Cooch Behar, also known as Koch Bihar, was a princely state ruled by Rajbanshi clans during the British Raj. The state was placed under the Bengal States Agency, part of the Eastern States Agency of the Bengal Presidency. It is located south of the Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan, in present-day West Bengal. The rulers of Cooch Behar State held the title of 'Raja' and then from 1884AD onwards held the title of 'Maharaja'. They were entitled to a 13 gun salute by the British authorities.
Cooch Behar State was formed when the Kamata Kingdom under the Koch dynasty split following the death of Nara Narayan in 1586AD. The Koch dynasty of Assam and Bengal, named after the Koch tribe, emerged as the dominant ruling house in the Kamata kingdom in 1515AD after the fall of the Khen dynasty in 1498. The first of the Koch kings, Viswa Singha and then his sons, Nara Narayan as the subsequent king and Chilarai as the general, soon occupied the western portion of the erstwhile Kamarupa Kingdom as well as some regions of south Assam. The dynasty forked for the first time into two major branches that controlled Koch Bihar and Koch Hajo. The eastern portion, Koch Hajo, was soon absorbed by Ahom. The western portion, Koch Bihar, although nominally independent became a vassal state in turn of the Mughal Empire, of Bhutan, the British East India Company, and of the British Raj. It acceded to and merged with India in 1949 and became a part of West Bengal. A third branch of this dynasty at Khaspur disappeared into the Kachari kingdom.
Cooch Behar State was formed when the Kamata Kingdom under the Koch dynasty split following the death of Nara Narayan in 1586AD. The Koch dynasty of Assam and Bengal, named after the Koch tribe, emerged as the dominant ruling house in the Kamata kingdom in 1515AD after the fall of the Khen dynasty in 1498. The first of the Koch kings, Viswa Singha and then his sons, Nara Narayan as the subsequent king and Chilarai as the general, soon occupied the western portion of the erstwhile Kamarupa Kingdom as well as some regions of south Assam. The dynasty forked for the first time into two major branches that controlled Koch Bihar and Koch Hajo. The eastern portion, Koch Hajo, was soon absorbed by Ahom. The western portion, Koch Bihar, although nominally independent became a vassal state in turn of the Mughal Empire, of Bhutan, the British East India Company, and of the British Raj. It acceded to and merged with India in 1949 and became a part of West Bengal. A third branch of this dynasty at Khaspur disappeared into the Kachari kingdom.
| Ruler (Raja/Maharaja) | Reign | |
| Biswa Singha | 1515 – 1540 | |
| Nara Narayan | 1540 – 1587 | |
| Lakshmi Narayan | 1587 – 1621 | |
| Bir Narayan | 1621 – 1626 | |
| Pran Narayan | 1626 – 1665 | |
| Mod Narayan | 1665 – 1680 | |
| Basudev Narayan | 1680 – 1682 | |
| Mahindra Narayan | 1682 – 1693 | |
| Roop Narayan | 1693 – 1714 | |
| Upendra Narayana | 1714 – 1763 | |
| Debendra Narayana | 1763 – 1765 | |
| Dhairjendra Narayan (1st reign) | 1765 – 1770 | |
| Rajendra I Narayan | 1770 – 1772 | |
| Dharendra Narayan (1st reign) | 1772 – 1772 | |
| Bijendra Narayan | 1772 – 1774 | |
| Dharendra Narayan (2nd reign) | 1774 – 1775 | |
| Dhairjendra Narayan (2nd reign) | 1775 – 1783 | |
| Harendra Narayan | 1783 – 1839 | |
| Shivendra Narayan | 1839 – 1847 | |
| Narendra Narayan | 1847 – 1863 | |
| Nripendra Narayan | 1863 – 1911 | |
| Rajendra II Narayan | 1911 – 1913 | |
| Jitendra Narayan | 1913 – 1922 | |
| Jagaddipendra Narayan | 1922 – 1947 |
1 Rupee - Nara Narayan, KM#34.2
Lettering:
Śrī Śrī
Śiva Charana
Kamala Madhu
Karasy
Rev : Inscription 5 lines in Bengali with name of the king as "Sri Sriman Nara Narayana Bhupalasya" and the date as "Sake 1477"
Lettering:
Śrī Śrī
man NaraNã
rãyana Bhupãla
sya Śãke
1477
Details :
Plain edge, Narrow Flan
KM#34.2
RB#5
1 Rupee - Nara Narayan, KM#36
Lettering:
Śrī Śrī
Śiva Charana
Kamala Madhu
Karasy
Rev : Inscription 4 lines in Bengali with name of the king as "Sri Sriman Nara Narayana" and the date as "Sake 1477", star in upper right corner
Lettering:
Śrī Śrī
man Nara Nãrã
yanasya Śãke
1477
Details :
Plain edge
KM#36
RB#16
1 Rupee - Laxmi Narayan, KM#45
Three beads at end of 1st line
Lettering:
Śrī Śrī
Śiva Charana
Kamala Madhu
Karasy
Rev : Inscription 5 lines in Bengali with name of the king as "Sri Sriman Lakshmi Narayana" and the date as "Sake 1509" and CB92
Lettering:
Śrī Śrīma
n Lakshmi Nãrãya
nasya Śãke
1509
92
Details :
Plain edge
KM#45
RB#22
½ Rupee - Prana Narayan, KM#72
Lettering:
Sri Sri (mat)
Pra na Na (rayana)
Sya Sa (ke)
Rev : Inscription 4 lines in Bengali
Lettering:
Sri Sri
(Shi) va Cha ra (na)
(Ka) ma la Ma (dhu)
(Ka ra) sya
Details :
Plain edge, On reverse the horizontal line below "va cha ra" finishing with the vertical line.
KM#72
½ Rupee - Prana Narayan, KM#72
Lettering:
Sri Sri (mat)
Pra na Na (rayana)
Sya Sa (ke)
Rev : Inscription 4 lines in Bengali
Lettering:
Sri Sri
(Shi) va Cha ra (na)
(Ka) ma la Ma (dhu)
(Ka ra) sya
Details :
Plain edge, On reverse the horizontal line below "va cha ra" finishing with the vertical line.
KM#72
References :
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cooch_Behar_State
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koch_dynasty
- South Asian Coins & Paper Money (INDIAN EDITION) - Krause Publication
- The Coinage of Cooch Behar by Nicholas Rhodes, Shankar K. Bose
- https://www.zeno.ru/showgallery.php?cat=3328
- http://www.royalfamilyofindia.com/cooch-behar/
- http://www.worldofcoins.eu/forum/index.php?topic=3270.0
