A History of Assam c13.123

c13.123

Lakshmi Singh was already fifty-three years of age when he became king. He left the management of his affairs in the hands of the Bar Barua, who had been instrumental in raising him to the throne, and who thus became more arrogant than ever. One day, when he was travelling with the king in the royal barge, the Moāmariā Gosāin happened to be standing on the bank. He saluted the king, but failed to take any notice of the Bar Barua, who was infuriated at the imagined slight and heaped on him all manner of insulting epithets. The Mahanta was greatly incensed and his disaffection became more pronounced than before. Soon afterwards, the chief of the Morān tribe,* named Nāhar, when bringing elephants for the king, incurred the Bar Barua’s wrath by going direct to the palace instead of first paying his respects to him. The haughty official caused him to be seized and beaten, and ordered his ears to be cut off. The unfortunate man, who happened to be a disciple of the Moāmariā Gosāin, hastened to him and invoked his aid.