Lakshmi Narayan (1587-1627) (The Koch Kingdom Part 3)
Nara Narayan was succeeded by his only son Lakshmi Narayan. Following the tradition raikatas of Baikunthapur and other officials brought nazars with the newly coined money after his coronation. Unlike his father he was not skilled politician and war-strategist. He was also a weak administrator. So the grievances within the Koch royal families continued. During his reign Raghudeva refused to admit preeminence of Lakshmi Narayan and confirmed him as sovereign and struck coins in his own name. Lakshmi Narayan waged battle against him, defeated him and took custody of the imperial standard. This unlocked the line of attack to both the Afghans and the Mughol intruders into their politics. Raghudeva had an ambition to make himself as the sovereign ruler of the whole of the Koch kingdom and for this he started to build relationship with Isha Khan, the Afghan leader of Eastern Bengal.
Lakshmi Narayan as a consequence altered decision and accepted ceremonial dominance of the Mughol emperor Akbar and consolidated friendship with Mansingh, the governor of Bengal by giving his sister in marriage to him.
Raghudeva thereafter attacked the Koch king Lakshmi Narayan and Bahirband was seized. At this Lakshmi Narayan asked for Mansingh’s assistance; he instantly sent a force. Beaten in May, 1596 Raghudeva was forced to quit Bahirband. Hearing the reports Isha Khan hastened to help his ally but his force was diplomatically blocked by Mansingh. Isa Khan crushed Man-Sing but could not continue to facilitate Raghudeva.
After the defeat of Raghudeva, his son Parikshit hastened to the spot and executed his step brother Indranarayan and declared independence. After becoming king Parikshita also followed his father’s strategy against the Koch Kingdom. Parikshita became closer to the Ahom king Pratapa Simha in 1608. The Ahom king afraid of encounter with the Kacharies desisted from any opposition to the Koch. The enmity among the two Koch houses continued unabated. Parikshita made an assault on Bahirband and Lakshmi Narayan had a large number of his men crushed to death.
Under the circumstance Lakshmi Narayan submitted to the Nawab of Bengal and officially established the imperial vassalage agreeing to pay tribute and sought aid from Islam Khan, the Nawab of Bengal, then dispatched Mukaram Khan with a strong army against Parikshita. The movement came to an end with the occupation of the kingdom of Pariksita, who surrendered to the Mughols.
Lakshmi Narayan was provisionally put in charge of the eastern part of Kamata but with the change in the administration, Qasim Khan, the Bengal Subedar imprisoned Lakshmi Narayan in Dhaka. With Jehangir on the throne, Ibrahim Khan replaced Qasim Khan as Subedar of Bengal and Lakshmi Narayan was set free with presents i.e. an Iraqi horse, a superb elephant, a Turkic horse, a unique sword and a few jewelries. But he had to stay in Hajo and held on to power emperor’s behalf upto 1626 and died in 1627.
By this time Lakshmi Narayan’s kingdom incorporated Ghoraghat on the south of Sankosa River in the east and Karatoya River on the west. It was in the sway of Lakshmi Narayan that Madhavadeva and Damodardeva, the followers of neo-Vaisnava reformer Sankaradeva left the state due to cruelty of the Ahom king. When they arrived at the Koch Kingdom, Lakshmi Narayan provided them protection. Stimulated by the king’s patronage they dedicated themselves to lead a spontaneous religious life.
The neo-Vaisnavism advocated by Madhvadeva is supposed to have been the then imperial creed. Animal sacrifices were also banned, for an instance, in the Kingdom. On the other hand the Shaiva faith was thriving during his rule amongst the ordinary people. Among the works of spiritual text of the period mention may be made of the translation of Gobinda Misra’s eighteen Parvas of the Bhagavata Gita and Vipra Visared’s Kirata, Bana and Karma Kanda of the Mahabharata.
Vira Narayan (1627-1633):
King Vira Narayan succeeded his father Lakshmi Narayan onto the royal throne in 1627 and in his incarnation ceremony Nazir Mahindranarayan held the imperial umbrella over his head. In his short spell of five years, Vira Narayan failed to demonstrate skills of a strong administrator. The control of Vira Narayan was noticeable by the fall of material prosperity and rapid erosion of territories. The Raikat discarded the Koch suzerainty. The Bhutias did not recognize the allegiance of the king. It is simple to conclude that he continued to stay under Mughol vassalage, paying normal tribute to the Mughol ruler.
Vira Narayan passed away in 1632. He is supposed to have been an ardent supporter of knowledge and education. Sri Kavi Sekhara, the court writer of the king, translated the Kirata Parva of the Mahabharata. Vira Narayan was a Vaishanava in religion. A full and half Narayani coins have been found on which the reverse side bears the regal commitment towards Krishna, instead of the customary attachment to Shiva.
