Socio-Political Movements
in North Bengal
(A Sub-Himalayan Tract)
Publish by Global Vision Publishing House
Edited by
Sukhbilas Barma
Kamata Language—
A Brilliant Past and Tragic End
Dharma Narayan Barma
Long before the epic ages, North-east India was infested
with different tribes namely Austric, Dravidians and
Mongoloid people. The Austric people entered this region
from Australia through south-eastern direction of India,
Dravidians from west and Mongolians from China through
North-eastern passes. And lately came the Aryans from MidIndia. In the Ramayana, we find that Naraka the foster son
of king Janaka of Mithila entered Pragjotishpur and
dethroned Ghataka, the Kirat king. According to
Kalikapurana, Naraka on his coronation brought in many
Aryans from Mithila and made them settled there
permanently. Naraka was a unique warrior who demolished
the neighbouring Kirat kingdoms and established an empire
in Pragjyotishpur. Because of his heroic nature and might,
he could easily sustain the wrath of the neighbouring tribal
kings for which he was known as Asura. The appellation,
‘Asura’ does not mean demon; Rig Veda has clearly said
that the term ‘Asura’ means warrior, and great hero.
Dharma Narayan Barma: A retired teacher of Tufanganj High
School.
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Socio-Political Movements in North Bengal
Kamrupa, an Ancient Settlement of the Aryans
After Naraka, his son the famous king Vagadatta of
Mahabharata, sided with the Kauravas in the Kurukshetra
war and gave his daughter Bhanumati to marriage with
Duryodhana, the Kaurava king. In these ways, Aryans spread
towards the east (Pragjyotispura) in those days. In the 4th
century B.C. during the reign of Mahapadmananda many
Aryans too entered this region and permanently settled here.
Thus an incoming flow of Aryans went on. As a result,
cultural and linguistic affinity between Mithila and
Pragjyotishpur befell even in the ancient days. Dr. Nihar
Ranjan Roy in his book ‘Bangalir Itihas’ (P-69), voiced the
same idea,
‘The cultural and social separation between North Bengal and
North-Bihar (Mithila) occurred in the middle age. In the early
times there was no separation. These two lands had been taken
to be same land.’
Dr. K. L. Barua in his Early history of Kamrupa opined,
‘The old Kamrupi language was a variety of eastern Maithili
and that is why Huen Tsang remarked that the spoken language
of Kamrupa differed a little from the language spoken in MidIndia i.e. Magadha and Mithila.’
In ‘History of Cooch Behar’ by S.C. Ghosal, it is stated, ‘we
can conclude that Aryan had come to this country when the
Rigveda was compiled.’ He also stated that in the Brahmans
of the Vedas the Aryans settled in the eastern country by
crossing the river Sadanira between Kosala and Mithila. This
is recounted also in the Satapatha Brahman. The Aryans
came to Kamrupa through Mithila. According to the views
of Bankim Chandra Chatterjee also, ‘Kamrupa is an ancient
settlement of Aryans.’ Dr. Suniti Chatterjee also said:
“Geographical situation, linguistic evidence, tradition, history’
all go to prove that the Aryan language came to Bengal as an
Kamata Language—A Brilliant Past and Tragic End
213
overflow from Bihar. It cannot be divined when the Aryan speech
first came to Bengal, to North Bengal probably from Mithila,
and Central and South Bengal from Anga.”
In respect of eastern Indo-Aryan sub group of languages,
the linguists have come to the conclusion that languages viz
Kamrupi, Bangla, Radhi and Uria have formed their entity
from Magadhiya Prakrit which sprang to these regions
through Mithila.
The Prakrita languages of different regions initially were
identical but on association with non-Aryan languages of
the respective places assumed different shapes and entities.
Kamrupi Prakrita language accordingly assumed distinct
character and so it was independent of other eastern Prakrita
languages.
Some Pan-Bengali scholars desired proto-language to be
sub-dialect of Bengali language. And Assamese scholars also
voiced accordingly Pan-Assamese theory. But, practically
both the theories of the scholars of the states are far from
truth as because this Kamrupi which is lately known as
Kamatapuri/Kamata Bihari, linguistically is equidistant from
Pan-Bengali or Pan-Assamese realities.
In the 13th century the name of the kingdom Kamrup
was changed on shifting the capital of Kamrup to Kamatapur,
fifteen miles south to Cooch Behar city. Henceforth the name
of the state became Kamata, and from that time down to the
end of 19th century Kamata became the political and cultural
centre of eastern India.
