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History
reveals that the ancient territory of Kamrup played a role in the
development of the present region of Cooch Behar district in West Bengal. The
Allahabad Pillar Inscription of the famous Gupta Emperor Samudragupta mentions
about the existence of the Kamrup territory in the 4th century AD.
During the 15th century AD, the western part of Kamrup came
under the sway of the ‘Khen’ dynasty to usher a new kingdom
there known as ‘Kamta’. The present Cooch Behar owes its origin
from this ‘Kamta’ land. The ‘Khen’ dynasty is noted for the kings of
Niladhvaja, the founder of the dynasty, his son Chakradhvaja and
grandson Nilambar (1473-98/99 AD). It is stated by some that the ‘Koch’
dynasty followed the lineage of Nilambar. But the most widely accepted view
holds that king Maharaja Viswa Singha was responsible for establishment of an
independent ‘Koch’ kingdom in 1510 AD or 1530 AD.
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In
the beginning, the capital of this kingdom was not static and became stable only when the
same was shifted to Cooch Behar. The territory of Cooch Behar was known as
‘Kamta’ even during the period of Maharaja Viswa Singha and his son
Maharaja Nara-Narayan. The Mughal forces grabbed certain portion of the
‘Kamta’ kingdom in the middle of the 17th century AD. Later on
the accounts of Badshanama, Shah-Jaha-nama, Tarikh-I-Assam and the Alamgirnama
ascribed this territory as Cooch Behar. It is, therefore, very much apparent
that the ‘Koch’ kingdom was known as ‘Kamta’ even during the middle of
the 17the century AD when the Koch kings like Maharaja Viswa Singh, Maharaja
Nara Narayan and Maharaja Pran Narayan used the title ‘Kamteswar’ for
themselves. The valor of the ‘Koch’ kings is known best by the prides of
Maharaja Nara Narayan. He has issued his own coins. The kings who ruled Cooch
Behar till its union with Indian territory and its declaration as a
district headquarter of the Province of West Bengal in 1950 are known as
Maharaja Viswa Singha ,
Maharaja Nara Narayan , Maharaja Lakshmi
Narayan ,
Maharaja Bir
Narayan , Maharaja Pran Narayan
,
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Maharaja Basudev Narayan ,
Maharaja Mahindra Narayan , Maharaja Roop Narayan
, Maharaja Upendra Narayan
,
Maharaja Devendra Narayan , Maharaja Dhairjendra Narayan
, Maharaja Rajendra
Narayan ,
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Maharaja Dharendra Narayan
, Maharaja Harendra Narayan
, Maharaja
Shivendra Narayan , Maharaja Narendra Narayan
, Maharaja Nripendra Narayan
,
Maharaja Rajrajendra Narayan , Maharaja Jitendra Narayan
and Maharaja
Jagadipendra Narayan. The history of
Cooch Behar dates back to the period of
the Pala-Senas (i.e., Circa 11th – 12th century AD)
These include sculptures, coins of the Sultanate and the Mughal Periods,
temples, mosques of the mediaeval and late mediaeval period. Of the ancient
remains, mention may be made of the Rajpat of Gossanimari, Siva Temple of
Baneswar and the Palace of Cooch Behar. It is traditionally believed that the
huge mound of Rajpat of the Gossanimari village at a distance of 13 kilometer to the west of Dinhata Police Station marks the site of the ancient capital of
‘Kamtapur’ of the ‘Khen’ kings.
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The word Rajpat has been derived
probably from the Bengali ‘Rajbari’ or ‘Rajbati’ or ‘Rajprasad’.
The ‘Khen’ king
Nilambar of this Kamtapur Kingdom was defeated in a battle
by sultan Hussain Shah of Bengal in 1498 AD. The pomp and glory of
Rajpat are
now all in ruins under the deposit of huge earth flanked by bare greenaries
all around. It is believed that the anicent palatial complex of Kamtapur
including the early Kamteswari temple are all lying buried in this
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Excavation
at Gosanimari |
mound. This
mound is at present protected by the Archaeological Survey of India. The Cooch
Behar Palace which is noted for its
elegance
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and grandeur is also protected by
the Archaeological Survey of India. This magnificent Palace was constructed by
the ‘Koch’ king Maharaja Nripendra Narayan in 1887 AD. Built in bricks
in the classical Western style this double-storied
structure is rests on a 4 feet 9 inches above the ground and covers an area of
51309 square feet. It is
395 feet in length and 296 feet in breadth. The
Palace is fronted by a series of arcaded verandahs in the ground and first
floors with their piers arranged in an alternate use of single and double
rows. The Palace is slightly projected at the south and northern ends and in
the centre there is a
projected porch to provide an entrance to the Durbar Hall. The
elegantly shaped metal dome of the Durbar Hall is topped by a cylindrical
louvre type ventilator (being 124 feet high from the ground level) recalling
the style of the Italian Renaissance. The intrados of the dome is carved in
the stepped patterns while the Corinthian columns that support the base of the
cupola found a new dimension in variegated colours and designs to an entire
surface. The palace comprises various halls
and rooms that include the Dressing Room, Bed Room, Drawing Room,
Dining Hall, Billiard hall, Library, Toshakhana, Ladies Gallery and
Vestibules. Unfortunately, all the articles and the precious objects as
contained by these rooms and halls are now lost and curbed slightly the
crowning glory and superb manifestation of the Palace.
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