Rajbongshi people

Not to be confused with Koch people.

Koch Rajbanshi

Regions with significant populations
India   Bangladesh     Nepal
West Bengal	3,386,617 [1]
Languages
Kamtapuri, Assamese, Koch (Native)
Religion
Hinduism
Related ethnic groups
Koch, Rabhas, Garos, Boros, Mech

The Rajbongshi ^[2] or Koch-Rajbongshi (formerly known as Koches) ^[3] is an ethnic group inhabiting parts of Lower Assam, Meghalaya, northern West Bengal, Bihar and on the eastern parts of Nepal, Bhutan and northern Bangladesh. ^{[4] [5]}

Etymology

The 16th century Yogini Tantra which was composed in Assam refers to the Koches as Kuvachas and they are claimed to be born of a Mech women. ^[6] These Kuvachas are said to take dirty food and speak a barbarian tongue. ^[7] Even in the latter part of the 18th century, after a section of Koches has formed the Koch dynasty, ^[5] the chronicles like Darrang Raj Vamsavali continued to call them as Koches or Meches. ^[8]

However, in the late 19th and early 20th century the community in North Bengal wanted to shake itself from its tribal origin and aspired to higher social status with the Kshatriya Andolan and under Panchanan Burman preferred to call itself Rajbanshi or Rajvamsi which means of the royal clan. ^{[9] [10]} In the immediate post colonial period, the movement for higher social status via Sanskritisation reoriented itself to aspiration for special status as a scheduled caste; but neither these social movements for status and privilege had a significant impact in Assam. ^[11] In Assam proper, the term Koch applies to Hinduised tribes who no longer associate themselves with their older identity. ^{[12] [13] [14]}

History

Origins

The original homeland of the Koches is assumed to be in Tibet from where they populated the present western Brahmaputra valley and North Bengal. ^[15] In Takabat-i-Nasiri, which contain records of Muhammad bin Bakhtiyar Khalji expedition into Kamrud (Kamrup) in the early part of the 13th century, mention the people of Assam as Kunch (Koch), Mej/Meg (Mech), Tiharu (Taru). ^[16]

Beginning of the Koch dynasty

In the 16th century, Bisu, the son of a Mech father and Koch mother ^[17] came into power in the lower Brahmaputra valley, who after being Hinduised acquired the name Biswa Singha. ^[18] Biswa Singha united the different Tibeto-Burman linguistic groups (Bodo-Kachari)— Koch, Mech, Garo, Rabha etc. of the region under the banner of Koches ^{[19] [14]} and established the Koch dynasty of the Kamata kingdom. Under his sons Nara Narayan and Chilarai, the Koch dynasty came to control the entire Brahmaputra Valley subjugating the Ahoms, Kacharis, Tripuris. The reign of Naranarayan saw the increase Hinduisation of the Koch royal family, the introduction of fourfold caste system ^[20] and the advent of Srimanta Sankardev who preached the ekasarana nama-dharma ^[21] led to their rapid transformation from the followers of tribalism to Shaivism and Vaishnavism. ^[22] But the introduction of Hinduism came in conflict with tribal religious beliefs of the Koch, Mech and Kachari people of the Koch-Kamata kingdom, ^[23] so the conversion of the masses into Hinduism remained relatively slower than in the Koch royal family. ^[24] The death of Naranarayana saw kingdom split into two — Koch Hajo and Koch Bihar. Aggressive attacks from the west and the east, led to Koch Bihar becoming part of the Mughal Empire and Koch Hajo of the Ahom kingdom.

Late 19th century and early 20th century

In 1891, a section of Koches who were at tribal or semi-tribal stage in present North Bengal and Western Assam tried to dissociate themselves from their original ethnic stock by describing themselves as Rajbanshi or Vratya Kshatriya. ^[25] Among the measures emphasized by the leaders for the Kshatriyisation of Koches was the wearing of scared thread, reduction in the days of mourning for the death of parents from thirty days to twelve days and also the change of surnames to Roy and Barman. ^[26] The process gained movementum in 1910 under the leadership of Panchanan Barman, the Koches got the legal Kshatriya status of Rajbanshi after getting recognition from different Brahmin pandits of the region ^[26] and lost their tribal identity thus making them separate from their Koches origins. ^[26] The district magistrate gave permission to use surnames like Roy, Barman, Sinha and the Kshatriya status was recognized in the final report of 1911 census. ^[26] The movement manifested itself in sankritising tendencies with an assertion of Aryan origin and striving for higher social status by imitating higher caste customs and rituals. ^[27]