The Kamata kingdom was ruled by 15 native kings
successively beginning with Sandhya Roy in 1255 A.D. to
Nilambar 1482 A.D. After that Pathan Chieftain Hossain Sah,
conquered Kamata, but could retain his sway over it only
for 12 years. In 1496, Biswasingha, attacked the kingdom
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Socio-Political Movements in North Bengal
and vanquished the Pathan ruler. Then Biswasingha
ascended the throne of Kamata in the year 1496. Markendeya
Purana, in 35th pada, says:
KÊmatÊ Nagare Biswasingha Narabar,
Procanda ProtÊp RÊjÊ Bhoge Purandar.
Indeed, Biswasingha became the ruler of Kamata after
the Pathan. Twenty two kings of this line ruled over Kamata
and lately Cooch Behar, for 454 years continuously from
1496-1950 which is the longest dynastical rule in India.
Language and Literature of Kamta Cooch Behar
However, the Kamata-Cooch Behar kings were the great
patrons of language and literature. Famous poets, authors,
religious preachers enriched the literary treasures of the
Kamata language.
The letter of Maharaj Naranarayan of Kamatapur, written
to the Ahom King, in the year 1555 is the first visible sign of
prose literature of Kamata language. But surprisingly
enough, the scholars of Bengal and Assam univocally
demand this as visible sign of prose literature of their
respective languages. However this contention of thesis is
not tenable.
It is a fact that when there was complete darkness in
linguistic and political stability in the east and in the south,
Kamtapur glew with its own unparallel radiance for
language, culture and ideal administration. Dr. Arun Kumar
Mukhopadhyaya of Calcutta University in support of Dr.
K.L.Barua’s work, the Early history of Kamrup very logically
compared the reign of Maharaja Naranarayan with that of
Elizabethian period of England (Sahitya Batayan).
Some of the ancient literatures of this language and
Sanskrit written in Kamta are:
Kamata Language—A Brilliant Past and Tragic End
215
(i) Gopicandrer Gan of 13th century.
(ii) Gonnather Gan.
(iii) (a) Prahllad Carita (b)Haragauri Sambad by Hem
Saraswati (during the reign of Durllav Narayan).
(iv) Joginitantra (S.K) written in the time of Maharaja
Durlav Narayan,(1330- 1350).
(v) Padma Puran by Surnani.
(vi) Translation of Aswamedha Yajna of the Mahabharata by Harihar Bipra.
(vii) Daker Bacan by the poet Dak.
(viii) Padmapuran by Durgabar.
(ix) Padmapuran by Mankar.
(x) Sankar Deva, the Court poet of Maharaja
Naranarayan (1533-1587) wrote many valuable
books.
Some of them are: (1) Ajamel Upakhyan (2) Adidasar
Bhagabat (3) Utkalamala (4) Uddhab Sambad (5) Gunamala
(6) Niminabasidha. (7) Premkalasi Ghosa (8) Bali Chalan (9)
Bhakti Pradip (10) Bhakti Ratnakar (11) Ramayan (Uttar
kanda) (12) Rukmini Haran (13) Harishchandra Upakhyan
(14) Barisa Barnana
Dramas: (1) Kalia Daman (2) Parijata Haran (3) Rasa
Krida (4) Ram Vijay Nat (5) Sita Sayambar (6) Patniprasad
(7) Kele Gopal (8) Sitaharan.
The ‘Ram Vijoy Nat’, with the favour of Mahabir Cilarai
was staged in the court of King Naranarayan. Sankar deva
composed poems in praising Cilarai for his help in staging
the drama:
‘RÊmak Param Bhakati RasajnÊn
Shrisukladhwaj Nripati PradhÊn
Ramaka Vijoy Yo KarayÊli NaÑ
MilÊhu TÊheka Baikanthak baÑ.’
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Socio-Political Movements in North Bengal
Nam Ghosa
Bhakti Ratnabali
Bhattima Madhav
Barageet Madhav
-
Madhav Deva
Madhav Deva
Deva
Deva
Ramsaraswati was the Court Poet of Naranarayan. He,at
the request of the king, translated the Mahabharat into Kamta
language. Bagasurbadh, Byadhacarita, etc, were his creation.
Bhatta Deva translated Katha Gita and Kathabhagabat in
this language. Purusattam Vidyabagisa wrote Prayaga
Ratnamala. (Sansk Grammer) Pitambar Sidhanta Bagis –
wrote ‘Markendeya Candi’, ‘Nal Damayanti’ and ‘Usha
Parinaya.’
Many other books were written in this period by the
renowned Pandits of Kamta. Dr. Ajoy Chakraborty’s remark
in this respect is important. ‘As regards the language of
literature written in Kamta Koch Behar Rajdarbar specially,
from 14th century to 16th century, they were written in
Kamrup dialect. At that time Bengali and Assamese
languages had not taken definite shape. The two languages
have taken definite shape from the 18th century. A host of
poets of Kamta Rajdarbar translated various cantos of the
Mahabharata, the Ramayana and the Puranas. The poets of
the rest of Bengal did the same. But in most works in the
same cases the Kamrupi poets are pioneer in this time. As
regards historical literature Kamta Koch Rajdarbar tops
the list.
