A History of Assam c14.22

c14.22

Some time previously he had treacherously seized and put to death Hangsa Nārāyan, the tributary Raja of Darrang, on an unproved charge of sedition, and set up in his place another member of the family named Bishnu Nārāyan, thereby ignoring the claims of Krishna Nārāyan, the son of the late chief. The latter, stung by the injustice, went to Mr. Douglas, the Commissioner of Koch Bihār, and, through him, sought the aid of the British. He offered, if reinstated, to hold his estate as their vassal, in the same way as his ancestors had done under the Mughals, into whose possessions the British had now entered. Failing in his appeal, he determined to act for himself. He collected a force of Hindustanis and Bengalis, drove out Gaurināth's nominee and proclaimed himself Raja of Darrang. Finding that there was no one to oppose him, he proceeded to annex the northern part of Kāmrup and even took possession of North Gauhāti.