Historian Arup Jyoti Das claims that this new-found status resulted in the Koch upper class abandoning tribal traits: such as matrilineality and their Tibeto-Burman language, and calling themselves Rajbongshi. ^[28]

Today the Koch-Rajbongshis are found throughout North Bengal, particularly in the Dooars, as well as parts of Lower Assam, northern Bangladesh, the Terai of eastern Nepal and Bihar, and Bhutan. ^[29]

Occupation

The Rajbongshis were traditionally agriculturalists, but due to their numerical dominance in North Bengal there were significant occupational differences among them. Most were agricultural labourers (halua) or sharecroppers (adhiar). These often worked for landed cultivators, called dar-chukanidars. Above them were the chukandiars and jotedars, and at the top were the zamindars. Some Rajbongshis were zamindars or jotedars. ^[30]

Lifestyle and culture

According to a 2019 research, the Koch Rajbongshi community has an oral tradition of agriculture, dance, music, medical practices, song, the building of house, culture, and language. Ideally the tribe transfer the know-how from one generation to another. ^[31]

The Koch Rajbongshi community had traditionally been a largely agricultural community, cultivating mainly rice, pulses, and maize. Rice is the staple food for the majority of the population. Even in the 21st century, a large portion of this community still adheres to a rural lifestyle, though urbanization is on a constant rise. The food consumed and the diet pattern is similar to all the Koches of Assam, West Bengal, Nepal, Bangladesh, Meghalaya. Rice and Pulses are consumed on a regular basis along with vegetables and bhajis (fries- mainly potatoes). Typical is the Dhékir sāg and naphā sāg, two types of leafy vegetable preparation, mostly boiled with very little added oil, out of newly born shoots of fern leaves. In lower Assam, a vegetable preparation of bamboo shoots is also consumed. Consumption of stale rice or pantha bhāt is common within Koch Rajbongshi. Cooking is mainly done using mustard oil, though sunflower oil is sometimes used. As far as non-vegetarian foods are concerned, the Koch Rajbongshi population consumes a large amount of meat and eggs unlike other neighborhood populations from the Bengal region, who consume a large amount of fish. Goat meat and sheep (if available) is generally consumed, and consumption of fowl meat is discouraged as a result of Sanskritization, though these taboos have eroded over time. There were rituals involving sacrificing pigs in Ghordew puja, and ducks in Laxmi puja. Eggs of ducks and poultry are consumed. Ducks and Fish are also consumed but not in very large numbers. The rivers of northern Bengal does not sustain large varieties of fishes because of its non-perennial nature. However, in lower Assam areas, large rivers like the Brahmaputra sustain large varieties of fish which becomes an important part of the dietary habit of the Koch Rajbanshi living there.

Home design of a typical Koch Rajbanshi home is essential for the rectangular pattern, with an open space (egina/aingna) in the middle. This is done mostly for protection against both wild animals and strong winds. A Thakurghor of Manasha or Kali Thakur at the entrance is must in every Koch-Rajbongshi house. The north side holds the betel nut and fruit gardens, the west contains Bamboo gardens while the east and the south is generally left open to allow sunshine and air to penetrate into the household. Though such a pattern is more prominent among the landed gentry.

Traditional attires of Koch-Rajbongshis are mainly Patani, Agran, Angsha, Chadar, Lifan, Phota, and various other traditional costumes being weaved at their traditional handloom in their home. The traditional clothing for men is Angsha and Jama , while for women is Bukuni-Patani, Phota, Agran, Angsa, Lifan; Chadar a piece of cloth tied around the chest that extends up to the knee. Lifan or Phota are worn like a wrapper. The Koch Rajbongshi Tribe has still preserved their age-old ethnic attires and is being used on a regular basis as their common costumes, The Koch Rajbongshis prefer to wear their traditional attires in-spite of the fact that the modern costumes are widely available. ^{[32] [33]}

Music forms are integral part of Koch-Rajbongshi culture. The main musical forms of Koch-Rajbongshi culture are Bhawaiyya, Chatka, Chorchunni, Palatia, Lahankari, Tukkhya, Bishohora Pala among many others. Various instruments are used for such performances, string instruments like Dotora, Sarindra and Bena, double-membrane instruments like Tasi, Dhak, Khol, Desi Dhol and Mridanga, gongs and bells like Kansi, Khartal and wind instruments like Sanai, Mukha bansi and Kupa bansi. ^[34]