The language and literature of Kamta Koch Rajdarbar:
‘Indeed the kings of Kamta patronized the poets to translate
Sanskrit books into Kamta language. Dr.Shasibhusan Das Gupta
said, praising the kings of Cooch behar, ‘The Princes felt it their
duty to make provision for the distribution of culture, wealth of
nation among the mass. They therefore selected poets of
Kamata Language—A Brilliant Past and Tragic End
217
appreciable merit and entrusted them with sacred duty of
rendering in the popular language (Manushi Bhasa) all that was
hidden in the iron safe of the Divine language.’
Inspite of this exalted position of Kamta language the
scholars of Bengal and Assam tend to underestimate Protolanguage by saying that it is the dialect of Bengal and on the
other hand of Assamese. Banikanta Kakati wrote,
‘It was under the patronage of kings of Kamatapura, outside the
Western limits of modern Assam, fourteen miles to the south of
Cooch Behar that the earliest Assam books were written. Even
now the spoken language of North Bengal and Western Assam
(dialect of Goalpara and Kamrup) is substantially the same and
seems to form one dialect group.’ (Ref: Assamese, Its Formation
and Development. P-16, Chapter I.)
The above remark of Dr. Kakati seems to be deceitful.
How the Kamta court poets’ books can be earliest books of
Assamiya language? Undoubtedly, the books written in
Kamata Raj darbar must be the books of Kamata language,
the court language of the kingdom.
Dr. T.C. Rastogi and Arun Choudhury affirmed that
‘the Kamata language is the progenitor of Assamese and
Bengalee languages.’ Dr. Arun Kr. Mukherjee in ‘Sahitya
Batayan’ opined that in order to have a knowledge of the
ancient Bengali, we shall have to look into the language of
Cooch Behar, Jalpaiguri, Rangpur, Dinajpur and Kamrupi
upabhasa, also. So it is deducible that Kamta language is an
ancient language which is prior to Bengali and Assamese
which came to light in the 18th century under patronage of
British Government. But the position underwent radical
changes for various reasons:
“The change of geo-polity of this region brought about downfall
of proto-language. During the British rule Kamata kingdom was
divided into four parts, one was tagged with the newly founded
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Socio-Political Movements in North Bengal
Assam state (1874), another portion with Bengal, the other with
Bihar and the residue was Cooch Behar state. Consequently the
regional language of the respective states took upper hand;
thereby this language had to recede back. Moreover, Calcutta
University was established in the year 1857 and through this
University, teaching of Bengali language spread into Eastern
India. So, Bengali became medium of instruction in Bengal and
Cooch Behar and Assamese in Assam. And naturally Kamta
was pushed backward.”
It is a language of 150 lakhs of people of Western Assam,
undivided North Bengal, Purnia of Bihar, Jhapa and Morang
of Nepal. Its speakers are Rajbanshi, Khen, Nath community,
Brahmins, Kayasthas, Muslims, even Koches and such other
communities living in the region. All of them equally demand
this Kamata language as their mother language. Still now
this language is living among the people of the above
community in the teeth of serious adverse position.
REFERENCES
An article in Moulana Azad Academy Journal: R.C. Rastogi, May,
1993.
Assamese—Its Formation and Development: Bani Kanta Kakati,
Guwahati, 1972.
Asamia Viwa Kosh, Part I, Chief Editor: Rajani Kanta Dev Sharma,
Asom Prakashan Parishad, Guwahati.
Bangalir Itihas: Nihar Ranjan Ray, Dey’s Publications, Calcutta, 1410
BS.
Early History of Kamrup: K.L. Barua, Guwahati, 1988.
History of Cooch Behar: S.C. Ghosal, Cooch Behar State Press, 1942.
Kalika Puran: Edited by Panchanan Tarkaratna, Naba Bharat
Publishers, Calcutta.
Kamtapuri Bhasa Sahitter Ruprekha: Dharmanarayan Barma, Raidak
Prakashan, Tufanganj, 1407 BS.
Kamata Language—A Brilliant Past and Tragic End
219
Language and Literature written in Kamta Koch Rajdarbar: Dr. Ajoy
Chakraborty, published by Dr. Ajoy Chakraborty, Dhubri, Assam,
1964.
Origin and Development of Bengali Language (ODBL): Dr. Suniti Kumar
Chattopadhyaya, 1926.
Rig Veda: R.C. Dutt, Haraf Prakashani, Calcutta.
Red Rivers Blue Hills: Hem Barua, published by Khagendra Nath Dutta
Barua, Guwahati, 1991.
A Step to Kamta Bihari Language:Dharmanarayan Barma, Jalpaiguri,
1991.
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