hajo and a third branch at Khaspur. Koch Bihar aligned with the Mughals and the Koch Hajo branch broke up into various sub-branches under the Ahom kingdom. Koch Bihar became a princely state during British rule and was absorbed after Indian independence. The third branch at Khaspur (Khaspur kingdom) was absorbed completely into the Kachari kingdom. Raikat is a collateral branch of the Koch dynasty that claim descent from the Sisya Singha, the brother of Biswa Singha.

^ "On sociohistorical grounds, this stage is termed ‘proto Kamta’ ... and assigned the chronology of approximately AD 1250–1550: sandwiched between the establishment of the Kamrupa capital at Kamtapur in 1250, and the political (and plausibly linguistic) expansion under Koch King Nara Narayana in 1550." (Toulmin 2009:13)
^ ^a ^b (Nath 1989:23–24)
^ ^a ^b (Shin 2021:33)
^ (Sheikh 2012:252)
^ (Nath 1989:2–11)
^ "Kamarupa was reorganized as a new state. 'Kamata' by name with Kamatapur as capital. The exact time when the change was made is uncertain. But possibly it had been made by Sandhya (c1250-1270) as a safeguard against mounting dangers from the east and the west. Its control on the eastern regions beyond the Manah (Manas river) was lax." (Sarkar 1992, pp. 40–41)

[toulmin2009p13-1] "On sociohistorical grounds, this stage is termed ‘proto Kamta’ ... and assigned the chronology of approximately AD 1250–1550: sandwiched between the establishment of the Kamrupa capital at Kamtapur in 1250, and the political (and plausibly linguistic) expansion under Koch King Nara Narayana in 1550." (Toulmin 2009:13)

[harvcol|Nath|1989|pp=23–24-2] (Nath 1989:23–24)

[harvcol|Shin|2021|p=33-3] (Shin 2021:33)

[harvcol|Sheikh|2012|p=252-4] (Sheikh 2012:252)

[5] (Nath 1989:2–11)

[6] "Kamarupa was reorganized as a new state. 'Kamata' by name with Kamatapur as capital. The exact time when the change was made is uncertain. But possibly it had been made by Sandhya (c1250-1270) as a safeguard against mounting dangers from the east and the west. Its control on the eastern regions beyond the Manah (Manas river) was lax." (Sarkar 1992, pp. 40–41)

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