Notable people

• Naser Farid, PhD, policy head of GoB government ministry and chairman of BFSF a think tank and NGO GDSO, Rangpurya
• Biswa Singha, progenitor king of the Koch dynasty
• Chilarai, the commander of the Koch dynasty.
• Her Majesty Gayatri Devi of Jaipur, Queen consort of Jaipur.
• Lalit Rajbanshi, Nepalese cricketer of Nepal National Cricket Team
• Panchanan Barma, Indian social reformer of the Rajbanshi Community from West Bengal
• Sarat Chandra Singha, Former Chief Minister of Assam
• Swapna Barman, Indian heptathlete and gold medal winner at 2018 Asian Games from West Bengal
• Tuluram Rajbanshi, Nepalese politician associated with Nepal Communist Party
• Upendranath Barman, Indian politician from West Bengal
• Madhab Rajbangshi, Indian Politician from Assam

See also

• Koch people
• Rabha people
• Boro people

Notes

1. "West Bengal - Data Highlights: The Scheduled Castes -Census of India 2001" (PDF). censusindia.gov.in. Retrieved 17 August 2020.
2. "In West Bengal and Bihar, they are known as "Rajbongshi and "Rajbanshi"," in Assam as "Koch," "Rajbongshi," and "Koch-Rajbongshi," and in Meghalaya mainly as "Koch." Though the community is known by diverse names in different states, their origin is the same, that is, "Koch." ( Roy 2018 )
3. ( Nath 1989 :5)
4. "The Portal of North Bengal Development Department". wbnorthbengaldev.gov.in. Retrieved 28 April 2019.
5. "(W)hile the asserted identity of the Koch/Rabha complex seemingly shifted a great deal during the colonial period—which is therefore very confusing for observers-some converts formed an assertive ethnic group, the Koch Rajbongshi (“of royal lineage”), that claimed to be linked to the Koch dynasty.( Ramirez 2014 :17)
6. Nath 1989, p. 3.
7. Nath 1989, p. 7.
8. "Even in the Darrang Raj Vamsavali, which is the genealogical work of the Koch royal family, and which was written in the last quarter of the 18th century, donot refer to this term (Rajbanshi). Instead all these sources called them as Koches and/or Meches."( Nath 1989 :5)
9. "(W)ho often agreed with Buchanan, tells how the term “Koch” had had for some time a Barbaric flavour which induced many people to prefer the designation “Rajbangsi” (or Rajvamsi), a term which means “of the royal clan”.( Jacquesson 2008 :27)
10. "In fact, the Koches in order to assert their royal lineage used to call themselves Rajbanshis. The term, Rajbanshi was also used as an effective nomenclature to subvert the processes of hierarchical subordination of the community largely by the caste Hindus during the colonial era." ( Roy 2014 )
11. "Burma was successful in getting the SC status for the Rajbanshis in Bengal. However, the movement did not gain much support in Assam, as the Koch Rajbanshis were not subjected to acute casteist/racial discrimination in the state as they were in Bengal." ( Roy 2014 )
12. "“Koch” only applies to groups reputed to have converted to Assamese Hinduism and which no longer recognize themselves as Tiwa, Karbi or Bodo"( Ramirez 2014 :17)
13. "In Assam proper, however, the term Koch implies the name of a caste (rather than a Hinduised tribe) "into which all converts to Hinduism from different tribes, Kachari, Garo, Hajong, Lalung, Mikir, etc. are admitted on conversion"( Nath 1989 :7)
14. "The Koch was a generic caste which accommodated within itself tribal neophytes from different Tibeto-Burman linguistic groups"( Sheikh 2012 :249)
15. ( Nath 1989 , p. 4)
16. ( Jacquesson 2008 , p. 17)
17. "He [Koch Hajo, a Koch chief] had two daughters Hira and Jira of whom Hira was married to Hariya, a member of the impure tribe called Mech. Of them was born Bisu"( Nath 1989 :17)
18. "(T)he Koches were adapted to tribal ways of living at the time and Bisu's family members largely cultivated cottons on the hills. However when he acquired power to control the surrounding situation, the Brahmanas as pointed out by Gait, soon found him out and Hinduised him and his family, and called him Biswa Singha"( Gogoi 2002 :18)
19. "Bisu organised the different Bodo tribes of the region under his banner and launched a career of war and conquest and made the koches a power to be reckoned with.."( Nath 1989 :16)
20. "The process of Hinduisation continued during the reign of Naranarayana. During his reign varnasrama or the fourfold caste system was introduced in Koch Behar by Siddhantavagisa"( Sheikh 2012 , p. 251)
21. "The process of sankritisation was further advanced by the advent of Srimanta Sankardeva, along with his two disciples Madhavdeva and Damodardev in the mid sixteenth century. They introduced neo-vaishnavite movement in Koch Behar"( Sheikh 2012 , p. 251)
22. "All these factor went a long way in effecting a rapid transformation of Koch Behar royal family from tribalism to Saivaism and Vaisnavism"( Sheikh 2012 , p. 251)
23. "But Brahminical Hinduism was not accepted by all people like the Koch, Mech and Kachari people of the Kamata-Koch kingdom. On the contrary, the introduction of Brahminical Hinduism led to the conflict between the old religious tribal believers and the Hindu neophytes."( Sheikh 2012 , p. 252)
24. "So among the mass people, the process of Hinduization was slower than in the folds of the royal family"( Sheikh 2012 , p. 252)
25. Das 2004, p. 559.
26. Das 2004, p. 560.
27. Das 2004, p. 561.
28. "Interview | 'There Are Few Documents on the Diverse History of Koch Rajbanshis'". The Wire. Archived from the original on 11 May 2020. Retrieved 11 May 2020.
29. "Today, the Koch Rajbanshi people are located in North Bengal, Assam (with a major concentration in west Assam), Garo hills of Meghalaya, Purnia, Kishanganj, and Katihar districts of Bihar, Jhapa and Biratnagar districts of Nepal, Rangpur, East Dinajpur districts and some parts of northwest Mymensingh, northern Rajshahi and Bogra districts of Bangladesh and lower parts of Bhutan (Nalini Ranjan Ray 2009)." ( Roy 2014 )
30. Barman, Rup Kumar. "A new Look on the transition of Caste identity into Cultural identity of the Rajbanshis of Northern Bengal and Lower Assam" (PDF). The Mirror: 56–70.
31. Singha, Surjit; Singha, Ranjit (2019). Sustainable Entrepreneurship in North East India (1 ed.). Bulgaria: Tsenov Academic Publishing House. pp. 161–187. ISBN   9789542317524 . Retrieved 14 November 2019.
32. Chaudhuri, Harendra Narayan (1903). The Cooch Behar State and its Land Revenue Settlements. Princely Cooch Behar State: The Cooch Behar State Press. p. 135.
33. "People and Culture | Bongaigaon District | Government Of Assam, India". bongaigaon.gov.in. Retrieved 1 December 2020.
34. Sanyal, Charu Chandra (1965). The Rajbansis of North Bengal. Calcutta: The Asiatic Society.

