Koch Bihar

Koch Bihar lies south of Bhutan, in the river plains between Bengal and Assam. Its monarchy emerged from the Koch kingdom built by Biswa Singha in the early sixteenth century and enlarged under Nara Narayan. After the latter's death, the western kingdom became distinct from Koch Hajo to the east. The rulers of this western branch retained a court and dynasty while negotiating with powers whose resources greatly exceeded their own.

Lakshmi Narayan accepted Mughal overlordship in 1609. In the following generation, Pran Narayan took advantage of the Mughal succession struggle to campaign in Bengal, before imperial armies forced him to retreat and reach an agreement in 1664. Royal patronage also left a religious landscape: successive rulers supported the Jalpesh Shiva temple and endowed its maintenance. Bhutanese intervention later reached into disputes over the throne and the conduct of government. An appeal for Company assistance led to the treaty of 5 April 1773. British troops helped expel Bhutanese forces, but the settlement restricted the kingdom's independence. By the early nineteenth century, Koch Bihar survived as a hereditary monarchy under Company protection.