Prana Narayan (1633-1665):
Following the death of Vira Narayan his son Prana Narayan was accordingly installed as king. Seals and new coins were arranged bearing the name of the new king. Rajopakhyana accounts states that during the reign of Prana Narayan there was no external turbulence in his kingdom. But it appears from Buranji and histories composed in Persian that the kingdom was disturbed on account of attacks from external enemies and the hostility of associates.
When Prana Narayan became king of Koch kingdom, the Mughols in Bengal too were completely preoccupied with their own evils. The regal power of Kamarupa was gravely challenged by the clever king Balinarayan of Darrang, aided by the Ahom King. Prana Narayan went ahead with troops to assist Islam Khan in his assault on Balinarayan and the Ahom (1636-38) as a consequence to traditional allegiance to the Mughols.
In 1657 the Mughol Emperor fell sick. Disorder and bewilderment prevailed in the Mughol Empire following in-house conflicts amongst his sons. Taking advantage of the circumstance Prana Narayan explicitly turned hostile to the Mughols stopped payment of tribute and established him a sovereign ruler. He enlisted great support from Kamarupa (Koch Hajo) that belonged to the Mughol Empire. He is also said to have attacked Ghoraghat.
In 1661 Aurungzeb ascended the imperial throne. Mirjumla the Subedar of Bengal newly chosen by him reached Dhaka and in order to take revenge invaded Koch kingdom (13th December, 1661). Prana Narayan took refuge in the foot hills of Bhutan. The monarchy was annexed to the Mughol Empire, coins were struck in Aurungzeb’s name and the name of the central city was altered to “Alamgirnagar”.
After plundering Koch kingdom Mirjumla imposed the tribute of ten lacks of Narayani coins. It appears from the account of Shihabuddin Talish that having left an army under Istunder Beg he marched to invade Assam.
In Mirjumla’s absence the people of Koch Kingdom rose in rebellion against the new set of laws and regulations introduced by the Mughol officers for collecting tribute. As a consequence the peasants joined hands with the dismissed ruler Prana Narayan. He soon recovered the throne of Koch Kingdom.
Thus the Mughol commander was removed and Koch Kingdom yet again became sovereign in 1681. The next Subedar Sayesta Khan who succeeded Mirjumla reached Rajmnahal in March, 1664 and articulated his purpose to attack the Koch Kingdom. Prana Narayan considered it judicious to pledge obedience to the Mughol Emperor in order to protect the security of the kingdom. Consequently he decided to disburse five lacks of Narayani coins as warfare compensation. The Subedar accepted the conditions and as soon as the protection reached him, royal army had been removed from the kingdom. Therefore after a little spell of freedom the Koch Kingdom became once again a vassal kingdom. Towards the final years Prana Narayan’s kingship the boundary of Koch Kingdom extended (1600 square miles) upto Jajhat and Bahirband Parganas in the south, Bhaskarpur near Khuntaghat on the east and Morang on the west. With his demise in 1664 the rule of Prana Narayan ended.
His regime was affluent in diverse fields. He himself was educated in grammar, literature and Smritisastras, and specialist in the art of singing and dancing and author of harmonious essays. His court was decorated with five Pandits of profound knowledge. Prominent among the spiritual literature were the translation of Adiparva, Dronaparva of the Mahabharata and the composition of Draupadir Svayambara Kavya by Srinath Brahmin and the translation of some cantas of the Mahabharata by Ramesvara. Jagat Jiban Ghosal, the court poet of Purnia wrote the Manasa Mangala Kavya.
Being an admirer of Sankardeva’s Neo-Vaisnavism, Prana Narayan is believed to have confidence in the cause of the Shakta and Shaiva religions and their observances.
Moda Narayan (1665-1680):
King Moda Narayan ascended the throne on his father Prana Narayan’s demise in 1665. During this period four sons of Mahindra Narayan, Nazir Deo tried to acquire the throne. Mahindra Narayan displeased them by putting Moda Narayan the second son of Prana Narayan on the royal chair, but the authority of the new king became palpable from the beginning due to the overwhelming authority of Mahindra Narayan.
During the rule of Moda Narayan there were repeated conflicts in the kingdom. Taking advantage of the situation the Bhutiyas began to meddle in the internal affairs of the state and the Nazir Deo offered the post of Prime ministership to a royal blood. Moda Narayan slowly brought the military under his control and sentenced to death some of the officers who sided with Nazir Deo and banished others. This strategy however led to an open disagreement which was subsided through the appointment of Vajnarayan as Chatra Nazir. In 1680 Moda Narayan passed away without any son to claim the royal chair.
However he had a strong personality and in religion he was a neo-Vaisnavaite. Dvija Kaviraja’s completion of the translation of the Dronaparva of the Mahabharata represents the spiritual literature of his time. On Moda Narayan’s demise the sons of Nazir Deo Mahindra Narayan again made an effort to reclaim the throne with the help of the Bhutias. The capital was plundered, people were killed and others were made captives by them. At this vital juncture Jagadeva and Bhujdeva the Raikat brothers of Baikunthapura marched with an army and drove them out of the kingdom.
Sudip Narayan Ghosh
Will be continued.
