Cooch Behar: A Great Princely State

Cooch Behar: A Great Princely State--

Cooch Behar is a princely state and only princely state in WB and entire Eastern region of India except Tripura and Manipur. Cooch Behar has a glorious history. It was ruled by the kings of the Koch dynasty established by Haridas Koch (Mandol). Later the kings took Narayan as surname or title. There were 26 kings coronated to the thrown (from Chandan Mondal to Jagadwipendra Narayan) from 1100 AD to 1948 AD. The King and the majority people of Cooch Behar belong to the Rajbanshi caste. After independence the Cooch Behar joined Indian union through an agreement.

The Rajbanshis are the ruling caste of this region (North Bengal and West Assam) like the Rajputs of Norther India. They are also Kshatriya in the Hindu social structre. The Rajbanshis developed three kingdoms, Baikunthopur (Jalpaiguri district), Koch Hajo (Wstern Assam) and Cooch Behar itself. Only Cooch Behar could retain its independence till British.

The people of Cooch Behar are the Rajbanshis besides some Muslims and others. After independence many Bangladeshi refugees migrated to the region. The Rajbanshis call the Bangladeshi migrants as Bhatiya. The existence came into peril due to increase of population. The Rajbanshis are now demanding creation of separate state called Kamatapur or Greater Cooch Behar. The Rajbanshis are in collision with the Bangladeshi migrants who claim Bengali as their official identity or step-identity.

Ref-The BOOK- “Koch-Kamta Dynasty in Historical Perspectives”, Ratna Prakashan, Kolkata-75.

2. Bengali and Bangladeshi : The Identity Debate

I am revealing a secret to you. Most people don’t know the difference between Bengali (WB, India) and Bangladeshi identity. They are two different identities. Bangladeshi people are often confused as Bengali. They are quite different. They (Bangladeshi) have separate language with accent, history, culture and geographical demarcation. 

Normally the Bangladeshi people claim Bengali as their official mother tongue and official identity. Virtually it is their step-motherly tongue and step-fatherly identity. A Bangladeshi may claim to be but not exactly a Bengali. Bangladeshi people often use Bengali as co-identity. But this fact is unknown and kept secret.

Bengali language is originally based on dialect spoken in Calcutta and both bank of lower Ganga river (India). Bangladeshi people do not speak Bengali language. They speak Bangladeshi language. Bengali and Bangladeshi is like or more than Hindi-Punjabi difference or Swish-German difference. Though officially Bengali is considered their mother tongue, virtually they speak Bangladeshi which is far different from being Bengali. 

There is similar problem in Hindi and Urdu. Officially Hindi and Urdu different language but when spoken both are same.

Bangladeshi people (except Brahmans) cannot be awarded Bengali identity. Their language, accent, intonation, culture is quite different from those of Bengali (Calcutta and lower Ganga river). Brahmans are a race who originally comes from North India. They do not fall into the Bengali-Bangladeshi classification. No author has so far revealed this secret. For detail please collect and read the book. (Reply for PDF copy). 

Ref-"Bengal : Society and Culture" (English) "Banglar Samaj O Sanskriti" (Bengali), 

--- by Kanak Chandra Sarkar, Ratna Prakashan, Kolkata-75