References

• Barma, Shri. Hemanta Kumar Rai. "Kochbiharer Itihas". National Information Council.
• Nath, D. (1989), History of the Koch Kingdom, C. 1515-1615, Mittal Publications, pp. 5–6, ISBN   8170991099
• Jacquesson, François (2008), "Discovering Boro-Garo: History of an analytical and descriptive linguistic category", European Bulletin of Himalayan Research, 32: 14–49
• Roy, Hirokjeet (2014), "Politics of Janajatikaran: Koch Rajbanshis of Assam", Economic and Political Weekly, 49 (47)
• Roy, Kapil Chandra (2018), "Demand for Scheduled Tribe Status by Koch-Rajbongshis", Economic and Political Weekly, 53 (44)
• Adhikary, Madhab Chandra (2010). "Socio-political movement in post colonial North Bengal: A case study of the Rajbanshis". Proceedings of the Indian History Congress. 71: 1233–1242. ISSN   2249-1937. JSTOR   44147592.
• Chatterji, S.K (1951). Kirata-Jana-Krti. Calcutta: The Asiatic Society.
• Ramirez, Philippe (2014). People of the Margins - Across Ethnic Boundaries in North-East India.
• Gogoi, Jahnavi (2002). Agrarian System of Medieval Assam. New Delhi: Concept Publishing Company.
• Gait, Edward Albert (1906). History of Assam. Thacker, Spink & co.
• Sheikh, Amiruzzaman (2012). "The 16th century Koch kingdom: Evolving patterns of sankritization". Proceedings of the Indian History Congress. 73: 249–254. ISSN   2249-1937. JSTOR   44156212.
• Das, Jitendra Nath (2004). "The backwardness of the Rajbansis and the Rajbansi kshatriya movement (1891-1936)". Proceedings of the Indian History Congress. 65: 559–563. ISSN   2249-1937. JSTOR   44144770.